Modesto Portuguese Pentecost Association marks 100 years

June 11 is a big day for the Modesto Portuguese Pentecost Association. It’s the 100th anniversary of the group’s founding.

According to information provided by the group, the celebration of the Holy Spirit dates back to the 1400s in the Azores Islands of Portugal when Europeans started settling there. “This devotion became so imbued in the Azorean culture that they carried the tradition with them as they immigrated to other parts of the world,” the association said in a news release. “In California, the first Holy Spirit celebration was held in Half Moon Bay in 1871.”

The Modesto Portuguese Pentecost Association held its first celebration June 11, 1916, in an auditorium at Seventh and I streets. Construction on the group’s hall started in the 1920s, with excavation done by horse-drawn scrapers. The hall was completed in 1927; a chapel was added in 1948.

The association celebrated the milestone with a centennial festa May 15, featuring a royal court, parades and more festivities.

The celebration continues Saturday with a dinner dance at the California Ballroom, 432 Sixth St., Modesto. For more information, call 209-605-4548.

This story was originally published June 10, 2016 at 5:41 PM with the headline "Modesto Portuguese Pentecost Association marks 100 years."