Reflective Pilgrimages
Pilgrimage and Collective Art-Making for Cultural Healing
Community pilgrimages with creative reflection that connect women to the source of our healing.
Celina Martina leads groups of Latina women, mostly immigrants, on guided pilgrimages to sacred sites - such as Wakan Tipi in St. Paul and the Watt Munisotaram Cambodian Buddhist temple in Hampton, MN - followed by collective reflections and art-making sessions with artists such as Maria Constanza De La O Carballo.
Misogyny is common world-wide. In Latin culture, the prominence of male-dominated Catholicism has contributed significantly to women’s oppression. The church often contributes to the socialization of women to submit to discriminatory roles, and pass oppressive patterns to the next generation. Patriarchal conditioning pushes women away from their innate source of healing—their own spirituality.
We visit sacred sites from a variety of cultures and traditions and that are within a day's drive of the Twin Cities. At each sacred site, participants explore how gender, race, class, and other identity factors contribute to spiritual expressions, increasing participants’ capacity to reconcile our conflicting cultural norms with what is sacred: the actual source of our healing. Through artmaking we reflect on our experiences and create our own sacred images. The project’s goals are to build community and support cultural healing through the arts.
Eye of the Heart Center is pleased to announce we received $10,000 funding from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council for these reflective pilgrimages in 2023.
Watt Munisotaram Cambodian
Buddhist Temple
Site Guide Tanagidan To Win leading programming at Wakan Tipi
Hindu Temple and the International Society for Krishna Consciousness Minnesota
The Pilgrimages Continue!
Acompañamos a una experiencia reflexiva visitando el Hindu Mandir en Maple Grove MN para explorar la belleza, la cultura y la gente. Aprende a conectarte contigo misma y con otras mujeres Latinas a través de meditación guiada y prácticas de mantras. Fanny Prema Manishi nos guiará en una reflexión y oración, antes de finalizar el día compartiendo una comida vegetariana y una conversación espiritual en el International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).
Take a reflective journey to the Hindu Mandir in Maple Grove, MN to explore beauty, culture and people. Connect with yourself and other Latinas through guided meditation and mantra practices. Fanny Prema Manishi will lead our group in reflection and prayer, and we will conclude our reflective trip with a vegetarian meal and spiritual discussion at the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).
Past Pilgrimage Photos
This project builds on a pilgrimage led by Celina & Carolyn to a Guadalupe shrine, where women explored the complex layers of this significant Latina identity archetype. At the request of the participants, we sought funding to expand the project.
Because we believe this work heals individuals and their communities, we are running this program as a pilot with hopes of offering similar opportunities to other affinity groups.
For more information email us.
This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
