Espiritualidad Fronteriza/Borderland Spirituality 2017 to Present
This set of research activities is part of a project on spirituality along the Dominico-Haitian borderlands. Espiritualidad Fronteriza brings together two sets of ritual celebrations—the feast of Saint Francis and the Celebrations of the Virgen del Carmen—celebrated in the municipality of Banica, in the city of Elias Piña, on the banks of the Artibonite River. This project aims to further examine popular spiritual practices in the Dominican Republic, particularly at this juncture where the nation meets its neighbor, Haiti.
The feast of Saint Francis brings pilgrims from all over the island to a shrine inserted within a cave in the mountains of El Cerro [de San Francisco]. Pilgrims make the long journey as an affirmation of their faith.
Figure 1. Procession through the streets of Banica (Elias Piña), 2018. Photo by Rafael Gómez. ©All Rights Reserved.
Figure 2. Pilgrim worshipping inside El Cerro de San Francisco (Hill of Saint Francis), 2019. Photo by Rafael Gómez. ©All Rights Reserved.
Figure 3. Religious Altar in Banica, Elias Piña, 2021. Photo by Rafael Gómez. ©All Rights Reserved.
Figure 4. Guardian of the Saint Francis bringing statue down from the shrine inside El Cerro in Banica, 2018. Photo by Rafael Gómez. ©All Rights Reserved.
Figure 5. Pilgrim and Worshipper inside the shrine in El Cerro in Banica, 2018. Photo by Rafael Gómez. ©All Rights Reserved.
Figure 6. Pilgrims surround the statue of Saint Francis inside the shrine in El Cerro in Banica, 2019. Photo by Rafael Gómez. ©All Rights Reserved.
Although smaller in size and scope, the Celebrations to the Virgen del Carmen, brings together devotees who come to worship, pray, and engage in public acts of faith.
Part of the goal of this project is to create a digital archive on spiritual practices in the Banica/Elias Piña region. The archive will be a public database easily accessible online for other researchers and practitioners interested in popular religious traditions on this corner of the Domnico-Haitian borderlands. As envisioned, this database could yield insights into forms of knowledge and the lifeways of its practicing community. To learn more about this project, you can reach me by email here.
