ARTICLE ON WHAT A FESTA IS ABOUT
Festa do Divino Espirito Santo ( Feast of the Holy Spirit)
This religious practice originates with Queen Saint Isabel, daughter of the King of Aragon, who was married to young monarch, Diniz, in Portugal. She was known for her religiosity and compassionate heart, constantly serving the poor in their circumstantial need.
It is said that Queen Isabel saved bread from her own table to give to the hungry. Legend has it that the King tried to stop her from mingling with the poor and was once caught hiding something in her cloak. When he demanded that she open her cloak to show the concealed food, she said a prayer, threw open her cloak. Instead of bread, red roses tumbled out. It is for this reason, that the statue of Queen St. Isabel is depicted with the mantle of flowers.
At one time during Queen St. Isabel's reign there was a terrible famine in Portugal. The Queen depleted all her funds while seeking food for her people; she had no financial resources left, only her crown the symbol of her royalty state. One morning, at Mass, she promised the Holy Spirit, "I will give my crown to the Church if you will send me a miracle, so my people will be relieved of their hunger."
As she left the church, she saw ships coming into the harbor, loaded with wheat and corn! For over 700 years Portuguese people have celebrated this event in the Festa do Espirito Santo or Feast of the Holy Spirit to intercede in time of danger or calamities.
For over 700 years Portuguese people have celebrated this event in the Festa do Espirito Santo or Feast of the Holy Spirit to intercede in time of danger or calamities.
In San Diego, the Festa is the oldest ethnic religious celebration, dating back to the time when the first families settled here in 1884 and was formally organized in 1910.
Today, as it was intended in 1922, the Chapel is used to house the Crown of the Holy Spirit during the Festa. On Pentecost Sunday, devotees of the Holy Spirit visit the Chapel to pray and offer a donation of monies or Portuguese Sweet Bread-which is sold to raise monies- to assure the continuation of this unique ethnic religious celebration.
The Crown, "Coroa" , consists of three individual pieces. The Scepter of the Crown is accented by a dove, the symbol of the Holy Spirit whose love was so manifested in Queen St. Isabel's life. The Crown has a double significance: first, it represents the supreme dominion of the Holy Spirit and second, the Crown represents the royalty of Queen St. Isabel. The Plate, serving as a stand for the Crown and the Scepter, represents the people. If we are to be true followers of Jesus Christ, we must serve others. As a plate holds food which is given to the hungry, we are called to actively serve, like Queen St. Isabel. Not only to be touched by God's Holy Spirit, but to see that divine transformation into the visible reality of serving others in their spiritual, physical and emotional needs.
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2008 BULLFIGHTS & FESTAS