Celebration of patronal Saint-Anne and Saint Joachim across Haiti: a fusion of faith and tradition in La Branle and Anse-à-Foleur

GONAÏVES – In Haiti’s Artibonite La Branle locality,  the 5th Communal Section of Gonaïves, the annual celebration of the Saint-Anne and Saint-Joachim Patronal Festival takes place every July 26th, drawing pilgrims from surrounding areas such as Gros-Morne, Pilate, Ennery, Marmelade and Saint Michel de L’Attalaye. This year, despite many challenges, the local community came together to honor their patron saints in a vibrant display of faith and tradition.

The heart of the celebration was the traditional mass held at the Parish of Sainte-Anne and Saint-Joachim, where parishioners expressed their joy and gratitude. The festivities extended beyond the church, with a street fair displaying local produce and vodouists artifacts on makeshifts stands, reflecting the deep-rooted cultural and spiritual significance of this feast. Fewer pilgrims from neighboring communes travel to La Branle to participate in the event.

“Ti Sentàn can grant great things, such as businesses, houses, luxury cars, and large sums of money. You just have to know how to approach it mystically. Likewise, Sentàn can cause harm, heal, or summon someone, explains Lucson Jean, a resident of the city.

Ti Sentàn—or ‘little Saint-Anne’ in Creole—is also revered as a mystical Vodou site where practitioners come together to participate in rituals and petition the loas, or spirits. For these reasons, Ti Sentàn is widely regarded by many vodou practitioners as one of the most significant mystical places in Haiti.

On the same day, as part of the festival, vodou priests in Anse-à-Foleur conducted rituals that attracted vodou believers, providing them with a unique spiritual experience.

“I know [people of] Protestants faith who come to Ti Sentàn so they can perform miracles in their churches. They are all considered false prophets because when they work, it is Ti Sentàn who guides them, Jean said referring to pastors of other faiths.

This blend of Christian and Vodou traditions underscores the unique spiritual landscape of Haiti, where faith and culture intersect in profound and sometimes surprising ways.

The post  Celebration of patronal Saint-Anne and Saint Joachim across Haiti: a fusion of faith and tradition in La Branle and Anse-à-Foleur appeared first on The Haitian Times.