Sunday after Easter
Nossa Senhora das Necessidades, Soalheira, Fundão, Castelo Branco, Beira Baixa, Portugal
In her chapel outside
Solheira, votive tablets testify to miracles
attributed to the Lady of Necessities as early as 1685. In 1808, French
troops cut a devastating swath through the region. The people of Soalheira
prayed to Our Lady of Necessities: a dense fog hid the town, and the
invaders passed by to one side. Townspeople continue to rely on her help,
including many emigrants in Africa and France.
The feast of Our Lady of Necessities takes place on Pascoela, the Sunday after Easter. The night before, people gather in the town church for mass, then walk with the statue of St. Joseph to the rural chapel. On the festival day, mass outside the chapel is followed by a procession with the statues of Mary and Joseph through the streets of Soalheira. At the end of the procession, the philharmonic band leads songs of thanks to Our Lady before she returns to her chapel. On Monday, after mass, a procession takes her statue north through town to the chapel. After singing farewell to the Virgin, the procession returns with St. Joseph to the main church.
On April 22, 1979, during the street procession through Soalheira under a radiant sun, and later in the chapel, the image of Our Lady shed tears, witnessed by many people and captured on film. Although unrecognized by church officials, this event increased pilgrimages to the shrine.
Senhora das Necessidades Á vossa porta me empino: Deitai-me a vossa benção Mai-la do vosso Menino. Senhora das Necessidades Quem vos varreu a capela? Foi a vossa ermitoa Com um raminho de marcela. Senhora das necessidades Estais no altar de pé: Sois mãe de Jesus Cristo, Esposa de S. José. Senhora das Necessidades Já cá vimos à ladeira Abri a porta Senhora Ao povo da Soalheira. |
Lady of Necessities To your door I run: Pour your blessing on me, Mother of your Son. Lady of Necessities Who has swept your room? It was your own hermit With an herbal broom. Lady of Necessities On the altar there You're Jesus's mother, Joseph's wife so dear. Lady of Necessities Since we've come so far Open to Soalheira's People now your door. |
Sources:
 | Information and lyrics from "Nossa Senhora das Necessidades," Paróquia Nossa Senhora do Carmo - ITUVERAVA-SP (Diocese de Franca-SP), www.nossasenhoradocarmo.com.br/Site/ns_titulos/ns_dasnecessidades.asp. |
| Picture from "Nossa Senhora das Necessidades," Grupo Coral da Soalheira, grupocoralsoalheira.blogspot.com/2008/03/nossa-senhora-das-necessidades.html. |
Also celebrated this date:
| Onze-Lieve-Vrouw van Sterreborne, Boutersem, Flemish Brabant, Flanders, Belgium, Butsel district. Mass and procession at chapel. |
| Notre Dame de Paix, Fieulaine, Aisne, Picardy, France (Our Lady of Peace). Procession. |
| Notre-Dame de la Levée, Auxonne, Côte-d'Or, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France, Villers-les-Pots village. Chapel dedicated, 1429. |
| Madonna delle Grazie, Airole, Imperia, Liguria, Italy. Festa, procession. |
| Madonna di Corzano, Bagno di Romagna, Forlì-Cesena, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. Mass and procession at hilltop shrine. |
| Beata Vergine dei Fiori, Castrocaro Terme e Terra del Sole, Forlì-Cesena, Emilia-Romagna, Italy (Blessed Virgin of the Flowers). Patronal festa of Castrocaro. |
| Madonna delle Grazie, Cantalice, Rieti, Latium, Italy. Festa. |
| Madonna dell'Olivella, Veroli, Frosinone, Latium, Italy. Sat., night procession from shrine to town, bonfires; Sun. sung mass in Cathedral, procession back to shrine. |
| Madonna del Suffragio, Monte San Giovanni Campano, Frosinone, Latium, Italy (Madonna of Intercession). Festa: procession, music. |
| Madonna del Soccorso, Posada, Nuoro, Sardinia, Italy (Madonna of Help). Festa: procession, mass, music, dancing. |
| Nostra Signora di Valverde, Alghero, Sassari, Sardinia. Opening of pilgrimage season (through June 1) at rural shrine. Mass, procession. |
| Madonna di Castro, Oschiri, Sassari, Sardinia, Italy. Festa at rural shrine. |
| Madonna del Calvario, Pietravairano, Caserta, Campania, Italy. Festa, processions from rural shrine and through town. |
| Madonna di Briano, Villa di Briano, Caserta, Campania, Italy. Pilgrimage to rural shrine, tambourine festival. |
| Madre della Santa Speranza, Marigliano, Napoli, Campania, Italy (Mother of Holy Hope). Festa. |
| Santissima Annunziata, Prata di Principato Ultra, Avellino, Campania, Italy |
| Madonna delle Galline, Pagani, Salerno, Campania, Italy (Madonna of the Chickens) |
| Santa Maria di Loreto, Roccapiemonte, Salerno, Campania, Italy |
| Madonna della Mutata, Grottaglie, Taranto, Apulia, Italy |
| Madonna del Teofilo, Martano, Lecce, Apulia, Italy |
| Annunziata, Sanarica, Lecce, Apulia, Italy |
| Madonna dei Miracoli, Trepuzzi, Lecce, Apulia, Italy |
| Madonna delle Grazie, Tricase, Lecce, Apulia, Italy, Tutino district. Festa. |
| Madonna di Francavilla, Palazzo San Gervasio, Potenza, Basilicata, Italy |
| Madonna di Costantinopoli, Senise, Potenza, Basilicata, Italy (Madonna of Constantinople) |
| Madonna della Catena, Celico, Cosenza, Calabria, Italy (Our Lady of the Chain) |
| Madonna della Catena, Laurignano, Cosenza, Calabria, Italy. Festa, mass at basilica. |
| Annunziata, Nocera Terinese, Catanzaro, Calabria, Italy |
| Madonna di Prestarona, Canolo, Reggio Calabria, Calabria, ItalySanta Maria Salus Infirmorum, Grumentino, Grumento Nova, Potenza, Basilicata, Italy (St. Mary Health of the Sick) |
| Madonna del Ponte, Balestrate, Palermo, Sicily, Italy (Madonna of the Bridge) |
| Madonna di Gulfi, Chiaramonte Gulfi, Ragusa, Sicily, Italy |
| Senhora da Luz, Creixomil, Guimarães, Ave, Norte, Portugal (Lady of Light) |
| Nossa Senhora do Campo, Almendra, Vila Nova de Foz Côa, Douro, Norte, Portugal (Our Lady of the Field). Festa, procession. |
| Virgen de Davalillo, San Asensio, La Rioja, Spain. Romería. |
| Virgen de Guadalupe, Villar del Monte, León, Castile and León, Spain |
| Virgen de Navelonga, Cilleros, Cáceres, Extremadura, Spain |
| Nuestra Señora de Perales, Arroyo de San Serván, Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain. Romería. Fiesta del Emigrante, August 15. |
| Virgen de Botos, Puebla del Prior, Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain |
| Virgen de Rus, San Clemente, Cuenca, Castilla La Mancha, Spain |
| Virgen de la Soledad Gloriosa, Cheste, Valencia, Valencia, Spain |
| Virgen de la Coronada, Calañas, Huelva, Andalucia, Spain |