Siparia Mai: An Illustration of the Tangibility Factor in Faith by Hindus in Trinidad
2013; Volume: 9; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês
10.32597/jams/vol9/iss1/5/
ISSN1553-9881
Autores Tópico(s)Caribbean history, culture, and politics
ResumoSiparia is a town in southern Trinidad, in the island country of Trinidad and Tobago.The town is located south of Penal and southeast of Fyzabad with a population of around 86,000.Siparia is also called "The Sand City."Siparia is home to a church operated by the Catholic Capuchin Order-La Divina Pastora.The venerable Isidore of the same order brought the worship of the Holy Shepherdess to the South American Mainland, presently known as Venezuela, as early as 1715.In 1759 the order formed a mission in Siparia because they were fleeing persecution by the Amerindians on the South American mainland that began around 1730 (Boodoo 1993:385).Pope Pius VI decreed in 1795 that the saint known as "The Divine Shepherdess" or commonly known as "La Divina Pastora" was to be the patron saint of all the Capuchin missions (A Brief History of Siparia).Every year on the second Sunday following Easter the Feast of La Divina Pastora is held as a memorial to the lady.The feast begins with a solemn High Mass after which the statue of mother Mary is carried through the streets of the town in a procession.During the procession the Rosary is recited followed by the Litany of the Blessed Virgin.Marian hymns are sung, and as the procession returns to the church there is a solemn Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament (Noel Short History:14).Apart from the feast, one more event takes place in the parish during the Passion Week.On Holy Thursday and Good Friday, Hindus from all over the country pay visits to the church to worship the statue of Mary.The worshippers believe that the statue is the Trinidadian incarnation of the Hindu goddess Kali, a phenomenon that is unknown to the majority of Hindus residing in India.The practice of worshipping the divinity of another faith is not restricted to the Hindus in Trinidad.Our Lady of Vailankanni in Chennai, Tamil
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