Espiritu Joven is a Catholic youth movement in Cuba, focused on foreign Catholic medical students. Espiritu Joven has origined by a catholic monk, Sr. Cristina S.M and three medical students in ELAM (Escuela Latino Americana de Medicina), in Havana, Cuba, in 1999. Now, after 13 years, with seven branches and more than 300 participants, the movement is enrolling throughout Cuba.
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History
The Espiritu Joven, has started with its home school, ELAM, in 1999, October 27, the Feast of St. Jude. When in 1999, the ELAM has started, catholic students from Latin American countries faced problems in gathering and doing their prayer activities in week days, other than Sunday masses, to solve these problems with the Colombian origin catholic monk Sr.Cristina and three Catholic students from Latin America have started the movement in the day of St.Jude in October 27. From that day up to now the Espiritu Joven is doing its weekly activities in ELAM.
Presence outside the ELAM
The Espiritu Joven has started its presence outside of the ELAM in 2001, when the first badge students went to provinces with the process of decentralization. From 2001, Espiritu Joven is permanently having its branches all over Cuba. Cuban provinces such as, Pinar del Rio, Villa Clara, Santiago de Cuba and Las Tunas have branches other than the capital, Havana. In Havana medical faculties other than ELAM, Salvador Allende and Vitoria de Giron have their branches.
Coordination
The Coordination and spiritual direction of Espiritu Joven, depends on the branch. All branches have their own coordination and the spiritual direction. In ELAM, the Home Branch, Sr. Maria Cristina Palacio S.M, the founder of Espiritu Joven, acting as a spiritual guide from 1999 with Sr. Gabriela Ines from 2012. In the ELAM, the coordination is having by an eight members committee, which changes every year.
Coordination in ELAM - 2013-2014
Coordination in ELAM - 2012-2013
Coordination in ELAM - 2012-2013
Presence of Non Spanish Speakers
From 2010, when the Non Spanish Speakers started to come to ELAM in a big cuantity, ESPIRITU JOVEN opened for them also, specially in the Coordination. In 2012, ESPIRITU JOVEN, started its services in English, other than Spanish, for the English Speakers in ELAM.