http://SupremeMasterTV.com -- At Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer,A Roma Pilgrimage of the Heart. Episode: 1702, Air Date: 13 May 2011. Script
Every year in May, the Roma people in Europe, also known as the Romani people, gather for a religious festival in honor of Saint Sara in the town of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, France. This southern coastal town is the capital of the Camargue, which is the region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Rhone River delta.
Hallo, loving viewers. Today, we are at Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, located in the south of France. A seaside resort, this village is also the capital of Camargue, a magnificent humid area located in the Rhone delta. The Rhone is a European river that flows into the Mediterranean Sea. During a few days, the Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer village reunites Roma people from all over Europe. They will be thousands right behind me, coming to honor their patron saint Sara, the Black Madonna.
With its devotional atmosphere, Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer is said to be the place where the three Biblical Marys -- Mary Magdalene, Mary Salome and Mary Jacobe -- sailed to from Palestine after witnessing the resurrection of Jesus. Legend has it that these three saints had a maid by the name of Sara. Sara was known to be a kind woman who helped the poor by collecting alms, and was thought to be a Roma. The Roma people regard her as their saint.
The village Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer takes its name from Mary Jacobe and Mary Salome, who left Palestine and ended up here, and then took up as a servant, Sara, the patron saint of the Roma.
My name is Yanoush Sisco. I'm presenting to you a few stone engravings that I've done here in Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer. It's a schist rock and there are also some slates. So this is the work that I've been doing during the year. These are rocks that I pick up at sea and to which I give pleasant forms that remain in the country's image.
We are from the east. My parents come from Poland, my mother from Hungary and my faith... We've walked on a great path, but up until now, what brought us to Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer is this wonderful pilgrimage to see our patron, Sara.
What exactly is this pilgrimage?
This pilgrimage is mostly, I think, about a special gathering. I've found people who I've met in the past, 30 years ago, we found each other on the pilgrimage.
Is there a profound religious dimension for you in this pilgrimage?
Yes, yes, certainly. The Church of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer brings us closer, closer to everyone really, and Sara, in her crypt, is for us something very strong. The faith in Sara has brought a lot to the Roma.
Yes, the pilgrimage is very beautiful; we have faith in the Saint. We have to believe in her because she performs a lot of miracles.
Another legend depicts Saint Sara to be of noble birth living on the banks of the Rhone. She was one of the first to have received the secrets of the Revelation. It was revealed to her that the three saints who had been present during the crucifixion of Lord Jesus would arrive to her land. The three Marys did arrive to shore amidst rough seas and weather, and it was Saint Sara who then helped them.
Interestingly, Saint Sara, also known as Sara la Kali, is also thought by some to be the representation of the Indian goddess Kali. The procession in Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer is compared to the Kali procession in India where the statue is immersed into water. These traditions may have been carried from the Roma people's roots in India.
We are a family of Romani and we meet every year at Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, because that's where we gather. Because there are families from home, sometimes distant cousins that we cannot see, we see them here exceptionally, at home.
The Roma people believe in community living and have strong values of family and brotherhood.
We Roma have a lot of respect towards the elderly, our brothers, our sisters, our brothers-in-law, the family, the children, and let them live to the best of this world.
So, we are very family-oriented, very warm. Regarding the oldest one whom we call grandfather because he is the oldest, so, for us, he is our godfather, really.
He is our guide.
And the family today is still the great melting pot of sharing. We still have this... in us, the instinct of sharing. And there is a word with us, that says... It is this law that if one is in need of help, the other will help without trying to understand. There is always sharing. When we eat at home, there's always more in case someone comes and they are hungry. And we never hesitate to give food to someone who is hungry even if we are without a meal.
I think their value, their primary value, in my opinion, is brotherhood. It is this support, this ongoing support, when one man is in trouble the others come immediately.
In the family today, what are the strong values?
Well, it is respect, community living, especially with fa
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