Saint Valentine Weekend's Celebration with JORGE FERREIRA

CONTACT INFO :

Fax : (001) (905) 286-0131.
E-mail : info@pccmississauga.ca .

DESCRIPTION :

The Portuguese Cultural Centre of Mississauga ("PCCM") was founded on February 26, 1974 and operates with funds from our parties, our sponsors and our members. Our Cultural Centre has proudly represented the Portuguese community in Mississauga for over 40 years. We have over 500 active members and our facility runs on the hard work of our volunteers. There are over 40 volunteers that work tirelessly every week to ensure our Cultural Centre represents our community to the highest standards. We have capacity for 500 people in our main hall.

Our Mission Statement is :

- To promote social, cultural and recreational activities.
- To preserve the Portuguese culture and its development.
- To teach the Portuguese language, literature, geography and history.
- To promote good citizenship, youth activities, tolerance and understanding.
- To participate in general community activities for the benefit of society in general.

Our History :

Dr. José Carlos Teixeira, a well-known geographer, says that many Portuguese moved from Portugal Village (now Little Portugal) and from other points of Toronto to Mississauga since the 1970s, from 1,415 in 1971 to 27,400 in 2006. As of 1991, there were more Portuguese living in Mississauga than in Little Portugal.

According to the author in a survey conducted in 1990, the reasons given for the relocation to Mississauga were mainly to do with the desire to buy a modern and spacious homes. It was in 1979 and 1995 that the two churches were built with funds raised by the Portuguese community (under the leadership of Monsignor Resendes). The churches were Holy Savior of the World and Christ the King, in which the Club played an important role.

As Teixeira also noted, the Luso-Canadian population of Mississauga tends to be the second-generation, younger and educated, constituted by many professionals and managers of companies and, consequently, earning higher salaries. The average income of households is considerably higher in this suburb and constitutes, along with the generational dimension, the greatest statistical difference between the community in the old Portuguese neighborhood and that of Mississauga.

The most important meeting places of the oldest Portuguese, first generation, are the Center and the Church of Christ the King, whereby both establish senior groups. The Church is located in downtown of the city, near the City Hall.

The idea of the founding of the Club came from a lack of a place where Portuguese could gather during the evening and weekends. They spoke little English and many of these men worked in the mushroom factory located in the southeast area of the city (Lakeview). They liked to socialise, including playing cards, organizing parties and to practice their faith. According the previous President Gualter Oliveira, the group of 10 individuals had an idea of raising funds to build a church during these social gatherings circa 1968/1968.

Thus, on February 26, 1974, friends Artur Janeiro, Fernando Pereira, José Carreiro, José Francisco, José Pinto, João (John) Silvestre, Juvenal Lima, Isaías de Melo, Manuel Pacheco and Manuel Raposo, in line with intentions, founded the Portuguese Club of Mississauga (CPM).

When it was founded in 1974, the Club’s first headquarters was located on Haines Road, in a small room rented in an industrial shed. In 1977, due to increased memberships, the need to celebrate feasts on the Sabbath and to celebrate mass on Sunday (by Father Resendes, now Monsignor), a division or "unit" was rented for a period of 24 years on a commercial floor located at 1310 Dundas Street East, just off Dixie Road. In 2001, the headquarters of the Portuguese Cultural Centre of Mississauga moved to its current location. The first party held at the new headquarters was the election of the Miss PCCM.

Board of Directors :

Executive Board :

Tony de Sousa - President.
Jorge Mouselo - Vice-President.

General Assembly :

- Gilberto Moniz.
- Vítor Vieira.
- Alberto Rocha.

Fiscal Counsel :

- Alfredo Pita.
- Olga de Oliveira.
- Lisa Balestra.

Directors :

Angie Câmara, Valerie da Silva & Sandy Mouselo - Secretary.
Bill da Costa & Esperança Cordeiro - Treasury.
Luisa de Sousa - Rentals.
Madalena Barreto - Public Relations.
Olga de Oliveira, Nélia de Oliveira & Daniella de Oliveira - Carassauga's Portugal Pavilion.
Brian Vieira, Nancy Vieira & Andrew Câmara - Folklore Group.
Joana Carreira (President) & Paulo dos Santos (Vice-President) - Youth Group.
Carlos Tavassos - Seniors.
Alfredo Machado, Ana da Mata, Ana Maria Silva, Tony Barreto, Delfina Freire, Elizabeth Borges, Fernando Silva, Francisco Antunes, Hélio da Silva, José Pereira Bento, José Machado, José Medeiros, Leonel Moniz, Lisa Frias, Manuel Machado, Odete Pereira, Orlando Santos, Rafael Pereira, Ricardo Santos, José Sobrinho, João Rodrigues & Suzy Câmara - Directors.

ABOUT THE EVENT :

SAINT VALENTINE WEEKEND'S CELEBRATION with JORGE FERREIRA.

Valentine's Day, also called "Saint Valentine's Day" or the "Feast of Saint Valentine", is celebrated annually on February 14. Originating as a Western Christian feast day honoring one or two early saints named Valentinus, Valentine's Day is recognized as a significant cultural, religious, and commercial celebration of romance and romantic love in many regions around the world.

There are numerous martyrdom stories associated with various Valentines connected to February 14, including a written account of Saint Valentine of Rome's imprisonment for performing weddings for soldiers who were forbidden to marry and for ministering to Christians persecuted under the Roman Empire. According to legend, Saint Valentine restored sight to the blind daughter of his judge, and he wrote her a letter signed "Your Valentine" as a farewell before his execution. The Feast of Saint Valentine was established by Pope Gelasius I in AD 496 to be celebrated on February 14 in honour of the Christian martyr, Saint Valentine of Rome, who died on that date in AD 269.

The day first became associated with romantic love within the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the 14th century, when the tradition of courtly love flourished. In 18th-century England, it grew into an occasion in which couples expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as "valentines"). Valentine's Day symbols that are used today include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten Valentines have given way to mass-produced greeting cards. In Europe, Saint Valentine's Keys are given to lovers "as a romantic symbol and an invitation to unlock the giver's heart", as well as to children to ward off epilepsy (called Saint Valentine's Malady).

Although not a public holiday in any country, Saint Valentine's Day is an official feast day in the Anglican Communion and the Lutheran Church. Many parts of the Eastern Orthodox Church also celebrate Saint Valentine's Day on July 6 and July 30, the former date in honor of Roman presbyter Saint Valentine, and the latter date in honor of Hieromartyr Valentine, the Bishop of Interamna (modern Terni).

In Portugal, the holiday is known as "Dia dos Namorados" (Lover's Day / Day of the Enamoured). As elsewhere, couples exchange gifts, but in some regions, women give a lovers' handkerchief ("lenço de namorados"), which is usually embroidered with love motifs.

This is a Dinner & Show event. The dinner will be hosted as a gala style five course meals with seafood buffet.

Special announcement by Jorge Ferreira, promoting his concert by video on Facebook, directly from his home recording studio City Limit Track in Westport, MA, United States : https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=893972194390629 .

Start Time : 6:30 PM.
THE EVENT IS SOLD OUT ! SORRY, NO MORE TICKETS WILL BE AVAILABLE !

Adults Admission Only - Full Bar Available.

Lots of free parking are available at the PCCM's park. The PCCM is part of a community shopping center where many other business' outdoor parking lots are available too.

Organized by :

Portuguese Cultural Centre of Mississauga.

LINEUP :

Doors open at 6:30 PM.

At 7:30 PM :
- Dancing Dinner.

At 9:30 PM : The Headline Act.
- JORGE FERREIRA !!!