This time, I would like to share with you the story of an amazing missionary priest in the United States: Father Félix Varela, whose beatification is already moving forward. Venerable Father Félix Varela, 1788-1853, occupies a distinguished place in the history of Cuba, Florida and the Catholic Church in the United States. A priest, philosopher, educator, journalist and advocate for human dignity, he helped shape the intellectual life of his native country and later became a devoted missionary among immigrants in New York. Generations of Cubans remember him as “the man who taught us how to think.”
Félix Francisco José María de la Concepción Varela y Morales was born in Havana, Cuba, Nov. 20, 1788. He studied at the Royal and Conciliar Seminary of San Carlos and San Ambrosio and at the University of Havana, quickly distinguishing himself through his intellectual gifts and sincere priestly vocation.
Ordained a priest Dec. 21, 1811, by Bishop Juan José Díaz de Espada, Father Varela soon became a professor of Latin, rhetoric, philosophy, physics and ethics. He established Cuba’s first laboratory for physics and chemistry and introduced innovative teaching methods that encouraged students to reason, question and seek the truth rather than simply memorize information.
His influence extended far beyond the classroom. Father Varela formed many of the leading Cuban intellectuals of the 19th century, including José Antonio Saco, Domingo del Monte and José de la Luz y Caballero. He also participated in the Economic Society of Friends of the Country, helped establish Havana’s first Philharmonic Society and published important philosophical works.
In 1821, Father Varela was elected to represent Cuba in the Spanish Cortes and traveled to Spain to assume his responsibilities as a deputy. His time there became a decisive chapter in his life. He advocated constitutional government, greater political rights for Cuba, the abolition of slavery and reforms intended to protect human freedom and dignity.
During Spain’s constitutional crisis, Varela voted with those who declared King Ferdinand VII incapable of governing. When royal absolutism was restored in 1823, the deputies who had opposed the king faced persecution. Father Varela was condemned and forced to flee Spain, beginning an exile from Cuba that would last for the rest of his life.
After reaching the United States, he settled in New York. He initially continued his engagement with Cuba’s future through El Habanero, a newspaper published in Philadelphia and New York between 1824 and 1825. In its pages, he openly supported Cuban independence, arguing that the island’s freedom would need to be achieved through the conviction and efforts of the Cuban people themselves.
Father Varela gradually withdrew from political activity to devote himself more completely to his priestly vocation. New York was receiving increasing numbers of Catholic immigrants, particularly from Ireland. Many arrived with few material resources and encountered poverty, social exclusion and intense anti-Catholic prejudice.
Among these immigrants, Father Varela discovered a new missionary field. Although Cuban by birth and culture, he became a spiritual father to thousands of Irish Catholics. He preached the Gospel, celebrated the sacraments, visited the sick, instructed children and adults in the faith, cared for impoverished families and helped establish churches and schools for immigrant communities.
His ministry was not limited to meeting material needs. He sought to strengthen the faith of Catholics living in a predominantly Protestant society and defended the Church against misunderstanding and hostility. He also published works of Catholic apologetics in English and used the press as an instrument of evangelization.
Father Varela’s closeness to Irish immigrants revealed the universality of his priestly heart. Having himself experienced political persecution and exile, he understood the suffering of those who had left their homeland and were attempting to begin a new life in an unfamiliar country. He welcomed them not as strangers, but as brothers and sisters entrusted to his pastoral care. His priestly dedication, intellectual ability and reputation for holiness earned him widespread respect. In 1839, he was appointed vicar general of the Diocese of New York, and there was even speculation that he might be named a bishop. Nevertheless, even though he even served as a vicar general of said diocese, he remained above all a humble and tireless parish priest, devoted to evangelization, education and service to the poor.
After more than three decades of ministry in the United States, declining health brought Father Varela to St. Augustine, Florida. He died there Feb. 18, 1853, marked by illness, poverty and separation from his native Cuba, but sustained by the faith he had proclaimed throughout his life.
His remains now rest in the Aula Magna of the University of Havana. In 1981, the Cuban government established the Order of Félix Varela, the nation’s highest cultural distinction, in recognition of extraordinary contributions to Cuban culture.
The Church has also formally recognized the holiness of his life. On March 14, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI authorized the decree recognizing Father Varela’s heroic virtues and declared him Venerable, an important step in his cause for canonization. During his apostolic visit to Cuba later that month, Pope Benedict presented him as an outstanding example of how a person of faith can contribute to building a more just society.
Father Varela’s legacy belongs to several lands. Cuba remembers the educator and patriot who awakened a nation’s conscience. Spain was the setting of his courageous defense of constitutional government and human freedom. New York remembers the missionary priest who evangelized and accompanied generations of Irish immigrants. Florida preserves the memory of the place where he completed his earthly pilgrimage.
At a time when migration, education, religious freedom and human dignity remain pressing concerns, Venerable Father Félix Varela continues to offer the Church a compelling example. He taught peple to think, encouraged them to live in freedom and, above all, led them to Christ through the faithful exercise of his priestly ministry.
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Bishop Manuel welcomes comments and reflections from readers:
