Our Lady of the Rosary Festival 2024

CONTACT INFO :

Fax : (001) (209) 667-5239.
E-mail : info@hilmarholyrosary.org .

Google Map : https://www.google.com/maps/place/37%C2%B024'36.5%22N+120%C2%B051'22.4%22W/@37.4105861,-120.8568728,296m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m4!3m3!8m2!3d37.410143!4d-120.856221?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MTAxNi4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D .
GPS Locations : 37°24'36.5"N 120°51'22.4"W (DMS) / 37.410139, -120.856222 (DD).

DESCRIPTION :

Our Mission Statement :

Under the patronage of the Blessed Virgin Mary and in the power of the Holy Spirit, we the beloved family of God at Holy Rosary/Saint Marys are dedicated to living the gospel of Jesus Christ. In the strength of our worship, teaching and service, we strive to be loving and supportive people reaching out with compassion and understanding to those in and beyond our parish family, so that we come to be known as Christians by our faith and love.

History :

Years 1948 — 2020 :

The history of Holy Rosary is intimately tied to that of Saint Mary’s Church in Stevinson, CA. By 1948, the growing Catholic population in the Hilmar area needed a new church. The people were attending Saint Mary’s Church in Stevinson, which was a mission church of Saint Jude’s in Livingston, CA. On May 27, 1948, Bishop Willinger of the Monterey Diocese created the Hilmar-Stevinson parish. He had sent out Father Patrick McHugh in February to establish residence in the new parish, and Father McHugh, born in Ireland, had eagerly accepted the new challenge. He had been assistant pastor at Saint Brigid’s Church in Hanford, CA where he was familiar with the wants and needs of Portuguese immigrant parishioners. In Hilmar, he had to overcome prejudices, in that the local Swedish community was not at first fully welcoming of the new Catholic presence in town, but through patience and perseverance, Father McHugh conquered those difficulties.

Father McHugh took up residence at 8076 Lander Avenue and immediately launched into his pastoral work. His first marriage service, which occurred at the residence, was of Daniel L. Ávila and Lulu Garvin. His first baptism was of Ronald Lee Gomes, son of Henry Gomes and Jeannie M. Robertson.

Father Patrick McHugh, in his letter to the Bishop Willinger in 1948, attested to the tremendous participation of the Portuguese in the area to get the project of building a church underway :

"Tony Ferreira, responsible for at least half of what we have. A four-star general, John G. Vierra, a hardworking, young family man, will back my program for the church, has donated $1,600 so far. John H. Souza, hardworking and loyal. Maurice Brindeiro, a fine worker and Catholic apostle. John Souza, loyal worker and propagandist. Manuel Bettencourt, solid prudent worker. Frank Bettencourt, grand young worker. Manuel Ângelo, a sick man, but does more than his part. Manuel Serpa, good worker. Joe Santos, Joe Coelho Mendes, Frank Caetano, Dan Perry, Clarence Vierra, Joe Furtado, Manuel Azevedo, John Mendes, and Messrs. Frank Salas and John H. Souza were the leaders of the movement prior to my arrival."

Subscriptions, donations, and card parties raised money. Dairymen donated cattle to be sold at auction. Sixty-seven families contributed directly to the building fund. Manuel Serpa recalls the first organizational meeting with Father McHugh. At the end of the meeting, he remembers stating : "I think it is a pretty poor committee that goes out and raises money without giving any themselves." All the people at the meeting agreed, and all pledged immediately, raising $6,500 that first night. It was determined that the church would be named "Holy Rosary".

Holy Rosary Church was built for $47,000 ; however, that does not include the thousands of hours of volunteer work donated by the parishioners. The foundation for Holy Rosary was laid on July 6, 1949, and the cornerstone was blessed on Saint Patrick’s Day in 1950. The church was opened with a Portuguese mission on the first Sunday of Lent in 1950, with dedication of the new church occurring on October 7, 1951, the Feast of the Holy Rosary. The cornerstone contains a copper box listing the parishioners at that time, a newspaper article, shamrocks from Ireland, and dried flowers picked in Fátima, Portugal in 1940. The first child baptized in the new church was Emily Joyce Lopes, daughter of Joaquim Lopes and Adeline Lacerda. The first couple married in the church was Frank D. Machado and Barbara J. Mello.

The parish continued to grow, and the church complex expanded. The rectory was built in 1953. The parish hall was next and was finished in April 1958. The costs of these buildings were kept at a minimum due to the remarkable dedication and volunteer labor of the community. In October 1960, Jack and Louise Vierra donated 9.3 acres of land to Holy Rosary, which greatly expanded the grounds of the church.

Monsignor Walter Minhoto, born in Watsonville, CA, was pastor at Holy Rosary from 1987 to 1995 and also oversaw renovations to Saint Mary’s in Stevinson in 1992. Father Daniel Ávila assisted Monsignor Minhoto in 1989. Holy Rosary became one of the most vibrant and active Portuguese parishes in California. The Holy Rosary Portuguese choir, the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary of Fátima, CCD classes, and other activities carried on by new generations of parishioners have kept up the dedication and love for the church that had inspired their fathers and mothers in 1948.

A New Holy Rosary :

A fresh burst of energy and excitement in the Hilmar community became manifest in 2005 when the Holy Rosary Parish embarked upon an ambitious new building plan. The original church, with a capacity of 400, was too small for the growing parish, so a group decided to build a large theater-style church with a capacity of 800. The master plan envisaged a new church, creation of a beautiful plaza, and improvements to the multipurpose and educational buildings. The cost of the new church was estimated to be more than five million dollars. The scope and size of the project were daunting, but the Power of the Spirit that the Portuguese people of Hilmar possessed, learned from the sacrifices and hard work of their predecessors, led them to realize their dream.

Parish Staff :

- Father Isaque Meneses : President/Parish Priest.
- Anna Cabral : Parish Administrative Assistant.
- Annie Leandro : Catechist/Parish CCD Director.

ABOUT THE EVENT :

OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY FESTIVAL 2024.

Our Lady of the Rosary, also known as Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, is a title of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, formerly known as Our Lady of Victory and Feast of the Holy Rosary, is a feast day of the Roman Catholic Church, celebrated on 7 October, the anniversary of the decisive victory of the combined fleet of the Holy League of 1571 over the Ottoman navy at the Battle of Lepanto.

According to Dominican tradition, in 1206, Saint Dominic was in Prouille, France, attempting to convert the Albigensians back to the Catholic faith. The young priest had little success until one day he received a vision of the Blessed Virgin, who gave him the rosary as a tool against heretics. While Mary's giving the rosary to Saint Dominic is generally acknowledged as a legend, the development of this prayer form owes much to the followers of Saint Dominic, including the 15th-century priest and teacher, Alanus de Rupe.

Pius V instituted the Feast of Our Lady of Victory in order to commemorate the victory at Lepanto, which he attributed to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Dedications to Our Lady of Victory had preceded this papal declaration. In particular, Simon de Montfort, 5th Earl of Leicester built the first shrine dedicated to Our Lady of Victory in thanks for the Catholic victory over the Albigensians at the Battle of Muret on September 12, 1213. In thanksgiving for victory at the Battle of Bouvines in July 1214, Philip Augustus of France founded the Abbey of Notre Dame de la Victoire, between Senlis and Mont l'Evêque.

In 1573, Pope Gregory XIII changed the name of the feast to Feast of the Holy Rosary, to be celebrated on the first Sunday of October. The Dominican friar Juan Lopez, in his 1584 book on the rosary, states that the Feast of the Rosary was offered "in memory and in perpetual gratitude of the miraculous victory that the Lord gave to his Christian people that day against the Turkish armada".

In 1671, the observance of this festival was extended by Clement X to the whole of Spain, and somewhat later Clement XI, after the victory over the Turks gained by Prince Eugene in the Battle of Petrovaradin on 5 August 1716 (the Feast of Our Lady of the Snows), commanded the Feast of the Rosary to be celebrated by the universal Church.

Leo XIII raised the Feast to the rank of a double of the second class and added to the Litany of Loreto the invocation "Queen of the Most Holy Rosary". On this feast, in every church in which the Rosary Confraternity has been duly erected, a plenary indulgence toties quoties is granted upon certain conditions to all who visit therein the Rosary Chapel or Statue of Our Lady. This has been called the "Portiuncula" of the Rosary.

Pius X in 1913 changed the date to 7 October, as part of his effort to restore celebration of the liturgy of the Sundays. In 1960, under Pope John XXIII, it is listed under the title "Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Rosary" ; and under the 1969 liturgical reforms of Pope Paul VI, Our Lady of the Rosary is mentioned as a mandatory memorial.

The Holy Rosary Catholic Church's Our Lady of the Rosary Festival, the biggest event of this parish, occurs annually in mid-October in the town of Hilmar, CA. This year, the Festival will run during 10 days, from October 18th to 27th.

Start Time : 10:00 AM.
End Time : 10:30 PM.
Artists on Stage : Filarmónica Portuguesa de Tulare - Jorge Ferreira - Nadia N Karma - Nélia - Sociedade Filarmónica Lira Açoriana de Livingston - Sociedade Filarmónica Recreio do Emigrante Português - Sociedade Filarmónica União Portuguesa de Santa Clara.
Headline Artist / Tour Name / Show Time : JORGE FERREIRA / UM BRINDE A TODOS VÓS TOUR 2024-2025 / 8:30 PM-10:30 PM.
Note 1 : Jorge Ferreira will perform live with his West Coast band, "562".

Schedule :

10:00 AM - Opening with Solemn Mass Sung by the Choir of the Holy Rosary Parish at the Holy Rosary Catholic Church. The Mass will be Followed by the Solemn Procession in Honor of Our Lady of the Rosary, Accompanied by Statues from Neighboring Parishes. Four Portuguese-American Marching Bands will Perform During the Procession, Taking Part in it : Sociedade Filarmónica Lira Açoriana de Livingston, Filarmónica Portuguesa de Tulare, Sociedade Filarmónica União Portuguesa de Santa Clara, and Sociedade Filarmónica Recreio do Emigrante Português.
12:00 PM - After the Procession, a Lunch with Marinated Pork, Sweet Potatoes, Beans, Salad and Bread will be Served to All Present. During the Afternoon, Auctions will be Available at the Holy Rosary Storage Building.
2:30 PM - Live Concert by Sociedade Filarmónica Lira Açoriana de Livingston (from Stevinson, CA).
3:30 PM - Live Concert by Filarmónica Portuguesa de Tulare (from Tulare, CA).
4:30 PM - Live Concert by Sociedade Filarmónica União Portuguesa de Santa Clara (from Santa Clara, CA).
5:30 PM - Live Concert by Sociedade Filarmónica Recreio do Emigrante Português (from Newark, CA).
6:30 PM - Live Concert by Nadia N Karma (from New England, East Coast).
7:30 PM - Live Concert by Nélia (from New England, East Coast).
8:30 PM - Live Concert by Jorge Ferreira (Headline Artist).
10:30 PM - Closing.

Note 2 : Exclusively, the Festival and all live performances of this day (including Jorge Ferreira's concert) will be broadcasted in Live Stream by Portuguese-American media companies LUSOMedia Video Productions and PAMA Media !
Our Lady of the Rosary Festival 2024's Live Stream Links : https://www.youtube.com/@LUSOMedia/streams / https://pamamedia.com/live/ / https://www.youtube.com/@PAMAMedia/streams .

Free Admission.
More Informations : (001) (209) 652-9144 / (001) (209) 667-8961 / manuel@lairdmfg.com / info@hilmarholyrosary.org / holyrosaryhilmar@dioceseoffresno.org .

Outdoor Festival at the Holy Rosary Campus and Live Concerts at the Holy Rosary Main Stage Pavilion, Located at the Holy Rosary Soccer Field - All Ages Admission - Bazaar, Auction Items, Snack-Bar and Restaurant Service (from 12:00 PM to 9:00 PM) Available.

Parking Facilities : Several business' outdoor parking lots are available along Lander Avenue, as well as several on-street parking lots all over Hilmar.

Organized by Our Lady of the Rosary Feast Committee.
Website : https://hilmarholyrosary.org/olr-festa .