• Submitted by: manso
• Society
• 11 / 08 / 2010

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Published Date: November 8, 2010. A FILIPINO woman who co-founded the International Christian Community (ICC) in Cuba 20 years ago received a warm welcome from her congregation in Havana.

The Department of Foreign Affairs said Flor Toledo Juarez founded the church with her Cuban husband Rev. Rodolfo Juarez and three others on Oct. 31, 1990.

“While religious toleration has grown since then, the church began at a time when communist rule did not encourage church-going among the people,” the DFA said.

It said that at the time the church was founded, the prevailing beliefs there were largely a mixture of Hispanic and Afro-Caribbean practices.

Philippine Ambassador MacArthur Corsino, a guest at the church’s anniversary, said the ICC’s founding was not a chance occurrence but a willful act of God.

He added the celebration coincided with the launch of the Reformation by Martin Luther, which led to the translation of the Bible to various languages and freedom of anyone to read the Scriptures.

Corsino praised Mrs. Juarez as an exemplar of how the local people would know what a Filipino or Filipina should be like back in the Philippines by just getting to know the friendliness and helpfulness of a member of the local Filipino community.

Report from GMANews.TV

Source: www.cathnewsphil.com/2010/11/08/filipino-honored-in-cuba-for-setting-up-...