Feast Day

The Feast Day Procession led by community members of St. Anthony's Parish in Pecos and members of the Pueblo of Jemez.

NPS Photo/Stan Ford 2018

What is a Feast Day? A Feast Day is an assigned date for each Catholic saint. Each Pueblo has a particular Catholic saint that is associated with their site. For Pecos, Feast Day usually happens around early August for Our Lady of the Angels of Porciúncula (Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles de Porciúncula).

Feast Day at Pecos Pueblo represents the fulfillment of a long-standing promise. Before leaving Pecos Pueblo in 1838, the last inhabitants of Pecos Pueblo entrusted a special painting to St. Anthony’s Parish. A symbol of the pueblo’s adoption of Christianity as another form of religion, this portrait depicts the patron saint bestowed upon the Mission of Pecos in the 1620s. Every August, Pecos village fulfills its promise to perpetually honor the saint by celebrating a feast day mass in the remains of her final church.

Pecos National Historical Park normally hosts the annual Feast Day celebration at Pecos Pueblo in early to mid August. The public is welcome to join in a time honored tradition as community members from the Pueblo of Jemez and Pecos celebrate Feast Day mass inside the ruins of Our Lady of the Angels of Porciúncula (Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles de Porciúncula). Following a mass, the Feast Day celebration may continue with traditional dancers from the Pueblo of Jemez and fresh rolls from the horno. Dances usually occur in the late morning and photography is permitted. If you have questions about Feast Day and what the event entails, contact the visitor center at 505-757-7241.

 

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