Popular Piety and Devotion to Parish Patrons in Poland and Spain, 1948–98

Abstract

This paper will show the dynamics of change in the celebration of the parish patron’s day at the turn of several decades (before and after the Second Vatican Council) at a Marian shrine in Poland and the cult of Cross from Monjardin in Spain. It will refer to various forms of ritual which are manifestations of popular piety: cultural expressions, services, prayers and songs which form part of the veneration of Our Lady of Sorrows, Chełmno and the Cross in Villamayor de Monjardin. The article will also examine the different ways in which these feasts were celebrated during the period and the impact they had on the religious life of pilgrims. The study will be based on written sources: memories, diaries, newspaper clippings, and historical studies which are instrumental in demonstrating the transformation of how the parish patron’s day was celebrated over time.

Catholic Religious Practices Questionnaire (CRPQ): Construction and Analysis of Psychometric Properties

“…This type of devotion is culture-dependent and can vary from country to country or even region to region. The dimension of folk practices refers to the belief in the importance of spontaneous forms of popular devotion in the development of faith and its genuineness (Roszak and Tykarski 2020). Documents of the Catholic Church define the term "popular piety" as "diverse cultic expressions of a private or community nature which, in the context of the Christian faith, are inspired predominantly not by the Sacred Liturgy but by forms deriving from a particular nation or people or from their culture" (DPPL 2002, p. 9).…”

“…It is also in line with a recent research trend to develop scales that examine religious practices and behavior within a specific religion, e.g., Islam (Aziz et al 2021) or Hinduism (Jayakumar and Verma 2021). In addition, data related to the role of popular piety and social change (such as the preservation of national identity during the partitions of Poland and World War II), the overthrow of communism, and current secularization trends provide a case for studying the role of folk practices among Polish Catholics (Roszak and Tykarski 2020).…”

Urban Piety & Camino de Santiago: Impact of Medieval Cities on Pilgrimage Devotion

“…From a theological standpoint, following Thomas Aquinas, these terms describe human activities that bind individuals to an ultimate goal. On one hand, they encompass acts such as prayer, sacrifice, and adoration, while on the other hand, they include any action directed towards God (ordo ad Deum) 13 . Additionally, pietas embodies an attitude of gratitude towards those to whom we owe our existence; thus, while it primarily refers to God in an absolute sense, it also extends to parents or homeland.…”

Shrines and Pilgrimages in Poland as an Element of the “Geography” of Faith and Piety of the People of God in the Age of Vatican II (c. 1948–1998)

“…They have their history and are subject to constant transformations (Cohen 1992;Kaszowski 1996;Krogmann 2007;Maddrell et al 2014;Mróz 2021b;Robinson 1997;Timothy and Olsen 2006;Turner and Turner 1978). As part of the geographic space covered by pilgrims from the starting point of the pilgrimage to the sacred site and back, the pilgrimage space is unique and dynamic for each shrine and for each pilgrim (Kaszowski 1996;Mróz 2021a;Roszak 2017;Roszak and Tykarski 2020;Oviedo 2019;Ostrowski 2017). For pilgrims, a pilgrimage is also both a journey to a sacred place, and an inimitable process encompassing every experience occurring on the way to the destination (Ostrowski 2020;Roszak 2020).…”