Her special day finally arrived.

The statue of St. Elizabeth of Portugal, who was canonized for her good deeds, including helping the sick and the poor, and was canonized in 1625, was taken through the streets of Bristol in a wondrous procession this past Sunday in beautiful weather conditions befitting a lady of her stature and grace.

Amazing as this story goes, the patron saint of St. Elizabeth’s Church here in Bristol had never been formally celebrated by its parishioners in the more than 100 years St. Elizabeth’s Church has been in existence. That all changed this past weekend.

“We are all celebrating this very special lady who did so much for those less fortunate during her lifetime,” said the Rev. Vander S. Martins, pastor of St. Elizabeth’s Church. “It was a wonderful day to pay tribute to our patron saint. I was also pleased to see so many people fill our beautiful church during Mass.”

Following the two solemn Masses in her honor last Sunday morning, one in Portuguese and the other in English, the statue of St. Elizabeth, was taken from the church in procession and solemnly carried through nearby streets, accompanied by the St. Elizabeth Band, for all to worship. Following the procession, parishioners and friends returned to the St. Elizabeth’s Auditorium for a wonderful lunch.

Leading up to Sunday’s procession were other special events including a novena in honor of St. Elizabeth, the prayer of the Rosary And the blessing of vehicles in the parking lot of the church. There was also a special blessing given to couples on Sept. 15, the 109th anniversary of the founding of St. Elizabeth’s Church, in celebration dedicated especially to Christian families.

“During the week, we had the prayer of the rosary and the celebration of the Holy Mass every day,” said Father Martins. “Our intention is to provide moments of prayer and fraternal encounter for all the faithful and devotees of St. Elizabeth. We wish this to be the first of many other festivities dedicated to our patroness Queen and Saint Elizabeth.”