The 93rd Festa do Espirito Santo de Manteca is being celebrated this week.

Thus far, the longtime local Portuguese tradition – known as the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit Festa – has consisted of the recital of the rosary at 6:30 p.m. every day this week through Saturday.

The annual Festa at FESM Hall, 230 N. Main St., will take place on Saturday and Sunday. Included will be plenty of food, featuring Sopa and meat meals, and sweet bread.

The parade coupled with the 10:30 a.m. Sunday mass celebration at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, 505 E. North St., will once again have Bishop Myron J. Cotta presiding.

Serving as “Presidente” for this year’s Festa are Blake and Stephanie Gonsalves.

John and Tiffany Enes are the “Vice Presidente,” followed by Margie and Gabe Goncalves as “Secretario,” Melissa and Carlos Gaspar as “Tesoureira,” and John & Yurica Avila and Sergio & Annabelle Leonardo as “Marshals.”

Serving as the 2025 “Rainha Grande” – or Big Queen – is Cianna Leonardo. She’s joined by Gabriela Brazil (Aia) and Amalia Silva (Aia).

Eliana Gonsalves is the “Rainha Pequena,” with Natalia Gonsalves (Aia) and Emery King (Aia) serving as the Little Side Maids.

Festas, locally, are held on weekends from April through August in areas settled by early immigrants from Portugal and the Azores Islands.

The tradition of Festas dates back to 1269 with Queen Isabel, who was seen with roses in one hand a small loaf of bread on the other.