Saint Peter is the last of the holy saints of the month of June and we are going to follow the fest in his honor on the town with the same name in the municipality of Santa Cruz, Madeira.
Legend has it that at St. Peter was erected a chapel in the middle of the plantations in Ribeira da Boaventura, in Santa Cruz, but from time to time the saint disappeared from the holy altar, and local people organized searches, with the cross standing, in search for his image, which was invariably found near the sea, as if peering into the waves that struck the rock. The people puzzled over this phenomenon they did not understand, they called it miracle, but no one knew quite what. A flood of water without memory, in the year of the Lord 1803, descended the mountain and took with it what he found along the way, including the old chapel. The pious people sought the restless holy saint, but found nothing, and all the sad faces accepted the fatal marine destiny of the small figure. Until one day, a small group of fishermen spotted stranded on rocks a wrecked pirate ship, exactly on the spot where the saint insisted on appearing, and sounded the alarm for the defense on land. To the great astonishment of all the figure of the saint appears prominently on the deck, Saint Peter had returned to Santa Cruz. Gathering all the courage he could a fisherman jumped into the boat infested with bandits and brought the saint safe and sound to the earth, amid shouts of joy. The pirates tried to react, but strangely an unforgiving wind suddenly arose and the ship was sail away off the shore. And finally the people understood the will of St. Peter and rebuilt his chapel that stands firmly on the rock to this present day.
After 210 years and 183 days, on the twenty- ninth day of June begin the festivities in honor of the fisherman saint. This year the organization is by the account of 27 women, who since May in well-organized meetings discuss all the details of this singular event, from decorations, offerings, church services, lotteries for 200 eggs, music, stalls selling food and drink and traffic, nothing is left to chance. Late afternoons are spent in playful racket where the industrious hands of merrymakers and the many volunteers built the colored plastic flowers and are painted the masts for the flags to be hoisted on the church square. The date arrives and everything is ready to largest pilgrimage in living memory of Santa Cruz. A secular tradition that begins on Fonte dos Almocreves, with the departure of a paper boat filled with fruits and vegetables of the season, which will be pushed by the force of arms towards the sea. Precede the vessel, the merrymakers and the parish priest, followed by the local authorities, the music band that heralds the arrival of pilgrimage, the dancers and other pilgrims who adhere to this ancient tradition that has come up with a runaway saint. A small musical tribute is address to a devotee emigrant who offers each year the largest donation of this fest, so begins the meanders walk of St. Peter, from the mountain to the blue sea.
The willingness exists among the numerous walkers that enliven the journey with songs dedicated to the saint which gives its name to his small town. Along the route intersect conversations, like Egidia Ribeiro, one of the oldest merrymakers remembers that "since my childhood I remember the fest of San Pedro, so we all strive and work so the tradition won't not get lost, while there is lombadeira there will always be a party ". They all laugh, though not all are of the Lombada. Odilia Gouveia goes further and says that what makes these festivities so special "is also a time where we all are together decorating the chapel, the rotunda and the boat that we bring in the pilgrimage. It is a joy, that's what brings us to St. Peter. "The young merrymakers adhere with the same enthusiasm to this tradition, because as Carla Pereira states "this party existed even before we are parish. The chapel was made in honor of Sir Peter and it all started from there. Although he is not our patron saint, because in the past we were part of Santa Cruz, we tried to keep these festivities. Many people struggle with just smiles and good will to organize everything. We are few, but we're good". At the rebate of the drums we go down rhythmically towards the first stop, the area of Eira Nova, where new pilgrims waiting for our passage to join the pilgrimage, hands bring more offerings to the saint, banknotes sewn in towels, animals and litters of cakes and wine. Rockets cross the heavens to announce the march aiming the chapel of St. Peter, who cannot be seen from the top of these slopes crowed of houses and people.
Gradually as the affluent that join the river, the areas of Eira-Choupana, Lombada, Lombada da Calçada, Rêgo and finally Palmeira thicken the long line carrying their little boats of wood and paper with the offerings of the people to the auction that will place after the mass. Little by little, step by step, thru the narrow passages between of an old and bumpy road, we move towards the sea, the rock that Saint Peter chose for his small abode. In the end, devotees and curious await the arrival of the pilgrims with their offerings to the entrance of the small temple, where a small figure waits quietly with his eyes fixed on the sea. And so begins a three-day feast for the holy fisherman.
¨Elucidário madeirense
Lendas das ilhas da madeira e porto santo, josé viale mountinho
