Portuguese festival to link past, present in San Leandro

0 Comments | Oakland Tribune, Jun 23, 2009 | by Karen Holzmeister

SAN LEANDRO -- Orchard Avenue hasn't changed much since the Brotherhood of the Divine Holy Spirit held its first Holy Ghost festival and parade there in 1909.

This Saturday and Sunday, in events open to the public, Portuguese social, spiritual and historical traditions will be celebrated in a centennial "festa" featuring processions, elaborate religious rituals, bands, costumes and dancing.

Hundreds of people from other chapters of the Catholic brotherhood in the region and state are expected to attend.

"We're celebrating miracles," said Larry Cornell, who describes himself as "three-quarters Portuguese," with a little Irish, Dutch and French thrown in.

Cornell is president of the local chapter of the brotherhood -- better known as IDES, short for "Irmandade Do Divino Espirito Santo" in Portuguese.

IDES was founded in California in the late 19th century by Portuguese immigrants who wanted to preserve their culture.

The Orchard Avenue chapter is named after St. John the Baptist, whose feast day is today.

The annual festival commemorates Isabel, the 14th century queen of Portugal whose charity sustained her people during famine.

During a Mass in her honor, a dove flew in and landed on the altar, a sign that the Holy Ghost was present, Cornell said.

The San Leandro chapter, which 40 years ago numbered 500 members, now has 68 active participants, he said.

Cornell, whose grandparents immigrated to San Leandro from Portugal around 1918, became active in the group about 40 years ago. His wife, Darlene, one of his two daughters and his three granddaughters also are involved in chapter activities and the festival.

The local "miracle," Cornell said, is that the St. John chapter has been able to retain its hall, built about the time of the first festival.

"We have celebrations, meetings and two fundraisers here a year," Cornell, 65, recalled while sitting in the hall's chapel, which is adorned with religious statues and photos of past festival queens.

"But money is hard to come by" with reduced membership, he said.

Six years ago, a church asked to lease part of the site. Now, another church uses a portion of the property and pays rent, which helps to pay for taxes and upkeep, Cornell said.

At one time, all members of the local IDES chapter were Portuguese immigrants or of Portuguese descent. Now, the organization is open to people of all backgrounds, he said.

Forty women who have presided over past festivals are expected to attend this weekend's events.

As they march down Orchard Avenue in Saturday and Sunday processions, onlookers are likely to include descendants of Portuguese immigrants who saw the first 1909 celebration.

Some of those descendants live in seven of the original tiny row houses on Orchard between Davis and Williams streets.

Orchard is known informally as Kanaka Row, a reference to the nickname that established Portuguese residents gave to Portuguese settlers arriving from Hawaii.

While some homes have been remodeled and the street has been paved, Portuguese social, spiritual and historical traditions have endured over the past century on Orchard Avenue and in the IDES hall.

"We always have the U.S. and Portuguese flags here," Cornell says.

"We continue to keep the traditions alive."

Karen Holzmeister covers San Leandro. Reach her at 510-293-2478 or kholzmeister@bayareanewsgroup.com.If you're going-- What: Holy Ghost celebration-- Where: IDES Hall of St. John, 1670 Orchard Ave., in San Leandro

Schedule:-- 6:15 p.m. Saturday: Procession on

Orchard Avenue, followed by dancing in hall-- 10:30 a.m. Sunday: Parade along Orchard Avenue-- 11:30 a.m.: Parade from hall to St. Leander's Catholic Church, West Estudillo Avenue and Carpentier Street-- 12:30 p.m.: Mass in church, followed by parade back to hall for meal of sopas e carn (soup and meat), game booths, auction-- 5 to 8 p.m.: Dancing, with music by Erminio Lemos-- Cost: Free-- Details: Call Larry Cornell at 510-324-2325.