The festivities, which have the image of 'Ecce Homo' as reference, take place from today until Thursday of next week (May 9th), in the city of Ponta Delgada, on the island of São Miguel, and are held annually on the fifth Sunday after Easter.

According to the final program of the festivities, published on the website of the Brotherhood of the Lord Holy Christ, today, at 11:00 local time (12:00 in Lisbon), the mass for the sick will be held in the Church of São José, presided over by the bishop of the Diocese of Angra, Armando Esteves Domingues, followed by a visit to the Sanctuary of the Lord Holy Christ.

At 9:00 p.m., the decorative lighting of the Campo de São Francisco and the façade of the Sanctuary is inaugurated and the bazaar opens, next to the temple.

One of the main moments of the festivities takes place on Saturday, with the procession of the Change of the Image of the Holy Christ around the Campo de São Francisco, starting at 4:30 p.m., in a procession where thousands of devotees participate annually, some barefoot and with bunches of candles on their backs, in payment of promises.

After the Change procession, the image of the Holy Christ will be transported to the Church of São José, where it will remain until Sunday morning.

But, before the procession of the Change of the image, hundreds of pilgrims will walk, on their knees, the cobblestones of the Campo de São Francisco on Saturday morning as a way of paying promises to the Holy Christ.

For the first time, this year there is a mass in English, on Sunday, at 8:00 a.m. local time, in the Church of São José.

The mass will be presided over by Father Larry Machado, a descendant of Azoreans and parish priest of the Portuguese parish of Our Lady of the Assumption in Turlock.

Right after the mass, and still on Sunday, the image leaves the Church of São José at 9:15 a.m. for the churchyard of the Sanctuary, where it will remain for the Eucharistic celebration (9:30 a.m.), presided over by the bishop of Stockton, in California, Myron Cotta.

Bishop Myron Cotta, the son of Azorean parents, but born in the United States, presides over this year's religious festivities, which annually bring thousands of pilgrims to the island of São Miguel, from the islands, the mainland, and emigrant communities, namely the United States of America and Canada.

After the celebration in the churchyard of the Sanctuary, the image of the Holy Christ is taken to the Convent to be prepared for Sunday's procession, which begins at 3:30 p.m. and will travel for about four hours along the main arteries carpeted with flowers of the largest Azorean city, a procession held at the initiative of a Poor Clare nun, Mother Teresa d'Anunciada.

On Monday, a municipal holiday, a Eucharistic celebration will be held at 11:00 a.m. for the intentions of the Board of the Brotherhood and its collaborators, presided over by the bishop of the Diocese of Angra.

At 2:30 p.m., there will be an auction (public bidding of offerings and small pets) and the bazaar will open at 3:00 p.m.

Also on Monday, the traditional parade in homage to the Holy Christ will be held by taxi drivers, firefighters, police officers, and bikers, starting at 12:30 p.m., in the Campo de São Francisco.

On Thursday, at 5:00 p.m., the bazaar reopens and, an hour later, the religious festivities of the Holy Christ of Miracles end, with a solemn concelebration, in honor of Mother Teresa da Anunciada, presided over by the Rector of the Sanctuary, Canon Manuel Carlos Sousa Alves. 

This year, the Government of the Azores once again grants a leave of absence to workers in the regional public administration whose services are based on the island of São Miguel, on Monday of the festivities, a municipal holiday in Ponta Delgada.

In the dispatch signed by the president of the Regional Government, José Manuel Bolieiro, it is emphasized that the feast in honor of the Lord Holy Christ of Miracles "has a profound meaning for the Azorean identity, which mobilizes sentiment, faith, and adherence in the Azores and in the diaspora".

The Azorean executive also determined a leave of absence on Thursday of the Holy Christ Festivities, for public administration workers with services based in the municipality of Ponta Delgada, on the island of São Miguel.

Read Also: Festas do Santo Cristo nos Açores terá missa em inglês (Portuguese version)