The book "Great Feast of the Divine Holy Spirit of New England – 40 years of Azorianity in America, 1986-2026" was launched on Friday, August 28, at Kennedy Park, in Fall River, Massachusetts, in the United States. The ceremony was part of the festivities celebrating four decades of this celebration, which has become a reference for Azorian communities in America. The work was organized by José Andrade, regional director of Communities for the Government of the Azores, at the invitation of Márcia Sousa da Ponte, president of the "Great Feast."
The session featured the presence of former President of the Portuguese Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, and the president of the Government of the Autonomous Region of the Azores, José Manuel Bolieiro, who associated their messages with the publication. The initiative also included an exhibition prepared to preserve the memory of the 40 editions of the celebration, having been used for the research the historical archive of Portuguese Times, from New Bedford, including the photographic and journalistic work of Augusto Pessoa.
José Andrade used social media to thank the people and entities who contributed to the project, from the founders of the Great Feast to the leaders who ensured its continuity. Among those honored was Heitor de Sousa, the first general coordinator of the "Great Feast," as well as the successive presidents of the organization. Andrade also thanked the Azorians, Azorean descendants and friends of the Azores residing in the United States and Canada, who helped transform the celebration into the largest popular gathering of Azorians in the world.
The official left a reflection on the permanence of Azorian identity in America and on the importance of the connection to one's roots. "As long as we have our land in our hearts and the Divine Holy Spirit is our devotion, the Azores will continue alive, and very much alive, in America," he stated. This edition represented José Andrade's tenth presence at the "Great Feast," this time also as a collaborator of the organization.
