Catholics & Cultures: Holy Cross Professor Writes About Little-Known Fiesta de la Tirana for Crux

Dancers participating in a 10-day festival for Virgen del Carmen in La Tirana, Chile. Photo by Thomas M. Landy

Crux

"In a tiny northern Chilean town in the driest desert in the world, 200,000 people are gathering this week for one of the most remarkable, vibrant, and little-known Catholic feasts in the world," said Thomas Landy, director of the Rev. Michael C. McFarland Center for Religion, Ethics, and Culture.

In an article for prominent Catholic publication Crux, Landy shares fascinating details surrounding his trip to witness Chile's Fiesta de la Tirana, where for 10 days dancers in intricate costumes demonstrate their devotion to the nation’s patron saint, the Virgen del Carmen.

Landy was in Chile as part of Catholics & Cultures, a one-of-a-kind scholarly initiative aimed at understanding the religious lives and practices of Catholics worldwide, by exploring how Catholic practices, beliefs, trends and ethical concerns are manifested in different cultural settings.

To read Landy's full article, visit Crux.