“She Protected Me on the
Water”
On November 22, TFP supporter
Sergio de Paz brought a pilgrim statue of Our Lady of
Fatima to the home where child Cuban refugee Elian Gonzalez
spent four short months. The six-year old boy was rescued
at sea while escaping from Communist Cuba. He became the
center of a diplomatic battle which ended when he was
forcefully removed by government officials in the predawn
hours of Holy Saturday, 2000. After Elian was returned
to Cuba, the home became a museum dedicated to him.
Mr. de Paz, who is also president of
the Cuban organization Cubanos Desterrados, organized
the event to commemorate the sixth anniversary of Elian’s
rescue at sea, on Thanksgiving Day, 1999. The boy’s
great-uncles Lazaro and Delfin and his great-aunt Caridad,
crowned the statue which is a replica of the miraculous
image that shed tears in New Orleans in 1972.
The commemorative event held special
significance for Elian’s relatives and was followed
by a press conference, aired on many local TV channels,
including Fox, Telemundo and Univision. During the press
conference, Delfin recalled the statement made by Elian
when TFP representatives brought the statue to visit him
six years ago. While gazing at the statue, Elian said:
"She is the nice lady that protected me for 24 hours
on the water, but she did not have that thing [the crown]
on her head."
Elian’s relatives also reiterated their firm belief
that Our Heavenly Mother will protect him now in Cuba,
until the coming of her reign, which she foresaw in Fatima
when she said, "Finally, my Immaculate Heart will
triumph!"
