Exemplars and Intercessors An Ethnographic Study of Devotion to Mary and the Saints in the Cathedral Parish of Christ the King

Abstract

<p>This thesis examines contemporary devotion to Mary and the Saints in the Cathedral Parish of Christ the King in Hamilton, Ontario. The main objectives of this ethnographic study were to determine which public and private devotions to Mary and the Saints are currently practiced, to assess whether these devotional practices are consistent with contemporary Church teaching, and to determine to what extent the teachings and reforms of the Second Vatican Council have impacted these devotional practices. Ethnographic data from this study indicate that devotion to Mary and the Saints is important within the faith life of the parish and in the private devotional lives of many of the study's participants. Both public and private devotions to Mary and the Saints are consistent with contemporary Church teaching and in many respects with the teachings of the Second Vatican Council. It is clear that the teachings and reforms of the Second Vatican Council have had a significant impact on both public and private devotions and in the way that the study's participants relate to Mary and the Saints.</p>