World News
Marian devotion takes on international flavor in Phoenix
Published: May 13, 2009
PHOENIX (CNS) -- Gone are the days when Phoenix was a small town known mostly as a haven for those suffering from a respiratory illness. Today, it's the fifth largest city in the country and boasts a rich, multicultural personality. Thousands of those who now inhabit the Phoenix Diocese were born in far-off lands, such as Africa, Poland and the Philippines. Others hail from Vietnam, Iraq, Brazil or Korea. Many of the newcomers are Catholic, and they have brought their own blend of Marian devotions to the area. During May, the month of Mary, many emphasize their devotion to the mother of God. Joseph Kimbuende, who is from the Democratic Republic of Congo, is a parishioner at St. Gregory. He discussed the symbolic importance of beliefs surrounding motherhood in his African tribe and how those beliefs influence Marian devotion. "In my tribe, the mother has more power. The mother symbolizes the stability of the clan," he told The Catholic Sun, Phoenix's diocesan newspaper. "That belief is also found in the way we look at Mary; Mary is the mother of the Holy Family, but also of our families in Africa."
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