SAUGUS — Hundreds gathered for an annual Portuguese Festival over the weekend that featured live music, people chatting underneath tents, the aroma of campfires, fried dough and food that went as fast as it could be made.
Walter Sousa is the president of Imperio Mariense De Saugus, a group that was established in 1927. This is more than an average annual festival, Sousa says. It is an opportunity to celebrate the roots of those who are Portuguese natives and descendants.
Sousa said the festival is a celebration of the coronation of the Holy Ghost emperor and empress, specific to Azorean natives, to establish a sense of community among islands. Treasurer Isaura Disciullo is from the island of Santa Maria and has participated in this tradition since she was nine years old.
“My parents were involved, and I volunteer to help make homemade bread,” she said. “Over the years, we have built a lot but we wouldn’t be able to do it without our volunteers, who are mostly elderly.”
Vice President and Secretary Filomena Fitch has been involved with Imperio Mariense since she was a child. It was introduced to her by her father in 1979. Like Disciullo and Sousa, she is also from the island of Santa Maria. She told a story about her mother that resembles just one way of honoring their Portuguese roots.
“My mother worked hard here in America so she could one day repay that back to the people of where she came from. She promised to (emulate) the story of Isabella, where she fed all of the poor in Santa Monica,” said Fitch.
To make this happen it would have taken thousands of dollars, including the bread, meat, potato and cabbage.
Each board member is very proud of all they have built, buy one of their proudest accomplishments is their new Chapel. At 11 a.m. Sunday the Chapel is a reserved space for prayer.
“This chapel is brand new, only two to three months old. While everything we have incorporated here feels like home, those who have attended felt that this chapel was the very missing piece,” said Sousa.
Another tradition that has been maintained are the volunteers who wake up at around four in the morning to start baking the homemade bread for everyone. More than 20 cases — the equivalent of up to 80 pounds — are baked.
“Before there did not used to be any bathrooms, no cast iron, everyone brought their campers,” said Disciullo.
Volunteers help cook, frying dough and even helping run a burger and hotdog stand. Without the help of generous donations this festival would not be what it is today. Children ran around playing soccer even when it started to rain. The Imperio Mariense parade walked to the sound of a small drum and bell. This parade walked from inside to outside leading the emperor’s crown into the chapel. Every attendee stayed quiet and watched as women, balanced bread baskets on their heads and wore symbols of the Portuguese flag.Even though this event happens annually once a year, it is a weekend worth coming home too.
Elvira Antunes has been volunteering for 43 years,
“I’m happy to give to the people and be a part of tradition.”
