Senhor Santo Cristo dos Milagres – Religious Festival in São Miguel
The festivities of Senhor Santo Cristo dos Milagres take place on São Miguel Island on the fifth Sunday after Easter and are the largest religious celebration in the entire archipelago.
Check the festival program here
The origins of Senhor Santo Cristo dos Milagres date back to the early settlement of São Miguel Island and Vila Franca do Campo, where a major earthquake occurred in 1522. The nobleman Jorge da Mota and his daughters hid from the terrible event on one of their estates.
One of his daughters, Petronilha da Mota, did not care about wealth and dedicated her life to religion. Isabel Afonso, from Braga, arrived on São Miguel Island and became a close friend of Petronilha. Both chose a life of penance and devotion to prayer and faith, later adopting the names Maria de Jesus and Maria dos Anjos. They eventually secluded themselves in the chapel of Santa Clara in Ponta Delgada.
This became the destiny of the two nuns as they felt guided by divine hands. Over time, other people joined the church, giving greater importance to faith, such as Jorge da Mota’s youngest daughter, Ana de São Miguel. In a small house, six nuns lived with great difficulty but also with great devotion.
Índice de conteúdos
Convent of Nossa Senhora da Esperança
The Sisters of the Immaculate Mary occupied the convent, succeeding the Congregation of Saint Joseph of Cluny. This was the first convent of nuns in Ponta Delgada. Today, this convent features significant improvements such as decorations on the church ceiling and the famous tiles found in the lower choir.
There are works by painter Manuel Pinheiro Moreira, among other attractions.
Legend of Senhor Santo Cristo dos Milagres
The story of Senhor Santo Cristo dos Milagres began in Água de Pau, São Miguel Island, at the Caloura Convent. The people of Água de Pau were somewhat distant from religion and faith, so the nuns at the time prayed for the population to regain their faith and love for the Lord.
They believed that the presence of a new religious image in that Convent would lead to a revival of faith. They wrote a letter to the Pope, asking for the image they so desired but could not afford. Their request was not granted.
However, they did not give up and continued to pray for a change in the population and for a religious image.
Later, during a time when pirates roamed the Azorean seas, a ship was attacked and completely destroyed by corsairs. On that day, the nuns observed a glowing box near the coast. They went to check what had washed ashore and found a bust of Christ with a lifelike gaze and humble expression inside the box.
The Miracle
They considered it a miracle that Santo Cristo had been brought by the sea and chose to come ashore precisely where they prayed and asked for an image to restore the population’s faith.
The faith of the inhabitants grew upon learning of the event, and the story of the Santo Cristo miracle spread throughout São Miguel Island. It became a source of hope and support for the devout Micaelenses.
For several years, the image remained at the Caloura Convent. However, due to frequent pirate attacks, the nuns sought refuge at the Esperança Convent in Ponta Delgada, bringing the image of Senhor Santo Cristo with them, where it remains to this day.
Currently, faith in Senhor Santo Cristo dos Milagres has not waned; on the contrary, it is one of the main religious festivities in the Azores, occurring five weeks after Easter.
The Festivity
There are various recreational and cultural activities, as well as religious celebrations with vigils held throughout the night and early morning at the churches of São José and the Convent of Nossa Senhora da Esperança, where you can also participate in important processions.
One of the most significant religious symbols is undoubtedly the sacred image of Senhor Santo Cristo. This image leaves the Esperança Convent for the Sanctuary, passing through various tributes and adorations.
On the Sunday of the festivities, an outdoor Mass is held in Campo de São Francisco, broadcast and followed by the faithful. The procession of Senhor Santo Cristo takes place in the main streets of Ponta Delgada in the afternoon. The image depicts Christ with hands bound over the trunk and the famous crown of thorns, showing all the suffering of Our Lord.
This is undoubtedly one of the main events of the Catholic Church. The first procession was initiated by Madre Teresa da Anunciada. The island’s population supported the event after several earthquakes in the region, thus demonstrating their faith in religion. The image was taken to the main altar of the convent.
The treasure of Senhor Santo Cristo is an important collection of jewelry pieces that adorn the image admired by all. You can see its cloak with gold and silver threads and various jewels.
At the Esperança Convent and in Campo São Francisco, many people gather to fulfill promises and ask for miracles, where faith is unwavering.
This festival undoubtedly has a lot of history, faith, and various unmissable religious events and celebrations for everyone.
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References
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