Marian devotion
The Virgin of the Steppe
Kazajistán central
Kazakh nomadic pastors venerate the Virgin as a protector of the steppe.
In the vast Kazakh steppe, the Catholic nomadic pastors venerate the Virgin as a protector of their flocks and of the earth. Tradition tells that the Virgin appeared in the steppe to guide some shepherds who had been lost during a snowstorm.
The legend of the lost shepherd
The legend is that a Kazakh shepherd named Nursultan was lost with his flock during a blizzard in the steppe. He had not eaten for days and his sheep were beginning to die. Then he prayed the Rosary and saw a bright light in the dark. It was the Virgin Mary, who led him to a hidden oasis where there was water and grass.
Since then, Kazakh pastors have prayed the Rosary before going out to pasture. They believe that the Virgin protects the nomads from the steppe.
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