This miniature charm pictures La Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre, Our Lady of Charity. The story of this particular image of the Virgin Mary goes back to the early 17th century Cuba, when a statue of Mary was said to have been found floating out in the sea by three men who were hauling salt from the Bay of Nipe back to Santiago del Prado (now known as El Cobre). The men were caught in a storm. When they prayed for the protection of the Virgin Mary, the storm immediately subsided. They found a statue of Mary holding baby Jesus in her arms, fastened to a board and floating in the water. The statue was completely dry and the board read, “Yo Soy la Virgen de la Caridad.  (I am the Virgin of Charity.) |