Dialogue between Geography and Teology: A new place building, a Vigolo experience (Nova Trento)

Abstract

This paper came out from an interdisciplinary reflection. At one side the pastoral theological reflection and at the other, human geography. From another standpoint we wish to reflect and to show how much these two sciences, theology and geography, can contaminate each other in the creation and organization of the social space. We start from the sufficiently explored assumption that the social space is created based on different interests, economical, political, sportive, educational and cultural among others. And why not religious? In the social space we undoubtedly find, besides those same interests, the one related to religiosity. Geography and theology dialogue in the reorganization of the new space at Vigolo, Nova Trento. Religious culture, having Madre Paulina's life as background, got steadier and opened space for a spatial reorganization. In order to accommodate the new exigencies of the awakening of faith in Saint Paulina, many transformations occurred in the places where she lived, worked and founded her religious community. A popular religiosity at Vigolo starts having Madre Paulina's life and labour as its centre and her sanctification provides the charter to make at Vila Vigolo everything that is necessary to grow even more the devotion to the first Brazilian Saint.