“PORTUGUESE COLONY STARTS BIG FESTIVAL HERE TONIGHT – Fireworks, Pageantry at Point Loma – The feast of the Festa do Divino Espirito Santo (i.e. Feast of the Divine Holy Spirit ~ ed.), a traditional Portuguese religious festival, will be celebrated at Roseville with a two-day program of processions, religious exercises, fireworks, were passed, dancing and entertainment, beginning at 7:00 this evening. The newly completed St. Agnes Church at Point Loma, the traditional church of the Portuguese fisherman, will be the scene of the opening of the fiesta. The church service will last one hour. Then will follow a Procession to the U.P.S.E.S. Hall (i.e. the United Portuguese Society of the Holy Spirit, aka. [in Portuguese] Espirito Santo ~ ed.). Miss LUCY ROGERS, the Festa Queen, will lead the Procession. Miss Rogers is the daughter of Mr. & Mrs. JOE S. ROGERS, of Point Loma. Little LOUISE FREITAS, age 4, will be the Queen of the Boat, the ‘NAVIGATOR’. She is the daughter of Captain MANUEL H. FREITAS, President of the Festa Committee. Tonight the ‘Navigator’, pride of the Portuguese fisherman’s colony, will be gaily decorated with lights, flags and banners; and will be anchored off Roseville while the festival is in progress.
Tomorrow morning the festival will open with a solemn religious Procession at 9:00 from the U.P.S.E.S. Lodge hall to the new church. Solemn high Mass will be celebrated by Rev. Manuel Rose, Pastor of the new St Agnes church. After the Mass the Portuguese Crown, representing Queen Saint Isabel of Portugal, will be presented by the young Boat Queen, Louise Freitas. As is the custom, the festival is sponsored by one of the Portuguese fishing boats. The vessel selected this year is the ‘Navigator’, owned by Freitas, and his partner, Captain Rogers.
HONOR QUEEN ISABEL (sic Elizabeth ~ ed.)
Dancing and entertainment, proceeded by a luncheon at noon, are included in tomorrow’s program. Thousands of persons from all parts of San Diego County are expected to attend the two-day Festa. Elaborate preparations have been made for a huge crowd. The two-day Festa commemorates Queen Elizabeth (aka.Isabel ~ ed.) of Portugal, who reigned in the 13th century and has been canonized. She is known to history as St. Elizabeth (sic) of Portugal. Queen Elizabeth is famous because she had a cousin (*Note: Actually, Isabel’s Great-Aunt – ed.) also known as Queen Elizabeth of Hungary. Queen Elizabeth was active in the government of Portugal, devoting her lifetime to bringing about peace between her husband and his sons. At one time Portugal was in the throes of a famine and Queen Elizabeth promised her Crown to the Holy Ghost if aid would be vouchsafed (i.e. to grant or give, as by favor, graciousness or condescension – to: accord, confer, bestow – ed.) from Heaven. After the vow was made, history tells of two strange ships appeared, laden with food, and Queen Elizabeth went to church to present her Crown to the Holy Ghost. The Committee in charge includes FREITAS, Chairman, Mr. MATTHEW MONIZ, and TONY L. MADRUGA.”
(*Source: San Diego EVENING TRIBUNE newspaper – Saturday, May 19, 1934 – Pg. 15)