Portuguese American Journal

Portuguese American Journal

Featured Stories
Faith May 5th | World Portuguese Language Day Celebrated Globally 1976-2026 | Azores celebrate 50 Years of Constitutional Autonomy Book | Bag of Kisses | By Melanie Pereira April 25th |  “Dia da Liberdade” celebrated nationwide and across the diaspora
 

Faith & Tradition | Senhor Santo Cristo dos Milagres returns May 8 – Azores

The Feast of Senhor Santo Cristo dos Milagres returns to the city of Ponta Delgada from May 8 to May 14, 2026, with the main procession scheduled for Sunday, May 10, the fifth Sunday after Easter. Considered the largest religious celebration in the Azores and among the most significant Catholic festivities in Portugal, the celebrations […]

May 5th | World Portuguese Language Day Celebrated Globally – Portugal 

World Portuguese Language Day [Dia Mundial da Língua Portuguesa] is being celebrated today across the globe, recognizing the cultural, historical, and geopolitical importance of one of the world’s most widely spoken languages.  The day is celebrated by cultural and academic initiatives in approximately 50 countries, including conferences, literary events, exhibitions, and educational programs, from Lisbon […]

1976-2026 | Azores celebrate 50 Years of Constitutional Autonomy – Azores 

The Autonomous Region of the Azores is preparing for a historic year of celebrations in 2026 to mark the 50th anniversary of its Constitutional Autonomy. This milestone underscores five decades of self-governance, regional identity, and transatlantic connection.  The commemorations will culminate on September 8, 2026, marking the formal implementation of autonomy under the Constitution of […]

Book | Bag of Kisses | By Melanie Pereira – Editor’s Note

For a little girl whose daddy is a fisherman in the #1 fishing port in the world, goodbyes are never easy. But before he leaves for sea, her parents share a special secret―a magical bag of kisses that keeps their love close, no matter how far the waves carry him. As the days pass and […]

April 25th |  “Dia da Liberdade” celebrated nationwide and across the diaspora – Portugal

The Portuguese nation commemorates today the 52nd anniversary of the Carnation Revolution transition to democracy, with a nationwide program of official ceremonies, public demonstrations, and cultural events. The celebrations expanded abroad, connecting the country to its global diaspora, particularly in the United States. At the center of the national commemorations will be the traditional formal […]

Holy See: President Vasco Cordeiro invites Pope Francis to visit the Azores – Vatican City

20 April 2016

The President of the Government of the Azores, Vasco Cordeiro, was received today at the Vatican by Pope Francis to formally invite His Holiness to visit the Azores next year. The meeting was held in St. Peter’s Square during the greetings meeting between the Pope and guests, after the end of the papal weekly public […]

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Posted in Azores, Featured, Organizations, People, Portugal, Religion, Terceira, World

Update: Detective Amaral wins appeal in McCann’s Case – By Len Port

19 April 2016

By Len Port, Contributor (*) Gonçalo Amaral has won his appeal against a Lisbon court’s decision last year to award half a million euros in damages to Kate and Gerry McCann. The award arose from the McCanns’ objection to Amaral’s book Maddie: The Truth of the Lie published in 2008. The overturning of the damages […]

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Posted in Featured, Organizations, People, Portugal

Book: ‘300 Days of Sun: A Novel’ by Deborah Lawrenson – Editor’s Note

19 April 2016

Combining the atmosphere of Jess Walter’s Beautiful Ruins with the intriguing historical backstory of Christina Baker Kline’s Orphan Train, Deborah Lawrenson’s mesmerizing novel transports readers to a sunny Portuguese town with a shadowy past — where two women, decades apart, are drawn into a dark game of truth and lies that still haunts the shifting […]

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Posted in Arts&Culture, Books, Featured, Life Style, Portugal, Travel

Community: MAPS Awards Gala Honors Inspirational Leaders – Cambridge, MA

18 April 2016

An evening of inspiring award recipients, cultural entertainment, glamorous red carpet arrival, silent auction and an elegant banquet helped the Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers (MAPS) raise a record $162,000 at the nonprofit organization’s 2016 Awards Gala in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on April 9th. The “Person of the Year Award” went to David Simas, a first-generation […]

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Posted in Awards, Community, Featured, Heritage, Organizations, People

António Guterres emerging as front-runner to become UN Secretary General – United Nations

18 April 2016

Former Portuguese Prime Minister António Guterres has emerged as front-runner to become next United Nations Secretary General, the Portuguese media has reported. The second front-runner is Helen Clark, the former New Zealand Prime Minister. Both Guterres and Clark head a pack of favored candidates which include UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova of Bulgaria, former Serbian Foreign Minister […]

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Posted in Featured, Heritage, Organizations, People, Portugal, World

The week: News of smiles and smacks – by Len Port

16 April 2016

By Len Port, Contributor (*) Among this week’s broadest smiles and fondest embraces were those between Portugal’s Prime Minister António Costa and his Greek counterpart, Alexis Tsipras. Weekend talks at the Maximos Mansion in Athens between the leaders of two of Europe’s most financially troubled nations ended in agreement to demand that other EU leaders […]

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Posted in Arts&Culture, Featured, Religion, World