Devotees watch the procession of the Lord of Matosinhos
From the Church of Bom Jesus de Matosinhos left this afternoon the solemn procession in honor of the Lord of Matosinhos, thus fulfilling a tradition with many centuries of existence, conditioned in the last two years by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The procession, the most important moment of the City Festivities, recalls the miracle that gave rise to the devotion to Senhor de Matosinhos.
Legend has it that the sculpture of Christ by Nicodemus washed up on the coast of Matosinhos on Pentecost Sunday, on the 3rd of May of the year 124, more specifically on Espinheiro beach, where the Momento do Senhor do Padrão exists today.
It was Nicodemus, with the help of Joseph of Arimathea, who took Christ from the cross and deposited his body in the tomb.
From the various sculptures of Christ that he made, Nicodemus will have thrown the images into the Mediterranean Sea, due to the persecution of Christians. Some were lost, others were found in various destinations.
In the case of Matosinhos, the image appeared on the beach without an arm. After many and fruitless attempts to sculpt an arm that perfectly fit the image, 50 years later, here comes the missing limb. In the year 174, wandering along the beach, a poor woman collects wood for the fireplace. At home, a large piece of wood insisted on miraculously jumping out of the fire whenever it was thrown at it. A young deaf-mute girl from birth alerts her mother to the fact that the piece of wood is the missing arm in the image of Christ. And so began the devotion to the Lord of Matosinhos.
The procession route therefore includes a special celebration right next to the Senhor de Matosinhos Monument. After leaving the Church of Bom Jesus de Matosinhos, the route continued along Avenida D. Afonso Henriques, Rua Ló Ferreira, Rua Tomás Ribeiro, stopping at the Monument to Senhor do Padrão for the celebration. The return was made through Rua do Godinho, Avenida D. Afonso Henriques, ending at the church.
The procession was, as would be expected, accompanied by thousands of people. Among the authorities who were present, the Mayor of Matosinhos, Luísa Salgueiro, the President of the Municipal Assembly, Palmira Macedo, the Vice-President of the Municipality, Carlos Mouta, the Councilor for Culture and president of ANCIMA - Associação for the Animation of the City of Matosinhos, Fernando Rocha, the president of the union of the parishes of Matosinhos and Leça da Palmeira, Paulo Carvalho, and the parish priest of Matosinhos, Father Emanuel Brandão.
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