By Emily Chaffins - Freelance Writer
Father Manny Alvarez, pastor of Church of the Little Flower Parish and a chaplain of the Cuban Association of the Order of Malta, kicks off the Via Crucis (Stations of the Cross) Mar. 21, 2026. The 5-mile pilgrimage, organized by the Cuban Association of the Order of Malta, began at Little Flower in Coral Gables, with the National Shrine of Our Lady of Charity in Miami as the final destination.
Servants of the Pierced Hearts religious brothers and sisters (right) read the Stations of the Cross prayers during the Via Crucis, standing outside the Church of the Little Flower Parish Mar. 21, 2026. Organized by the Cuban Association of the Order of Malta, the 5-mile pilgrimage began at Little Flower in Coral Gables. The National Shrine of Our Lady of Charity in Miami was the final destination.
Jaclyn Don Cáceres, youth coordinator for the Cuban Association of the Order of Malta, and Father Richard Vigoa, pastor of St. Augustine Parish in Coral Gables, pray the 5-mile Via Crucis (Stations of the Cross) Mar. 21, 2026. The event was organized by the Cuban Association, with Don Cáceres facilitating the event and Father Vigoa accompanying pilgrims as the Cuban Association chaplain.
Siblings Isabella Guzman, a sophomore at Florida State University in Tallahassee, and Javier Guzman, a 9th-grader at Belen Jesuit Preparatory School in Miami, hold the First Station of the Cross before beginning the Via Crucis pilgrimage Mar. 21, 2026.
Brother Inigo JohnPaul Isla (left), a religious brother of the Servants of the Pierced Hearts, walks the 5-mile Via Crucis pilgrimage Mar. 21, 2026. Organized by the Cuban Association of the Order of Malta, the pilgrimage began at Church of the Little Flower Parish in Coral Gables, with the National Shrine of Our Lady of Charity in Miami as the final destination.
Attendees walk the 5-mile Via Crucis (Stations of the Cross), a pilgrimage on Mar. 21, 2026 organized by the Cuban Association of the Order of Malta. The pilgrimage began at Church of the Little Flower Parish in Coral Gables, with the National Shrine of Our Lady of Charity in Miami as the final destination.
Attendees walk the 5-mile Via Crucis (Stations of the Cross), a pilgrimage on Mar. 21, 2026 organized by the Cuban Association of the Order of Malta. The pilgrimage began at the Church of the Little Flower Parish in Coral Gables, with the National Shrine of Our Lady of Charity in Miami as the final destination.
Attendees pray the 5-mile Via Crucis (Stations of the Cross), a pilgrimage on Mar. 21, 2026 organized by the Cuban Association of the Order of Malta. The pilgrimage began at the Church of the Little Flower Parish in Coral Gables, with the National Shrine of Our Lady of Charity in Miami as the final destination.
Sister Rachel Mariana of the Servants of the Pierced Hearts brought a guitar along on the 5-mile Via Crucis (Stations of the Cross) on Mar. 21, 2026, organized by the Cuban Association of the Order of Malta. The pilgrimage began at Church of the Little Flower Parish in Coral Gables, with the National Shrine of Our Lady of Charity in Miami as the final destination.
Pilgrims walk the 5-mile Via Crucis (Stations of the Cross) on Mar. 21, 2026, an event organized by the Cuban Association of the Order of Malta. The pilgrimage began at the Church of the Little Flower Parish in Coral Gables, with the National Shrine of Our Lady of Charity in Miami as the final destination.
Photography: EMILY CHAFFINS | FC
CORAL GABLES | Clustered outside the Church of the Little Flower Parish at 8:00 a.m. in the refreshing mid-60s breeze, an estimated total of 70 Catholics prepared to walk a five-mile version of the Stations of the Cross – all the way from Coral Gables to the National Shrine of Our Lady of Charity in Miami.
The Stations of the Cross, or Way of the Cross (Via Crucis in Latin), is a 14-station Catholic devotion commemorating Jesus’s final journey to Calvary.
The Stations of the Cross are typically prayed during the season of Lent as a reflection on Christ’s suffering and death. Each “station” focuses on a particular moment of Christ’s Passion.
It allows believers to spiritually make a pilgrimage, reflecting on Christ’s Passion and death through prayer, usually during Lent and on Good Friday. It is also known as the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem.
While Catholics sometimes walk around church grounds during the prayer, the Stations of the Cross do not normally involve a miles-long pilgrimage.
Photographer: Emily Chaffins
Jaclyn Don Cáceres, youth coordinator for the Cuban Association of the Order of Malta, and Father Richard Vigoa, pastor of St. Augustine Parish in Coral Gables, pray the 5-mile Via Crucis (Stations of the Cross) Mar. 21, 2026. The event was organized by the Cuban Association, with Don Cáceres facilitating the event and Father Vigoa accompanying pilgrims as the Cuban Association chaplain.
The Cuban Association of the Order of Malta, a lay religious order devoted to aiding the poor, has been organizing its version of the Via Crucis (Stations of the Cross) in South Florida for years.
Working with the Cuban Association, Jaclyn Don Cáceres resurrected the Via Crucis tradition about six years ago after a significant “hiatus,” explained volunteer Mauricio Fernandez, who assisted along with his college-age son, Danny. Students from Our Lady of Lourdes Academy in Miami designed the portable station markers, which Fernandez calls “works of art.”
“The Via Crucis is a way to not only bring the Catholic community together but also a way to evangelize, something that is one of the charisms of the Order of Malta, specifically the Cuban Association,” said Don Cáceres, the youth coordinator. “This event helps participants understand the meaning of Holy Week and the sacrifices Our Lord made for us.”
The event began with Mass at 8:00 a.m., right before the walk. Participants represented all ages, with youth and young adults making up the majority. Father Manny Alvarez, pastor of the Church of the Little Flower and a Cuban Association chaplain, provided the send-off from Little Flower.
Father Richard Vigoa, a Cuban Association chaplain and pastor of neighboring St. Augustine Parish, heard confessions throughout the pilgrimage, speaking with penitents in the back of the group to ensure privacy.
Religious sisters and brothers from the Servants of the Pierced Hearts of Jesus and Mary read reflections for each of the fourteen “stations” until reaching the National Shrine, playing guitar and singing along the way.
Photographer: Emily Chaffins
Sister Rachel Mariana of the Servants of the Pierced Hearts brought a guitar along on the 5-mile Via Crucis (Stations of the Cross) on Mar. 21, 2026, organized by the Cuban Association of the Order of Malta. The pilgrimage began at Church of the Little Flower Parish in Coral Gables, with the National Shrine of Our Lady of Charity in Miami as the final destination.
Brother Inigo JohnPaul Isla from the Servants of the Pierced Hearts said he was praying “for all those walking and also for all those watching us walk: if they haven’t encountered Christ, that they have a sense of wanting to know Christ more.”
Katelyn Flores, a 12th-grader at St. Brendan High, has been participating for four years because she enjoys the fellowship and faith.
“It’s a great way to start your day, live in faith, and even just meet new people with the same beliefs and values,” she said. “It makes me want to be stronger in my faith.”
