By Florida Catholic staff - Florida Catholic
Photographer: ANA RODRIGUEZ-SOTO | FC
Pictures from the files of La Voz Catolica and The Voice (precursor to The Florida Catholic Miami edition) make up the display of La Virgen de la Caridad: Images from the Diaspora that is part of the Latino Americans: 500 Years of History exhibit at St. Thomas University.
Photographer: ANA RODRIGUEZ-SOTO | FC
Rev. Jonathan Roach, interim dean of St. Thomas University's library, stands amid the display of "La Virgen de la Caridad: Images from the Diaspora" that is part of the "Latino Americans: 500 Years of History" exhibit at St. Thomas University.
Photographer: ANA RODRIGUEZ-SOTO | FC
Rev. Jonathan Roach, interim dean of St. Thomas University's library, points to the poster for "Latino Americans: 500 Years of History," an exhibit which will be on display through May 2016 in the university's library.
MIAMI GARDENS | The Cuban exodus, the role of Hispanics in South Florida and Our Lady of Charity are the focus of an exhibit at St. Thomas University that relies heavily on photographs taken by the archdiocesan newspapers, The Voice (now The Florida Catholic) and La Voz Católica.
“Latino Americans: 500 Years of History” includes a look back at the religious practices and traditions surrounding the devotion to Our Lady of Charity in Miami.
“We identified 1,800 (photographs) and we narrowed the exhibit down to 96,” said Rev. Jonathan Roach, interim dean of the library, which houses the John C. Favalora Archive and Museum.
The museum, established on the archdiocese’s 50th anniversary in 2008, is the depository for photographs and issues of the archdiocesan newspapers as well as other archdiocesan documents.
The newspapers’ images also were used for the other two parts of the exhibit: One focusing on the early waves of Cuban exiles, from Camarioca to the Freedom Flights; and the other on the variety of Hispanic/Latino ethnic and racial groups who have made their home in Miami.
The exhibit was made possible by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the American Library Association. It will be on display through the end of May 15, 2016.
“It needed to be done,” said Rev. Roach. “They’re great images and we had to get them out there. Until people know they exist, they can’t do research on them.”
The library staff, working with different professors, also developed lesson plans focused on the Latino exhibit that can be used in religion, language arts, history and political science classes. The lessons can culminate with a field trip to the exhibit so that the students can do primary research.
“That becomes the foundation for them to do their assignment,” said Rev. Roach. “It becomes like a detective mission for them and a real teaching tool for passing on the story.”
The Latino exhibit is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and by appointment on Saturday. For more information contact [email protected] or call 305-628-6769.
Photographer: ANA RODRIGUEZ-SOTO | FC
An engraving depicting the history of the image of Our Lady of Charity since its appearance in the Bay of Nipe in Cuba is among the items on display as part of the "Latino Americans: 500 Years of History" exhibit at the Archbishop John C. Favalora Archive and Museum inside the St. Thomas University library.
