The 91st Festa do Espirito de Manteca otherwise known as the Holy Ghost – or Holy Spirit – Festa is currently underway.

The longtime Portuguese tradition will include plenty of food – Sopa and meat meals, and sweet bread – prayers, parade, and a Sunday mass celebration conducted by Bishop Myron J. Cotta.

This past week featured rosary in the cappella of the FESM Hall in the 200 block of North Main Street. It’s here that the parade will kick-off at 9:15 a.m. Sunday to St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, 505 E. North St. – in time for the 9:30 formation of the parade at the church – with the celebration of the mass at 10:30.

They’ll march back to the hall after church where lunch will be served.

President Danny Silva mentioned that meals will be served in the morning, afternoon, and evening during the Festa.

The weekend schedule also includes:

·         Saturday – 7 p.m., recitation of the rosary; 8 p.m. to 12 a.m., dance with 562 of Artesia; 9 p.m., presentation of the queens and committee.

·         Sunday – 1 p.m., lunch of Sopa and meat to those in attendance; 2 p.m., auction of gifts; 6 p.m., dinner of Sopa and meat; 7 p.m.-11 p.m., dance with Alma.

This year’s Big Queen is Grace Silva, daughter of Danny and Melanie Silva. She’s joined by her side maids, Julianna Gaspar and Gianna Vasconcelos.

Giuliana Goncalves is the Little Queen. The Little Side Maids are Paisley Coelho and Sophia Enes.

The tradition of Festas dates back to 1269 with Queen Isabel, who was seen with roses in one hand a small loaf of bread on the other.

The story has it that the Queen would take the bread from the palace, hiding it in her habit to secretly feed the poor and hungry. The King eventually found out about her actions. One day, he confronted the Queen about the stolen bread hidden in her possession. Instead of bread, a bunch of red roses fell from her apron on to the floor. The miracle was that her generosity and love for her people ha been honored by God.

That generosity continues to this day. At the FESM Hall, Danny Silva pointed out that the 600 or so loaves of bread will be donated to senior homes and other such places as part of Festa.

Festas are held on weekends from April through August in areas settled by early immigrants from Portugal and the Azores Islands.

The Festas stretch from the North Coast down through the San Joaquin Valley and to San Diego.