A long time ago, the City of the Waterpots had a pious soul who, from the San Juan de Dios Hospital, dedicated his days to heal the sick and serve those most in need: José Olallo Valdés or better, Father Olallo.
The religious man
Some writings of the time stated, that he arrived in Puerto Príncipe in 1935, when he was only 15 years old, he was an orphan and focused in the teaching of poor children and pity for the needy, therefore, he soon began to work at the San Juan Hospital.
The people knew him as Father Olallo despite not being a priest; he was only a novice of that hospitable order. The archbishop of Santiago de Cuba proposed to ordain him as a priest, but he did not accept, since that implied being away from his patients.
His relationship with independence
On the occasion of the war of independence, since 1868 the hospital was destined for the use of the Spanish military.
In the square in front of the health facility, the lifeless body of Major General Ignacio Agramonte, Camagüey’s most beloved son, was abandoned.
Olallo, moved by the crime and exposing himself to the punishment of the authorities, entered the corpse to the infirmary and washed it, so that the people could pay tribute to it; There he also protected him from the Spanish, bent on desecrating his remains.
The farewell
On March 7th, 1889, Father Olallo died. A multitude of people attended the burial of this great man, all united in grief, without distinction of class. The town built a monument to his memory, on top of his grave, which has a unique epitaph:
“This monument would reach heaven if it were formed by the hearts of the grateful poor men who Father Olallo took care for 53 years at the San Juan de Dios Hospital.”
As you walk through Campo Santo, along Fourth Street, you can still see the obelisk, today rebuilt by the Office of the Historian, to perpetuate the memory of the one who did so much for this land and his children.
The 53 years of service in the former clinic, impregnated its walls with his soul of goodness and to perpetuate such disinterested dedication, from February 16th, 2006, his remains were transferred to the chapel of the old Hospital where he was almost all his lifetime.
Camagüey has two blessed
On November 29th, 2008, Father Olallo was beatified in a ceremony that took place in the Caridad Square, where people from all over the country and some parts of the world came to venerate the memory of such an illustrious Cuban.
Thus Father Olallo became the third Cuban blessed and the second from Camagüey, since the first was the martyr of Jatibonico – at that time the territory of Camagüey – fray José López Piteira, who was assassinated in 1936 by simply being a religious man.
When visiting the San Juan de Dios chapel, where Blessed José Olallo Valdés attended mass every morning, you can feel the silence and peace of yesteryear, these cold days of Lent, given the pandemic that the world is experiencing, invite us to pray for health, perhaps the hand of Father Olallo can assist us in this battle to fight for life and as in the times when he fought against cholera … today pray for us.
Translated by: Aileen Álvarez García
