Portuguese come together for annual festival, Mass and to enjoy
traditional foods
By Betsy Avelar
It’s a festival of remembrance, tradition and culture.
Every year, the Portuguese community unite to celebrate and Sunday was no different as participants of the Our Lady of Fatima festival marched seven blocks to St. Mary Catholic Church to celebrate a special Mass.
The Our Lady of Fatima festival is more than just a religious event for many of the participants. After Mass, those in the parade marched back to the Portuguese hall, I.F.D.E.S., to enjoy the traditional sopas, meat and cabbage.
Jennifer Machado is a board member of the festival and enjoys participating in this festival every year.
“The Portuguese have brought their religion and tradition with them,” said the 27-year-old. “They also feel a sense of closure to the festival because she appeared to three small children to spread the message,” she continued with the story.
The story of Our Lady of Fatima is set in the Portuguese village of Fatima. Three children herding sheep in the Cova de Ira said they saw the Virgin Mary who left them the message of world peace. The children told the villagers about the apparition but few believed. That is why the statue of the Our Lady of Fatima has three children sitting on a pedestal.
Families from all around Gilroy and other cities gathered to dine. Invitations were sent to the Queens of other chapters in nearby cities. There were visitors from Newark, Salinas, and San Jose, and the music of the hall was the laughing of families and friends mingled with the Portuguese language.
Joel Wedge of Gilroy met his family at the hall after the parade.
“It felt very close-knit, like it didn’t matter who you were,” the 18-year-old said about the overall festival. “It was like a big family gathering, it felt like family.”
Round tables filled the Portuguese hall, and a loaf of the familiar Portuguese sweet bread sat at the middle of every one. Bags of yellow horse beans or Tremoco were sold. “People like to eat and drink it with beer,” said Lucinda Silveira, board member and participant for 20 years. The Gilroy resident, now 50, pointed out that these popular little beans are a traditional food usually sold during the event Holy Ghost in May, another religious event celebrated by the Portuguese people, but they were adopted for this event as well.
An event like Our Lady of Fatima takes months of planning. Fifteen community members sit on the organizing committee and a different president is elected every year who chooses the Queen for that year. This year the queen was Sydney Marie Leal with Presidents Maria and Antonio Diaz.
The existence of the Portuguese Hall dates back more than 100 years, to 1905, when immigrants came to the Bay Area and continued the culture and religious celebration.
Gilroy Mayor Al Pinheiro served drinks at the bar.
“I’m just working behind the bar, and I’m going to do the auctioning,” said Pinheiro wiping his forehead. “I grew up here, and I’ve been involved as president and secretary.” By this time the hall was very loud and warm.
Stephen Machado, 29, of Gilroy, is the former president of the local Our lady of Fatima organization chapter.
“When we get together its always a friendly community,” she said. “We’re just a very tight-knit community, everyone’s intertwined somehow.”
Betsy Avelar attends Gavilan College and is an intern for The Gilroy Dispatch. Reach her at 847-7216 or ba*****@************ch.com.
