Exiled Cuban priest in New Jersey recounts pressure on clergy and ministry to migrants

Father Fernando Garvez, a Cuban priest now serving in New Jersey, told Radio Martí that he left Cuba in exile after facing indirect pressure from authorities and ecclesiastical channels and described ongoing pastoral work among migrants in his parish.

In an interview aired on Cuba al día, Garvez said that, in Cuba, ‘‘el gobierno te permite practicar tu religiosidad si es a nivel de ritos’’ but that priests who act consistently with their faith face efforts to silence them, often through complaints relayed by bishops or anonymous threats. He described that pressure as a reason he ultimately accepted exile and later settled in Miami and New Jersey.

Garvez said his parish workload in the United States is heavy but active: ‘‘mi primera misa en español del domingo tiene aproximadamente 1000 personas,’’ he said, noting a large Spanish-language congregation and that many migrants in the area are Ecuadorian rather than Cuban. He also described the parish’s role assisting migrants with documentation and signing letters for immigration processes, and said he has not had parishioners detained by ICE so far.

Asked about the church’s historic caution in confronting the regime, Garvez said pastoral reasons—preserving services and clergy for parishioners—were cited to justify restraint, but he added that conscience and justice require more outspoken positions by clergy. He urged exiles and those abroad to remember Cuba and to use nonviolent, morally consistent means to support change on the island.

The interview closed with Garvez emphasizing hope and moral perseverance: ‘‘el comunismo no va a ser eterno... no podemos perder la esperanza,’’ he said.

The program concluded with a request from presenters to share the segment with people inside Cuba who need information.