Hamilton Hill honours Third Person of Blessed Trinity

By Mat De Sousa
PARISHIONERS at Holy Cross parish in Hamilton Hill celebrated the feast of Pentecost on 12 June with cultural symbols that hark back to the 13th century.

Flowers of red, white and green – the colours of the Portuguese flag – filled the church.
The altar and sanctuary were dressed with red cloth embroidered with images of the Holy Spirit.
Former Holy Cross parish priest Fr Julian Corrasco concelebrated the Mass in Portuguese with Holy Cross parish priest Fr Nicholas Nweke, who assisted and gave the homily in English.
Singing a traditional song for the occasion, two flag bearers and two girls in traditional Portuguese costume who carried in the “Crown of the Holy Spirit” were part of the entrance procession, placing the Crown at the foot of the altar.
This Silver Crown is a mark of Portuguese devotion to the Holy Spirit and a tradition dating back to the 13th century when St Elizabeth of Portugal (known as Rainha Santa Isabel in Portuguese) donated her crown as a votive gift to the Holy Ghost, begging for the famine ravaging her country to stop.
After the readings, read in Portuguese, Fr Nicholas invoked the Holy Spirit to descend upon those gathered.
During his homily, Fr Nicholas said that the celebration of Pentecost was not only a celebration of the day Jesus Christ appeared to the Apostles and breathed the Holy Spirit on them. It was also a celebration of the Holy Spirit as one of the three persons in God.
The Holy Spirit has been with us from the Old Testament to the New Testament and we should celebrate and be prepared to receive the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit, Fr Nicholas said. Fr Nicholas then asked the congregation what they would do after the celebration of Pentecost.
Just as the Apostles went out into the world professing the Word of God after receiving the Holy Spirit, what will you do, he asked, challenging those gathered to do more for the glory of God with the gifts they received from the Holy Spirit just as the apostles were challenged some 2,000 odd years ago.
Before the final blessing, Fr Nicholas blessed baskets of bread, which had earlier been laid next to the Crown beneath the altar.
This blessing of the bread also originated with St Elizabeth, Queen of Portugal who, during her reign, – tradition has it – began the tradition of feeding the poor on the feast of Pentecost.
As the congregation filed out after Mass, each member received a piece of blessed bread as a reminder of St Elizabeth’s generous gesture and to symbolise Christian unity to the Body of Christ with the breaking of bread.
Benediction took place immediately after Mass and then, as the Crown of the Holy Spirit accompanied by flags and hymns to the Holy Spirit left the church in procession, the congregation followed behind.
Each person touched the flags as they passed over their heads, symbolising the receiving of the Holy Spirit.
Then, giving public witness in front of the church, the congregation sang hymns honouring the Holy Spirit, accompanied by traditional Portuguese instruments.
The celebrations continued throughout the day as those who remained afterwards shared a meal together in the hall, “feasting” together as one in Christ.