Versão portuguesa aqui.

GPS 36.95590126398122, -25.041425073566746

The Church of Nossa Senhora da Purificação, also referred to as the Church of Nossa Senhora das Candeias, is located in the parish of Santo Espírito, in the municipality of Vila do Porto, on the island of Santa Maria, in the Azores.

History

Its original construction dates back to the 16th century, under the invocation of Our Lady of Purification, as stated in all its known documents. It predates 1537, since the will of João Tomé, the "Master", dated March 13 of that year, already mentions the House of Our Lady of Purification.

Initially, the headquarters of the parish was in the Ermida de Santo António, at the foot of Pico do Celeiro. The current church was built later, moving the aforementioned parish to it. It is mentioned by Father Gaspar Frutuoso (1983):

"Leaving this Fajã to the North, in the lands formed by Campo da Macela, because there is one there, it is called Santo Espírito, where the ancients say that the first mass of the Holy Spirit was said on the Island, when they entered it and from there it is still named today this parish of Santo Espírito, being later built, as it is now, invoking the Purification of Our Lady, without losing that ancient name; (...)." Its first Vicar was Father Janeanes and the second, Cristóvão Lopes, who was presented on September 13, 1570. During this period, Domingos Fernandes Faleiro and his wife, Margarida Afonso, large landowners who lived in Santo Espírito, had the Chapel of São Pedro erected.

It is mentioned by MONTE ALVERNE (1986) at the end of the 17th century with vicar, curate and treasurer.

The altar on the epistle side was erected in 1698 by the then vicar, Father António Soares Ferreira, destined for the confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament, later added around 1760 by the then vicar, Father António José Álvares Cabral.

Later, in the 18th century, the temple was added, as can be seen from the documents of the visit of the graduate Pedro Moniz da Costa, vicar of the Parish Church of Nossa Senhora das Neves, in Ponta Delgada, on the island of São Miguel, on 9 August 1753, with priest António José Alves Cabral being vicar:

"I noticed that this church is very ruined by the roof and remarkably small, which does not receive half the people because it is numerous because of which it is very costly for customers, especially in winter time and rains, to hear Mass in the churchyard, and it needs to add another six cubits and to rectify the ceiling before it experiences any notable ruin and because. for these works the limited income of the factory is not enough and the customers are obliged to repair it; I order that from now on the alms workers at the said factory shall pay forty reis, and the officials eighty reis, and the farmers shall pay their pensions in wheat in the form of custom up to now and because it also requires reform in the paving of the said church, I order that those who have their own tombs in the said church, the Redº Vigº will make them notify within two months after the addition of the said Church and its concert to rectify the said tombs under penalty of not doing so losing their dominion." When the then bishop of the Diocese of Angra, D. António Caetano da Rocha, made a pastoral visit on March 28, 1766, the church had already been enlarged. Father António José Alves Cabral was vicar at that time, who directed these works, with the Confraria do Santíssimo contributing the most to them.

In the expansion of the temple, the same frontispiece was preserved and the external part of the tower's dome was covered with fragments of tiles, placed at random, today of great historical value, and which are believed to have come from a chapel in honor of the Holy Spirit, built in a nearby location.

For many years, the vicars of this parish complained about the low wages they had, which were actually lower than those of other parishes on the island. However, such an anomaly only had a solution in 1853.

The altars in the side naves show the dates 1909 (on the right) and 1921 (on the left) on the arches.

It is classified as a Property of Public Interest by Decree No. 41,191, of July 18, 1957, published in the Government Gazette on the same date.

On June 18, 2000, the church was reconsecrated by the Bishop of the Diocese, D. António de Sousa Braga, according to the commemorative plaque.

The feast of Santo António-Santo Espírito takes place annually on the 3rd of October.

Characteristics

The baroque-style temple has a west-facing façade, decorated with ornaments in basaltic stone with "s" and shell motifs, themes that confirm that the expansion works were effectively from the 18th century, on top of the primitive construction from the 16th century. On the left side stands the bell tower, covered by a tiled dome. In it stands out, below the opening of the bell, a stone of Cré, with an epigraphic inscription, today unfortunately illegible.

Internally it is divided into three naves with openings made up of round arches and seven altars. The main altar, with an arch in Cré stone, is invoking Our Lady of Purification, and its altarpiece belonged to the Igreja do Reconhecimento de Santo António in Vila do Porto. The collateral chapels are dedicated to the Heart of Jesus, on the Epistle side, and of Nossa Senhora do Rosário, on the Gospel side. In the altar dedicated to the Divine Holy Spirit, in addition to the Crown exposed in a niche, in its arch there is an epigraphic inscription with the date of 1931. Inside the temple, the baptismal font, carved in stone from the island, also stands out.

Tributes

The beautiful façade of the church was the subject of a postage stamp issued by the CTT in 1985.

Versão portuguesa aqui.

GPS 36.95590126398122, -25.041425073566746

The Church of Nossa Senhora da Purificação, also referred to as the Church of Nossa Senhora das Candeias, is located in the parish of Santo Espírito, in the municipality of Vila do Porto, on the island of Santa Maria, in the Azores.

History

Its original construction dates back to the 16th century, under the invocation of Our Lady of Purification, as stated in all its known documents. It predates 1537, since the will of João Tomé, the "Master", dated March 13 of that year, already mentions the House of Our Lady of Purification.

Initially, the headquarters of the parish was in the Ermida de Santo António, at the foot of Pico do Celeiro. The current church was built later, moving the aforementioned parish to it. It is mentioned by Father Gaspar Frutuoso (1983):

"Leaving this Fajã to the North, in the lands formed by Campo da Macela, because there is one there, it is called Santo Espírito, where the ancients say that the first mass of the Holy Spirit was said on the Island, when they entered it and from there it is still named today this parish of Santo Espírito, being later built, as it is now, invoking the Purification of Our Lady, without losing that ancient name; (...)." Its first Vicar was Father Janeanes and the second, Cristóvão Lopes, who was presented on September 13, 1570. During this period, Domingos Fernandes Faleiro and his wife, Margarida Afonso, large landowners who lived in Santo Espírito, had the Chapel of São Pedro erected.

It is mentioned by MONTE ALVERNE (1986) at the end of the 17th century with vicar, curate and treasurer.

The altar on the epistle side was erected in 1698 by the then vicar, Father António Soares Ferreira, destined for the confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament, later added around 1760 by the then vicar, Father António José Álvares Cabral.

Later, in the 18th century, the temple was added, as can be seen from the documents of the visit of the graduate Pedro Moniz da Costa, vicar of the Parish Church of Nossa Senhora das Neves, in Ponta Delgada, on the island of São Miguel, on 9 August 1753, with priest António José Alves Cabral being vicar:

"I noticed that this church is very ruined by the roof and remarkably small, which does not receive half the people because it is numerous because of which it is very costly for customers, especially in winter time and rains, to hear Mass in the churchyard, and it needs to add another six cubits and to rectify the ceiling before it experiences any notable ruin and because. for these works the limited income of the factory is not enough and the customers are obliged to repair it; I order that from now on the alms workers at the said factory shall pay forty reis, and the officials eighty reis, and the farmers shall pay their pensions in wheat in the form of custom up to now and because it also requires reform in the paving of the said church, I order that those who have their own tombs in the said church, the Redº Vigº will make them notify within two months after the addition of the said Church and its concert to rectify the said tombs under penalty of not doing so losing their dominion." When the then bishop of the Diocese of Angra, D. António Caetano da Rocha, made a pastoral visit on March 28, 1766, the church had already been enlarged. Father António José Alves Cabral was vicar at that time, who directed these works, with the Confraria do Santíssimo contributing the most to them.

In the expansion of the temple, the same frontispiece was preserved and the external part of the tower's dome was covered with fragments of tiles, placed at random, today of great historical value, and which are believed to have come from a chapel in honor of the Holy Spirit, built in a nearby location.

For many years, the vicars of this parish complained about the low wages they had, which were actually lower than those of other parishes on the island. However, such an anomaly only had a solution in 1853.

The altars in the side naves show the dates 1909 (on the right) and 1921 (on the left) on the arches.

It is classified as a Property of Public Interest by Decree No. 41,191, of July 18, 1957, published in the Government Gazette on the same date.

On June 18, 2000, the church was reconsecrated by the Bishop of the Diocese, D. António de Sousa Braga, according to the commemorative plaque.

The feast of Santo António-Santo Espírito takes place annually on the 3rd of October.

Characteristics

The baroque-style temple has a west-facing façade, decorated with ornaments in basaltic stone with "s" and shell motifs, themes that confirm that the expansion works were effectively from the 18th century, on top of the primitive construction from the 16th century. On the left side stands the bell tower, covered by a tiled dome. In it stands out, below the opening of the bell, a stone of Cré, with an epigraphic inscription, today unfortunately illegible.

Internally it is divided into three naves with openings made up of round arches and seven altars. The main altar, with an arch in Cré stone, is invoking Our Lady of Purification, and its altarpiece belonged to the Igreja do Reconhecimento de Santo António in Vila do Porto. The collateral chapels are dedicated to the Heart of Jesus, on the Epistle side, and of Nossa Senhora do Rosário, on the Gospel side. In the altar dedicated to the Divine Holy Spirit, in addition to the Crown exposed in a niche, in its arch there is an epigraphic inscription with the date of 1931. Inside the temple, the baptismal font, carved in stone from the island, also stands out.

Tributes

The beautiful façade of the church was the subject of a postage stamp issued by the CTT in 1985.