“San Diego’s annual FESTA DO DIVINO ESPIRITO SANTO (Feast of the Holy Spirit) this year will feature many MADEIRA Islanders, and be celebrated in May instead of in June (as is usual). The Mordomo this year will be Capt. MANUEL ‘FRIZADO’ SILVA, born in FUNCHAL, MADEIRA, and master of the tuna clipper “SANTO AMARO”, and that vessel’s crew are expected to figure predominantly in the affair.
A cousin of Capt. Silva, Miss CONSUELO DRUMMOND will be the Festa Queen. She will be attended by Miss MARIA SANTOS, the young sister of Capt. DENNIS SANTOS of the “Sacramento”, and Miss AURELIA SILVA, sister of EDWARD SILVA, tuna man of the “THEODORE FOSS”.
Maids of the Sacred Square will be: Miss ALDORA DRUMMOND (sister of the Queen), Miss EVELYN TAVARES (daughter of Frank Tavares, fisherman aboard the ‘Navigator’); Miss HELEN SEBASTIAN (daughter of the Engineer of the tuna vessel ‘Atlantic’, John Sebastian); and Miss TILLIE ATHAIDE (daughter of Mrs. Maria Athaide, Supervising Director of the Festa banquet).
The tiny girl who each year is selected to be the ‘Tunaship Queen’ will this time be Miss HAZEL VIRISSIMO, age 7, a lovely child and daughter of Manuel Virissimo, tuna man aboard the ‘St. Therese’.
The “Boat Queen Maids” will be Miss MARY VIRISSIMO, age 8 (daughter of Sabino Virissimo of the ‘St. Therese’); and Miss ADELINE ROGERS, age 8 (daughter of the ‘Navigator’ Engineer, Mr. Joe S. Rogers).
Administrative officers of the event will be President, Capt. MANUEL SILVA of the ‘Santo Amaro’, Permanent Vice-President Capt. MANUEL O. MEDINA of the ‘Atlantic’; Secretary, Capt. MANUEL HOMEM FREITAS of the ‘Navigator’; and Treasurer, Engineer of the ‘Navigator’, Mr. JOE S. ROGERS.
Capt. MANUEL ‘FRIZADO’ SILVA and the crew of the ‘SANTO AMARO’ are MADEIRA ISLANDERS (2 Portuguese islands some 420 miles off the west coast of Africa – ed.), wherefore this year’s Festa will be an occasion in which the tuna men of Madeiran origin naturally will be prominent. The SANTOS family, owner of the ‘SACRAMENTO’, likewise hail from the Madeira’s, hence its large participation in the event. Many of the Madeira men came to San Diego from FUNCHAL, MADEIRA, which is explanation enough for the fact that there is now a large tuna boat by that name, also a San Pedro swordfish boat similarly titled, and one or two lesser craft identically named. This year’s Pentecostal Celebration will be Sunday, May 24th, with the entire Festa party expected to begin May 23rd and extend through May 26th, and nearly all of the Portuguese boats are expected to be in port here, and a wonderful time is expected.”
(*Source: West Coast Fisheries Magazine – May 1931 – Pg. 10)
*Editorial Note: The article in its entirety, including Pages 11 & 12, and photo captions, is excellent and recommended, but is too long to fit here. A copy of it will be forwarded to the Lead affiliate of this Project (Ms. Zeca Rodrigues).
***Meanwhile…, in the LOCAL Newspaper:
“FISHERMEN HOLD ANNUAL PROGRAM – Fireworks Off Point Loma Feature of Evening Events; Most of Tuna Fleet in Port – Preceding the final day of the 3-day celebration of La Fiesta to Espritu Santo (aka Festa do Divino Espírito Santo – ed.) illuminated fishing boats and a display of fireworks enlivened the anchorage off Point Loma last night for the annual observance of the fisherman’s celebration. This year’s celebration found most of the fleet in port. Two tuna clippers, the ‘PATRIA’ and ‘SAN SALVADOR’, raced from near the equator to get in on the festival, the boat’s setting a new record of 11 days travel for the run from the Galapagos Islands (approx. 2,850 distant – ed.). Today’s program will start with the parade to the Portuguese church at La Playa. Wearing of colorful costumes of their native country will feature this part of the celebrants’ activities.
Members of the crew of the big tuna clipper ‘SANTO AMARO’ are sponsors for this year’s fiesta. Captain MANUEL SILVA of the ‘Santa Amaro’ is President, and his cousin, Miss CONSUELO DRUMMOND, is Queen. Miss MARIA SANTOS, sister of Captain DENNIS SANTOS of the ‘SACRAMENTO’, and Miss ARELIA SILVA, sister of Mr. EDWARD SILVA of the ‘THEODORE FOSS’ will be the Queen’s attendant. Seven-year-old HAZEL VIRISSIMO, daughter of EMMANUEL VIRISSIMO of the ‘ST. THERESE’ is ‘Tunaship Queen’. **Permanent officials of the celebration are Captain M. O. MEDINA of the ‘ATLANTIC’, Vice-President Capt. MANUEL H. FREITAS of the ‘NAVIGATOR’ as Secretary, and Mr. JOE S. ROGERS, Engineer of the vessel ‘NAVIGATOR’, as Treasurer.”
(*Source: San Diego UNION & Daily Bee newspaper – Sunday, May 24, 1931 – Pg. 18)
**Editorial Note: This local newspaper account isn’t included to be simply redundant, but for the unusual FINAL SENTENCE stating that (IMHO, and my admittedly limited exposure & education – ed.) the new (?!) “Permanent (Festa) officials”. Special notice might be that all three “Permanent” men are originally natives of the mid-Atlantic Portuguese island of Pico, Açores (1 of 9 such islands); while this year’s Mordomo (Capt. Manuel “Frizado” Silva) is from Funchal, MADEIRA (also a Portuguese Atlantic Island, but some 750 miles distant from the Açorean island of Pico, possibly (?!) suggesting some “issue” with “newer” volunteers?!? To be clear, this is NOT a proven or documented fact, much less a “defined” one; but I (personally, and only) don’t recall such a “Permanent officials” list in the previous years of this event (?!).