Our Lady of the Exile
Book Description
In the heart of Miami stands a sacred space where faith, memory, and identity converge. Thomas A. Tweed takes readers inside the shrine of Our Lady of Charity, where Cuban exiles gather to pray, remember, and seek solace in their spiritual traditions. This compelling exploration reveals how displaced communities maintain their religious connections while adapting to new realities.
Through careful observation and historical research, Tweed uncovers the profound ways that religion shapes the exile experience. He examines how visitors to this Miami shrine navigate questions that resonate far beyond their particular community: What happens to spiritual identity when people are separated from their homeland? How do sacred practices evolve in new environments? What role does faith play in helping displaced individuals understand who they are and where they belong?
The book moves beyond a single community study to offer insights into the broader human experience of displacement and spiritual adaptation. Tweed develops a framework for understanding how diasporic groups maintain, transform, and transmit their religious traditions across geographical and cultural boundaries.
For readers interested in the intersection of spirituality, culture, and human resilience, this work illuminates the powerful ways that faith communities create meaning and belonging even in exile. It offers valuable perspectives on how religious practices serve as bridges between past and present, homeland and new home.
Who Is This For?
📖 Reading Level: Medium (200-400 pages) (~6 hours)
📄 Length: 224 pages
What You'll Discover
- ✓ Explore Mariaverering
- ✓ Explore Kubaner
- ✓ Explore Wallfahrt
- ✓ Explore 11.54 Roman Catholicism
- ✓ Explore Catholiques
- ✓ Explore Virgen de la Caridad de Cartagena
- ✓ Explore Caridad, Virgen de la
- ✓ Explore Cuban americans
