Haitians mark annual Voodoo-Christian pilgrimage amid gang violence

Same protagonists but a different scenery. In Haiti, several thousand people scaled a steep hill in the annual pilgrimage to honour Erzulie Dantor, and the Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel. 

Faithful gathered in a rural part of Port-au-Prince, instead of the usual sacred waterfall of Saut-d’Eau, about 50 kilometres from the capital. 

Violent gangs attacked Saut-d'Eau in March, where the 100-foot waterfall had attracted thousands of Voodoo and Christian followers for decades.

The town remains under gang control, preventing thousands from participating in the traditional annual pilgrimage meant to honour the Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel, who is closely associated with Voodoo goddess Erzulie Dantor.

Voodoo - a mix of African religions and Roman Catholicism - is central to Haitian life. In 2003, then-Haitian President Jean Bertrand Aristide, himself a former Catholic priest, officially recognised the faith.

For the believers, the Saut-d'Eau pilgrimage must go on, even in Port-au-Prince. 

“It is important to celebrate the mother’s (The Virgin Mary) day anyway, and I came here to thank her", said a Voodoo Priest who preferred not to give his name.

On Wednesday, videos posted on social media showed members of the Canaan gang standing in the large church of Saut-d’Eau that traditionally hosted the annual Mass amid the three-day pilgrimage.

The small church in Port-au-Prince burst at its seams with faithful praying for the blessing of the Virgin.

During mass service, Monsignor Sander Louis-Jean asked the faithful to pray for Haiti. “It is what the Virgin Mary, our mother, wants – unity", said Monsignor Sander.

Gang violence in Haiti has killed more than 5,600 people in 2024, according to the United Nations.