Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbvodou0206sbfeb06,0,1655908.story
Ricardo Petit-Homme left Haiti when he was 4, and was raised a staunch Catholic.
"From christening to penance and then confirmation, I did it all," the 30-year-old interior decorator said.
But not that long ago, he felt spiritually disconnected. He had dreams that needed to be interpreted, questions about his purpose and a burning desire to connect more deeply with his roots.
He turned to Vodou.
"I like that, with Vodou, the spirituality comes from within," Petit-Homme said, as he joined in a Vodou ceremony in North Miami Beach. "I feel like I'm piecing together a puzzle."
Vodou, often spelled Voodoo, is undergoing a resurgence among younger Haitian-Americans. In South Florida, where the Haitian community is estimated to be close to 300,000, scholars and Vodou priests say more people in their 20s and 30s are finding the religion.
Vodou blends African religions with Catholic saints. Followers believe there is one God and deities who manifest to serve different purposes, such as healing and protecting. The religion shares West African roots with Santeria practiced in Cuba, Obeah in Jamaica and Macumba of Brazil. Experts estimate that about 60 million people worldwide practice some form of Vodou.
It is hard to quantify the religion's growth because Vodou is often practiced at home, said Elizabeth McAlister, a professor of religion at Wesleyan University, who has written extensively about Vodou. But research shows the religion is becoming more prevalent among well-heeled first and second generation Haitians, as well as people of various backgrounds, she said.