Reciting the rosary and bidding farewell to the Virgin for the Portuguese community
Thursday, May 9, at 10 a.m., in the Basilica of Notre Dame, a French-Portuguese Mass was celebrated, followed by a large crowd, in honor of Our Lady of Fatima. It is organized by the Loisirs Portugais Association, headed by Artur Correa.
The members of the association made tremendous efforts to organize this beautiful celebration. This has been happening since last December… and it is clear that the result was at the level of this commitment.
At approximately two-thirty in the afternoon, the rosary was recited and the Virgin was bid farewell, amidst a large crowd, filled with emotion and fervent prayer. Joel Prelude, who sings very comfortably in Portuguese (I've studied Spanish, so it's not too complicated, he says), supports the audience with his powerful voice.
The Virgin's farewell resulted in a parade carried by several men along a pre-determined route.
It is certainly a great celebration for the Portuguese community, but also for the wider population of Montsell, who were keen to share in these two days of joy.
Nelly Desplanches
