Holy Ghost Festa Celebrates 90th Year in Newark

For the 90th year, the community will gather this week to celebrate the .

Hosted by the Portuguese Fraternal Society of America No. 16, the festivities will begin Thursday at 6 p.m. with a blessing and offering and celebrations will continue on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

A parade on Sunday will start from Thornton Avenue near the Newark Pavilion to St. Edwards Catholic Church at 10:45 a.m. and another parade will leave from to the Chapel of the starting at 12:45 p.m.

The is to honor the Holy Spirit of the Catholic faith and to celebrate Queen Isabel of Portugal – a woman who would feed the poor and when once caught by her husband, who would get upset at this act of giving, the bread under her coat became roses.

The event became known as “The Miracle of Roses” and the queen was then known as Queen Saint Isabel of Portugal.

To honor Saint Isabel every year at the festa, girls are named queens that are divided into three categories based on age groups: little queen, junior queen, senior queen. An additional woman is named Queen Saint Isabel for the Festa.

 This year’s queens are as follows: (See photos above)

• Little Queen: Gabriella Aguiree with sidemaids Glorieanna Borba and Sophia Rosa
• Junior Queen: Victoria Diaz with sidemaids Angelina Rasmussen and Skyler Plascencia
• Senior Queen: Jessica Arruda with sidemaids Kimberly Quaresma and Daniela Andrade
• Queen Saint Isabel: Amber Serpa.

This year’s Portuguese Fraternal Society of America No. 16 Holy Ghost presidents are Daniel and Conceiao Silva. The Silvas, along with their family, and this year's officers and committee members worked throughout the year to plan for the four-day celebration. 

The following is the full agenda, as provided by the Newark Pavilion, of the four-day Holy Ghost Festa:

Thursday, July 19
6 p.m.: Blessing of the Meat and Offerings followed by Rosary Hall #4

Friday, July 20
7 a.m.: Distribution of Sopas (Plastic and Glass containers are prohibited)
7 p.m.: Praying of the Rosary – Hall #4
8:30 p.m.: Cantoria
Maria Clara, Antonio Izidro, Jose Placido, Jose Borges, Manuel dos Santos,
Adelino Toledo, Joao Rodrigues, Jose Ribeiro, Abel Raposo,
Tocadores: Manuel Felipe, Luis Camara, Dimas Toledo, George Reis & Chris Martins

Saturday, July 21
11 a.m.: Mass - Hall #1
12:30 p.m.: Formation of the Bodo de Leite
1 p.m.: Bodo de Leite starts with the traditional Pezinho:
Sweet bread, cheese and milk served to all that are present
3 p.m.: Performances of Local Folklore Groups
4 p.m.: Animal Recognition
6 p.m.: Concert with Filarmónica Recreio do Emigrante Portugues
7 p.m.: Praying of the Rosary – Chapel
8 p.m.: Dance with performance by Raça – OUTSIDE
8:15 p.m.: Presentation of the Queens, President and Officers
9:00 p.m.: Cantoria ~ Hall #1

Sunday, July 22
10 a.m.: Greetings by the Filarmónicas to the President and Officers
10:30 a.m.: Formation of the Parade in front of the Chapel
10:45 a.m.: Parade to exit Thornton Ave with the destination of St. Edwards Catholic Church
11:30 a.m.: Mass accompanied by the choir of St. Edwards
12:45 p.m.: Parade from Church to the Chapel of the Newark Pavilion, accompanied by Portuguese Bands; Recreio do Emigrante Portugues of Newark and
Nova Aliança of San Jose, and The Portuguese Band of Santa Clara
2:15 p.m.: Religious Ceremonies in front of the Chapel upon return of the Parade,
(with anthems; American, Portuguese and Espirito Santo)
2:15 p.m.: Sopas served to all that are present
3 p.m.: Auction and Bazaar throughout the day
5 p.m.: Dance with performance by Manuel Jacinto – Hall #1

Like Newark Patch on Facebook | Follow Newark Patch on Twitter | Blog on Newark Patch | Get Free Newark Patch Newsletters

Editor's note: This report was updated 2:30 p.m. Tuesday to make corrections.