Retired archbishop of Santiago de Cuba died in Miami July 21

Press Release from the Archdiocese of Miami:


Funeral arrangements set for Archbishop Pedro Meurice, 79


Retired archbishop of Santiago de Cuba died in Miami July 21

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Communications Department - Archdiocese of Miami

Due to the death of Archbishop Pedro Meurice, Archbishop Emeritus of Santiago de Cuba, the Archdiocese of Miami will be holding a press conference led by Bishop Agustín Román, auxiliary bishop emeritus of Miami, on Saturday, July 23, at 1:30 p.m. inside the Varela Center at the Shrine of Our Lady of Charity.



Visitation will be held at the shrine on Saturday, July 23, from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. and will continue on Sunday, July 24, from 12 noon to 10 p.m. with a rosary beginning at 8 p.m. Instead of flowers, the archdiocese requests monetary donations which will benefit the Shrine of Our Lady of Charity in El Cobre, Cuba. Please send your donation checks to PM Charities at 11403 SW 84 Street, Miami, FL 33173.



The shrine is located at 3609 South Miami Avenue, Miami, Florida 33133. The shrine will hold its regular Mass schedule on Saturday from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. and on Sunday from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.



The funeral Mass will be held at St. Michael the Archangel Church on Monday, July 25, at 10 a.m. Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski will be the main celebrant of the Mass, joined by Bishop Román, Archbishop Dionisio García, Archbishop Meurice’s successor in Santiago; Bishop Arturo Gonzalez of Santa Clara, Cuba; and other bishops and priests. The church is located at 2987 West Flagler Street, Miami, Florida 33135.



Archbishop Meurice was born Feb. 23, 1932 in San Luis, Santiago de Cuba. He was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Santiago on June 26, 1955 and was appointed auxiliary bishop there on July 1, 1967. (He was ordained a bishop Aug. 30, 1967). Three years later, on July 4, 1970, he succeeded Archbishop Enrique Perez Serantes – who had ordained him both priest and bishop – as archbishop of Santiago, Cuba’s primatial see. He retired from his position as archbishop on Feb. 10, 2007.



Archbishop Meurice died the morning of July 21 at Mercy Hospital in Miami. Archbishop Meurice is survived by one brother, Electo, and two sisters, Pilar and Clara, all of whom live in Miami, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. Burial will be in Cuba although those arrangements have not been finalized.







This article was updated July 22.