All Catholic churches in California servicing the Portuguese community traditionally honor young women by naming them Portuguese Queens. The Festa do Espirito Santo (Feast of the Holy Spirit) and the Festa de Nossa Senhora de Milagros (Feast of Our Lady of Miracles) honor two queens--one child and one young adult.
The tradition of honoring queens in the Portuguese community can be traced back to 14th century Portugal. Isabel of Aragon, now referred to as Santa Isabel (Saint Isabel) married King Dinis and was known for her ability to restore peace in any situation.
Queen Isabel had an unusual compassion for the poor and would hide Portuguese bread in her cape in order to feed the them. According to legend, Dinis found her with a bundle under her cape one day and demanded that she show him the bread she was hiding. Reluctantly, she opened her cape only to find that all the bread had turned to roses. She was known for various miracles and was cannonized. Isabel spent the latter part of her life in the Santa Clara convent in Coimbra.
Santa Clara University is fortunate to have a student in attendance who was honored as the Portuguese Queen of the Festa do Espirito Santo in 1992. Jennifer Flores is pictured above with her little sister in Gustine, California. Her cape was hand-made by a family member and includes symbols for the Holy Spirit (doves), the Eucharist, and the Resurrection.
