Pictures of 2002
OLM Festa

Debbie Silveira was the 2001 OLM Senior Queen
1964 Junior Queen is Debbie Amaral
Her sidemaids are Nola Rocha & Deanie Amaral
Debbie & Deanie are the daughters of Frank & Olivia Amaral
Saint Isabel of Portugal, is my patron saint, having
been named after my mother, Isabel, who was named
after St. Isabel (or Elizabeth) of Portugal. Born
in 1271, Queen Isabel was married to King Diniz
(or Dinis). Like her great-aunt Saint Elizabeth of
Hungary, for whom she was named, Saint Isabel
(Isabel is another name for Elizabeth) of Portugal
dedicated her life to the poor. She established
orphanages and provided shelter for the homeless.
She also founded a convent in Coimbra. There are
many versions of the story of Queen Isabel's miracle
of turning bread into roses, but they are all
fundamentally the same.
She is said to have been forbidden by her unfaithful
husband to give to the poor. Having hid bread to give
away in her apron, she encountered King Diniz, who
asked her what she was carrying. Not wanting to let
on that the contents of her apron were meant for the
poor, she responded that they were roses. The bread
was transformed into roses, and King Dinis, who could
not understand how she could have possession of fresh
roses in January, did not punish his wife.
Known for settling disputes, Queen Isabel was called
the Peacemaker. When her son Affonso (or Afonso) declared
war on his father, jealous of the attention being paid
by Diniz to his illegitimate sons, she rode between
the armies, reconciling the two sides.
On another occasion, she rode to Estremoz despite being
ill to keep the army of Affonso, by then Affonso IV,
from fighting that of Castile. Affonso, angry at the
mistreatment his daughter Maria was suffering at the
hands of her husband, the king of Castile, had ordered
an attack. Isabel stopped the fighting, but the
exertion proved to be too much for her and she fell
ill, dying shortly thereafter.
Isabel was buried in Coimbra. She was canonized in
1625 by Urban VIII, and her feast day is July 8.
Many Portuguese and Portuguese-American
organizations bear her name. It is because of
St. Isabel that there are queens of the Festa
When St. Isabel was reining, she would give a
poor little girl her crown and cape for a day
and there would be a big religious Festa with
Sopas for all. The Festas today still carry
on this great tradition.
GPS Junior Queen

LINKS

The Legend of Our Lady of Miracles:

All about the OLM Society:

Bodo de Leite:

Newly Renovated GPS Hall:

Gustine Adopts Angra, Azores as Sister City:

2004 Festa:

Pictures of 2002 Festa:

2003 Pictures of OLM Parade of Queens

2003 Pictures of OLM Festa Bullfights

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Kathy

"Mae dos Jovens"
sung by
Monsignor Cotta & Nancy DeSousa
played by Kathryn Maffei
(from Monsignor Cotta CDs)