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Tens of thousands of Gypsy, Tsigane, Manouche and other Gens du Voyage pilgrims make their way to Saintes-Marie-de-la-Mer, France, to a May feast for the Saintes Maries and Sainte Sara, the Gypsies' unofficial saint who is linked to the Marys in the gospels. For many, it is an occasion for sacraments like baptism and marriage, and for first communions.

Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, an ancient town in the marshes of the Carmargue, celebrates processions to the sea for Sainte Marie Jacobé and Sainte Marie Salomé, who according to medieval tradition, following Jesus' death, traveled across the sea by boat and lived out their lives in Carmargue, helping to bring Christianity to France. The May feast draws large number of Gypsy Catholics, who also come to venerate Sainte Sara, an unofficial saint who they believe is integral to the story of the Saintes Maries.

In religious settings, matrilineal lines are particularly important in passing down intregas, promises to fulfill some sort of devotion or religious duty, and in leading prayer, particularly novenas. Sexual sins, if kept discreet, are seen as less serious than sins such as corruption and self-enrichment.

The history of Guam and the perspectives of the native Chamorro people have been impacted by immigration and global encounters over 350 years. That process continues today in a variety of ways, including through in- and out-migration. As a result, Chamorros are a minority on their own island today. An influx of Filipinos and Micronesians are changing the cultural makeup in Guam.

If there were one theme that came across most clearly in interviews about the relationship between Catholicism and Chamorro culture in Guam, it was the importance of honoring the dead.

In 2017, the Church of Guam has been embroiled in accusations of sexual abuse brought to light, at least in part, by a backlash over the ascendance of Neocatechumenal Way, a global, lay Catholic movement that operates in many parishes on the island.

The island and Catholic cultures of Guam, a U.S. territory, are shaped by the legacy of the Chamorro people, the original settlers; by 200 years of Spanish rule that linked Guam to the Philippines and Mexico; and by more than a century of American influence.

In the days leading up to January 20, a number of churches in central Kerala are abuzz with activities to honor St. Sebastian. For many Catholics in the region, and some people from other faiths as well, St. Sebastian is regarded as the most powerful heavenly intercessor of all. Prayers to him are considered even more efficacious than those to Jesus and Mary. Accordingly, his parish feasts are among the most elaborate in Kerala, where annual parish feasts are an enormously important part of people’s religious lives. Why, of all the saints possible, an early Roman martyr-saint would garner that

Like Orthodox Christians, Ukrainian Catholics in Canada celebrate the Nativity according to the old Julian calendar, on January 6. The celebration of the Incarnation traditionally begins at home with a 12-course meal that starts on Christmas Eve, January 6, as soon as the youngest member of the family spots the first star in the evening sky.

Despite the recent reinstitution of church structures, unofficial places of worship have retained their popularity and are visited both en masse during seasonal pilgrimages and individually in times of difficulty and need.