Marian Devotion and Psychological Resilience Among Mother Devotees: A Phenomenological Study of the Turumba Devotion in Quezon, Philippines
Gared Yunyz M. Meralpis | Cindy C. Alvarez | Mary Christzeil M. Barte | John Cliford M Alvero
Discipline: theology and religious studies
Abstract:
This phenomenological study addresses the limited qualitative
research on the relationship between Marian devotion and psychological
resilience by examining how Turumba, a culturally rooted Marian practice
in Dolores, Quezon, shapes the coping experiences of Filipino mothers. It
explores how faith-related components—safety, satisfaction, connectivity,
openness, and mortality awareness—are reflected in their lived
experiences. Using in-depth, semi-structured interviews with n = 16
purposively selected mother devotees, the data were analyzed
thematically. Findings indicate that key themes included perceived
spiritual protection, strengthened communal belonging, and faithoriented perseverance. Participants described interpreting personal and
family difficulties through religious meaning-making processes that
supported emotional regulation and adaptive coping. These results
suggest that Marian devotion operates as a culturally embedded
psychosocial resource that contributes to resilience and perceived wellbeing among participants. The study underscores the relevance of
contextualized religious practices for understanding culturally situated
coping systems. It highlights their potential value for psychosocial
support frameworks that involve women in faith-centered communities.
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