Hollister’s Portuguese-American community came out to celebrate the Festival of the Holy Spirit—Festa do Espirito Santa with a coronation of queens May 19, followed the next day by a parade, mass and feast of traditional sopas at the SDES Portuguese Hall of Hollister.
The annual event—celebrated globally by Roman Catholics of Portuguese descent for more than 700 years—honors the generous spirit of the Portuguese Queen Isabel, originally a Princess of Aragon, who is remembered for her efforts to alleviate the hunger and suffering of the poor.
