The island of Corvo, the smallest of the nine islands of the Azores,  celebrates, between the 13th and the 15th of this month of August, the feast of its patron saint, Our Lady of Miracles, which will be presided over by the Bishop of Angra, D. Armando Esteves Domingues.

The feast began with a novena, which runs until tonight, with a rosary and Mass.

Tomorrow, Sunday, there will be the prayer of the rosary, Mass, and the presentation of the set of commemorative garments and silver roses for the 350th anniversary of the elevation to the parish.

On Monday, the 14th, there is the prayer of the rosary, solemn Mass with the administration of the sacrament of confirmation and suffrage of the victims of the “Francesa” speedboat and candlelight procession to the Port of Boqueirão.

On Tuesday 15th, the highlight of the feast, a solemn mass in honor of Our Lady of Miracles, takes place, presided by the Bishop of Angra, followed by a procession through the streets of the village.

The center of the religious procession is the platform of Our Lady of Miracles, where the image follows a Flemish sculpture from Malines, dating from the 16th century and decorated with its treasure: the crown and the rosary in gold, which, according to tradition, were offered by pirates.

Festival of the Windmills

As part of the religious festival, the Corvo Youth Association promotes, between today and the 14th, the Festival dos Moinhos, a musical event with free admission that began in 2004.

Isabelly Cotias, the Roda Cheia do Faial Chamarritas Group, João Quintino, and Karyna are some of the names on the music festival poster.

The population of Corvo, where only 400 people live, almost doubles at the time of the patron saint’s feast and the Windmills Festival.

According to Goretti Fraga, from the committee of the religious festival in honor of Nossa Senhora dos Milagres, “it is the festival that brings more outsiders to the island.”

“The population has a significant increase these days. All the accommodations are full”, he said.

For his part, the Mayor of Corvo, José Manuel Silva, considers that the patron saint’s feast and the Windmills Festival “are two events that complement each other”  that allow “a different influx” of visitors to the archipelago’s smallest island.

“Corvo’s population almost always doubles,” said José Manuel Silva, adding that visitors come mainly from the neighboring island of Flores and a few from mainland Portugal. However, Corvinos living on other islands, and some in the Azorean Diaspora, also return to their home island during these festive days.

This news story is from Diário Insular, José Lourenço, director.

Translated to English as a community outreach program from the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Cultures Department (MCLL) as part of Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Medial Alliance)  at California State University, Fresno.

A brief video of Corvo Island in the Azores