As a young girl, I felt lucky the grounds for the Feast of Our Lady of Angels was at the bottom of our street in North Fairhaven. That meant our family could spend as much time as we wanted — and that was usually all the time — at the three-day feast held Labor Day weekend.
First, a little history about the feast. At the start of the last century, the Portuguese migrated from the Azores and Madeira islands, an often treacherous trip by ship to the land of opportunity. Many found work in the textile mills or fishing industry in New Bedford. My grandparents on both sides of the family were among them.
Among the hopeful immigrants were four Azoreans who started the feast in North Fairhaven — across the harbor from New Bedford — to show their gratitude. They raised $800 to commission a sculptor back in the old country to carve a statue of Our Lady of Angels from one piece of wood. The 700-pound, 11-foot statue of Mary with cherubs at her feet arrived August 1930 and the first feast was held the next month. The statue is kept at St. Mary’s Church not far from the feast grounds.
When family members and I visited the island of São Miguel in the Azores almost a year ago, we went to the village of Água de Pau, the former home of my father’s parents — and where the grateful men once lived. We attempted to visit the church Nossa Senhora dos Anjos (Our Lady of Angels), which you see above, but it was locked. My parents attempted a visit three times, according to my mother’s travel diary. During my visit, I slipped her memorial card beneath the door.
But back to North Fairhaven … The feast has Portuguese food, band music, games of chance, and auctions. We kids hung near the auction, hoping someone would buy a large sweetbread and say “cut it up for the kids.”
The grounds has a main hall, with a kitchen in the ground floor and sitting area. When the Holy Ghost Feast was held there, people were served big bowls of sopa with bread. The auctions are conducted from a porch that overlooks the grounds. To the right is the beer shack. My dad worked the window, and late at night, we kids sat on the cartons stacked in the rear of the building rather than go home. On the other side of the grounds was another building, where malassadas (fried dough) and other foods were served. A permanent bandstand was built between them. There are booths for games and food.
When we were older, my sister Christine and I sold soda, candy, and ice cream. We were stationed next to the women who were in charge of the malassadas — delicious deep-fried, yeasted dough that was rolled in sugar. I recall the women who oversaw the malassadas as being older and many were dressed in black. They guarded the dough as it rose sufficiently in a large round vat before they stretched and deep-fried each piece, which was rolled in sugar. The line was long, so it made sense to grab a bagful. Malassadas is a special treat when the dough is still warm, but we would eat the cold ones the next day.
At the parade held Monday, men carry the statue of Our Lady of Angels from St. Mary’s Church up and down Main Street. The statue is adorned with wreaths of money given by the faithful as part of the promises they’ve made. The parade includes club members, local officials, a band, and people who walk at the end.
My father, Antone “Hawk” Medeiros, was one of the men who carried the statue for many years — he is on the left, hoisting it onto his shoulder in the photo above — until he was 90. That was in 2013. He died two years later, around the time of the feast. Our family, of course, attended. The men carrying Mary’s statue honored him by stopping in front of our mother where she sat on the sidewalk. The tradition of carrying the statue continued with my brother, Tony Medeiros.
As a child, I marched in the parade. As you can see in the photo above, I was dressed as Saint Teresa, a costume my mother made. She said I had the round face for it. Frankly, it’s the closest I will likely come to sainthood. My sisters, Christine and Kij, were angels when it was their turn. My brother was Saint Anthony.
The feast was such an important and enjoyable part of my early life, and I am glad to share it with you. Tenha uma boa festa.
MORE: By the way, I use my Portuguese heritage in several of my books, including my Isabel Long Mystery Series and The Swanson Shuffle. If you are interested in reading more of my writing, here’s the link to Amazon, where you will find my books: https://www.amazon.com/Joan-Livingston/e/B01E1HKIDG