Interreligious Dialogue and Pilgrimage: The Case of the Tamil Community in Palermo

Abstract

This ethnographic research on the territory of Palermo is a comparison between the old immigrant Tamil generations, coming from Sri Lanka, and the new, native residents of Palermo. There are two points of generational convergence in the community: the cult during the festive rituals of Santa Rosalia, and the territorial symbolism of Mount Pellegrino. This peculiarity, qualitatively analysed through the NVivo software, is revealed by two specific and organized events: the first by the archbishop’s curia and the second by the community itself. The first consists of the participation in the day dedicated to interreligious dialogue (from 2014 until today), and the second is the night of the “acchianata” (ascent) on 3 and 4 September. The day dedicated to “interreligious dialogue” involves the meeting of all confessions/religious communities in Palermo, creating an annual meeting ritual under the sign of Santa Rosalia.