Popular Catholicism: Faith and celebration outside the Church

“Popular Catholicism” is a term used in Maranhão for practices that are not sanctioned or conducted within the official church. They are carried in the culture of faith and devotion of members of the community who continue the practices on their own

Sometimes the practices are mixed with celebrations in terreiros, spiritual houses of Afro-Brazilian practice.

Queima da Palinha

Queima da Palinha, Private home in São Luís

The burning of the murta herb is symbolic of the end of the Christmas season and the dismantling of he créche. It is also a celebration of the Christ child from whom blessings are sought.

IMG_1186_DxO — There is a traditional liturgy (in the woman’s hand) around the family créche that includes prayers and songs

The family and friends celebrate with a litany from a text that includes several devotional stages.

IMG_1244_DxO — This is an observance in a private space, with shared blessings shared in the group

IMG_1208_DxO — The branches (*murta*) are burned to end the season of the créche and events of Christmas

The actual queimada, the burning, is done in an urn in the home, but there is a tremendous amount of smoke that is like incense.

Some readers may have experienced a 12th Night ceremony in the U.S. during which Christmas trees and wreaths are symbolically burned.

IMG_1259_DxO — In this ceremony an image of the Christ child is swaddled in a blanket and taken to each participant for a symbolic blessing

Nossa Senhora de Belém, Iguaraú

The photo below is of an umbanda terreiro in the community of Iguaraú. It was not our destination, but worth a look because it is representative of a number of hybrid practices that contain some Christian elements mixed with other entities and practices. That is a cross in front, with the dove of the Espirito Santo just below the crest of the roof.

Aside from Saint Enofre, celebrated in both the Catholic and Orthodox traditions, the figures on the wall represent various entities from other practices.

On the way to Iguaraù, an *Umbanda tenda* or *terreiro* (spiritual house) devoted to Saint Enofre. the cities and countryside of Maranhão are dotted with hundreds of Afro-Brazilian spiritual houses. In Catholic hagiography, Saint Enofre is a 4th century hermit who lived some six decades in the desert, protected only by his hair and a leaves around his midsection. He is known as a patron of alcoholics and at least one Catholic site gives a prayer to Saint Enofre to free one from alcoholism.

There are extensive connections in Maranhão between practices in Catholicism and in other spiritual practices. The house of Saint Enofre honors Christian and non-Christian figures. The church below has some features of an “official” Catholic church, but does not have a permanent priest or staff. The practice of honoring Our Lady of Bethelem is accompanied here by a churchman, but is also a part of what is here called “popular Catholicism” — practices originating in the Church (perhaps as far back as the Middle Ages), but now carried by groups of devotees in homes and informal “churches.”

Photos below are from such a community church in the community of Iguaraú, not far from São Luís.

The small church in the community of Iguaraú is a center for a feisty enclave of people who have successfully fought a multinational aluminum processing plant to keep their homes. Here they largley organize this celebration by themselves but have a churchman leading the ritual.

The altar with familiar entities — the Virgin Mary, the black saint Benedict (*São Bento*) and others. Our Lady of Bethlehem (*Nossa Senhora de Belém*) is on the table to the right of the photo. This is a community building without a regular priest, but there was a churchman who told us that he comes to support the community and act as occasional clergy.

One of the children — with wings on her back — brings flowers for Our Lady of Bethlehem

The festival of “Our Lady of Bethlehem” celebrates the life of Mary in that city. It is closely related to the nativity story and is at the close of the Christmas season (like the Queima da Palinha above).

Children of the community have an important part in the celebration, here dancing in front of the table with the image — behind which is a girl dressed as *Nossa Senhora de Belém*. An angel brings the flowers.

Children are a central part of the ceremony — here throwing flowers to a girl dressed as Our Lady of Bethlehem.

The community gathers in a circle for a prayer and blessing

One of the girls is dressed up for the ceremony. Most of the other children wear special t-shirts honoring the event

*Nossa Senhora de Belém.* In the faces of the children you can see the complex ethnic mix of Maranhão’s mixture of indigenous, African and European heritages.

A final tableau at the altar. This seems especially for parents with cameras and cell phones

An unusual part of the ceremony is in fact a second ceremony of drumming and singing/dancing that is part of a tradition called tereco. This part of the celebration lasted about an hour, but in heritage practice would go on all night, overshadowing the Christian ceremony before.

Here it was part of the joint celebration, followed by the universal religious sacrament of a table covered with cakes.

A second celebration is derived from the Afro-Brazilian spiritual practices of *Tereco*. Three women drummers sing and drum while children parade and dance. We are told that in the past, the *tereco* practice would go on all night.

One of the main organizers of the event. It is for the whole community, but especially carried by the older generation with central parts for the children. Men raise the ceremonial mast (*mastro*) in the courtyard with gifts and offerings.

Queima da Palinha, Casa das Minas

A special altar/*créche* in the *Casa das Minas*, an Afro-Brazilian house of worship in the jeje tradition (with roots to 19th century Dahomey and surrounding region of West Africa). The jeje designation is from the language and culture groups of that region. Other houses in São Luís are *nagò*, another tradition that used Yoruba as the main ceremonial language (as does Candomblé)

Unlike other events in the Casa, this one used European instruments as accompaniment. The photos on the wall are of members of the *Casa das Minas* community

Final prayers a the *creché,* with smoke rising from the queimada. The photos are a mix of Christian figures and leaders in the *Minas* tradition.

The burning *murta*, the bitter-sweet herb that is used on the *creché*

The end of the queimada (burning) and close of the season of Christmas celebration.

Though Christians associate this sort of ceremony with an organized church, it is here celebrated in the Casa das Minas, a house in the jejé tradition that traces its roots to 18th and 19th century Dahomey.

Celebration of São Sebastião

Saint Sebastian is a complex figure in Maranhão celebration. Historically the Catholic saint is revered as the 9th century Christian martyr. He is usually depicted pierced with arrows.

In the Casa das Minas he is associated with an entity known as Averequete In other traditions he may be associated with Oxóssi (the hunter). In yet others he is fluidly connected to Rei Sebastião, the 16th century Portuguese who was lost in Morocco during the Crusades.

In one legend King Sebastion is reincarnated in the Dunes of Lencoìs in north Maranhão. His enchanted figure appears on the dunes as a black bull with a red star on his head. This legend links many elements of the boi/ox in the lore of Maranhão and is one of the connections of the heritage Bumba-meu-boi celebration. This complicated set of links also involves São João (Saint John) is often celebrated with a boi/ox.

Because of the diversity of practices and traditions, these various links are not codified, but fluid in the multiple oral traditions of Maranhão.

The main altar room in the *Casa das Minas*. It is used here for the celebration of Saint Sebastian (also the entity *Averequete*), but has a diversity of elements on the altar of mixed Christian and Afro-Brazilian symbolism

The altar in the Casa das Minas, with its mix of religious symbols and traditions.

Percussion — the drum at lower right is joined by a gourd with a beaded net that is shaken

A celebration of São Sebastião (and maybe other entities) at the Casa de Iemanjá, São Luís.

Gathering at the image/altar of Saint Sebastian. A table holds food that is shared by the group

Children learn to play by sitting in and playing smaller instruments.

Celebrants in the homage to Saint Sebastian (and perhaps other entities)

The chanting/singing and dancing go on for some time, and the emotional intensity becomes greater as the celebration goes on.

The celebrations above all show the resilience and depth of devotion in São Luís and Maranhão in general. All of these celebrations are in the Christmas season or shortly thereafter, but none is held in an official church. A private home, an informal country church without a priest, and two different terreiros that have a mix of practices.

The official Church has, in the view of some, “abandoned” these heritage practices but seems to have a general attitude of tolerance toward them. Evangelicals are increasing in number and are generally more aggressive toward the non-Christian practices since they honor a variety of non-Christian entities. These houses were once persecuted by the church and the police, but they are now protected under Brazilian law as legitimate religious practices..