World Youth Day: Contemporaneous pilgrimage and hospitality

Abstract

This paper highlights the connection between domestic hospitality and pilgrimage as performances of religion in action, arguing that domestic hosting enhances “liminal” and “communitas” experiences during the contemporary pilgrimage of the World Youth Day 2013 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Domestic hospitality, an under-researched topic, is a significant aspect of this Catholic pilgrimage. Qualitative methods, including participant observation over the 18 months of preparation leading up to and during the event, were used to collect data. This paper discusses host-guest relationships, reasons for hosting strangers at no charge, and the establishment of a communitas set. The findings reveal that through domestic hospitality, pilgrims and their hosts families became closer, sharing similar experiences of reinforced religious identities.