A sosyete is the congregation around a peristyle, headed by a houngan or manbo who has been initiated through the kanzo, and it functions as an extended family: members are godchildren of the house, obligations run in both directions, and the temple serves as clinic, court, and social safety net in communities where the state provides little. Authority is personal and local — there is no national Vodou church, though attempts to organize one have been made for political recognition.