Santo Cristo festivities begin today in the Azorean city of Ponta Delgada

The festivities, which refer to the image of ‘Ecce Homo’, take place from today until Thursday next week (May 9), in the city of Ponta Delgada, on the island of São Miguel, taking place annually on the fifth Sunday after Easter.

According to the definitive program of the festivities, published on the website of the Irmandade do Senhor Santo Cristo, today, at 11:00 local time (12:00 in Lisbon), the mass for the sick will be held at the São José Church, presided over by the bishop of the Diocese of Angra, Armando Esteves Domingues, followed by a visit to the Sanctuary of Senhor Santo Cristo.

At 9:00 pm the decorative lighting of Campo de São Francisco and the facade of the Sanctuary is inaugurated and the bazaar opens, next to the temple.

One of the main moments of the festivities takes place on Saturday, with the procession of the Change of the image of Santo Cristo around Campo de São Francisco, starting at 4:30 pm, in a procession attended annually by thousands of devotees, some barefoot and with bundles of tapers (candles) on their backs, when paying promises.

After the Change procession, the image of Santo Cristo will be transported to the Church of São José, where it will remain until Sunday morning.

But, before the procession of the Change of Image, hundreds of pilgrims will walk, on Saturday morning, on their knees, the cobblestones of Campo de São Francisco as a way of paying promises to the Holy Christ.

For the first time, this year there is a mass in English, on Sunday, at 08:00 local time, at the Church of São José.

The mass will be presided over by Father Larry Machado, descendant of Azoreans and pastor of the Portuguese parish of Nossa Senhora da Assunção in Turlock.

Right after the mass, and still on Sunday, the image leaves at 09:15 from the Church of São José to the Sanctuary’s churchyard, where it will remain for the Eucharistic celebration (09:30), presided over by the Bishop of Stockton, California, Myron Cotta.

Bishop Myron Cotta, son of Azorean parents, but already born in the United States, presides this year over the religious festivities, which annually bring thousands of pilgrims to the island of São Miguel, coming from the islands, the mainland and emigrant communities, namely the United States of America and Canada.

After the celebration in the Sanctuary’s churchyard, the image of the Holy Christ is taken to the Convent to be prepared for the Sunday procession, which starts at 3:30 pm and will travel for around four hours along the main flower-carpeted arteries of the largest Azorean city, a procession carried out on the initiative of a Clarissa nun, Mother Teresa d’Anunciada.

On Monday, a municipal holiday, a Eucharistic celebration will be held at 11:00 for the intentions of the Brotherhood Table and its collaborators, presided over by the bishop of the Diocese of Angra.

At 2:30 pm, there will be a auction (public bidding for gifts and small domestic animals) and the bazaar will open at 3:00 pm.

Also on Monday, there will be the traditional parade in honor of Santo Cristo carried out by taxi drivers, firefighters, police officers and motorcyclists, starting at 12:30 pm, in the São Francisco countryside.

On Thursday, at 5:00 pm, the bazaar reopens and, an hour later, the religious festivities of the Santo Cristo dos Milagres end, with a solemn concelebration, in honor of Mother Teresa da Anunciada, presided over by the Rector of the Sanctuary, Canon Manuel Carlos Sousa Alves.

This year, the Government of the Azores is once again granting time tolerance to regional public administration workers whose services are based on the island of São Miguel, on Festive Monday, a municipal holiday in Ponta Delgada.

In the order signed by the president of the Regional Government, José Manuel Bolieiro, it is highlighted that the festival in honor of Senhor Santo Cristo dos Milagres “has a profound meaning for Azorean people, which mobilizes feeling, faith and support in the Azores and in the diaspora”.

The Azorean executive also determined the tolerance of work hours on the Thursday of the Festas do Santo Cristo, for public administration workers with services based in the municipality of Ponta Delgada, on the island of São Miguel.

APE // VAM

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