IFES Society of Mt.View

IFES Society of Mt.View IFES (Irmandade da Festa do Espirito Santo) is known as the brotherhood of the Holy Spirit Festival. Ideal venue for any special event!

05/19/2026

I, along with the officers and board members, would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the outstanding IFES 2026 Festa Committee and the numerous volunteers who generously offered their support throughout the week, making our Centennial celebration a resounding success. 🕊️

We invite the entire community to join us for a historic milestone as we mark 100 years of fellowship and heritage. You ...
05/13/2026

We invite the entire community to join us for a historic milestone as we mark 100 years of fellowship and heritage. You won’t want to miss our magnificent Exhibit of Capes & Memorabilia, a true tribute to the generations who built our society. Come honor our past leaders and look forward to our vibrant future at the Centennial Festa this weekend, May 16 & 17, 2026.

Our fourth and final Freitas family tribute is dedicated to our Centennial President, Maria Manuela Silveira. Maria has gracefully stepped into the formidable footsteps of those who came before her—most notably her uncles, Abilio and John Freitas, and her godmother, Amelia DaSilva. They have passed down a legacy of faith and devotion to the Espirito Santo, which Maria has channeled into organizing this momentous Centennial Celebration to ensure our traditions and heritage are preserved for generations to come.

Maria’s rise to leadership has been defined by her dedication, serving previously as Director, Treasurer, and Vice President before becoming our Centennial President. While this is a profound responsibility, we have no doubt that her uncles are smiling down on her with immense pride.

We are also honored to introduce our Centennial Queens: Maria’s granddaughter, Sofia Maria Machado, as Little Queen; her niece, Luzia Rose Silveira, as Jr. Queen accompanied by Natalia Dutra and Marlee Carlos; and family friend Leila Avila Pires as Sr. Queen accompanied by Alana Francisco and Chloe Patton. We thank our President and Queens for their unwavering dedication. May the Holy Spirit guide you as you represent our community.

Help Us Grow: Please follow and share the IFES Society of Mt. View Facebook and Instagram pages with your friends and family so they can follow our journey toward this historic celebration as we continue to post our tributes honoring our past Presidents & Queens.

Join Us for 100 Years of Memories this weekend!The IFES Society of Mt. View (Stierlin Road) is turning 100, and we want ...
05/12/2026

Join Us for 100 Years of Memories this weekend!

The IFES Society of Mt. View (Stierlin Road) is turning 100, and we want you to be part of the celebration! We are hosting a historic Centennial Festa on May 16 & 17, 2026, featuring a special Exhibit of Capes & Memorabilia that brings our shared history to life. This is a time to honor the leaders of our past while celebrating the bright future of our community.

• Spread the Word: Help us reach every member of our community! Please share our social media pages on Facebook and Instagram with your loved ones.

Let’s come together to honor our roots and toast to the next 100 years!

Happy Mother’s Day to all the wonderful mothers in our community! Our Festa celebration begins tonight! Please join us f...
05/10/2026

Happy Mother’s Day to all the wonderful mothers in our community!

Our Festa celebration begins tonight! Please join us for the nightly Rosary at 7:00 p.m. starting this evening through Friday, May 15th.

This Mother’s Day, the IFES Society celebrates the generational legacy of our Queens. We are highlighting our mothers and daughters who have both served as IFES Queens in Mountain View (Stierlin Road).

In 1927, Laura Tereza Souza served as Sr. Queen alongside her parents, President Frank and Maria Tereza. Her daughter, Virginia Souza Cunha, followed in her footsteps as Jr Queen in 1940 and Sr. Queen in 1947 & 1953. The Tereza, Souza & Cunha families have been pivotal to IFES since the very beginning in 1926 with some family members living in the houses adjacent to the IFES property.

In 1934, Rosie Correia Cardoza served as Sr. Queen during her father's presidency (Manuel Correia). This legacy came full circle twenty years later in 1954, when her daughter, Rosemarie Cardoza Ferranti, represented the organization while her parents, Manuel and Rosie, held the presidency.

Our 1958 Sr. Queen, Mary Soares Bettencourt, saw her daughter, Barbara Bettencourt Teixeira, carry on the tradition as both our 1972 Jr. Queen and 1978 Sr. Queen who both served under their fathers, John Soares (1958 President) and Arthur Bettencourt (1978 President).

Finally, we honor our 1991 Sr. Queen, Joanne Avila Pires, as she passes the reign to her daughter, our Centennial Queen, Leila Avila Pires.

What a beautiful way to see the crown passed through the generations! This generational transition highlights the importance of the Holy Spirit celebrations in preserving Portuguese heritage and strengthening family bonds. Seeing a mother and daughter both serve as queens—especially with their parents in leadership roles—is a rare and special "full circle" moment in the history of our society.

We are officially one week away and can’t wait to see you as we honor our heritage and celebrate 100 wonderful years of ...
05/09/2026

We are officially one week away and can’t wait to see you as we honor our heritage and celebrate 100 wonderful years of the IFES Society on May 16 & 17, 2026!

Our third Freitas Family Tribute is Amelia DaSilva, the youngest of the Freitas siblings, has shown extraordinary leadership serving as president for three consecutive years (2023–2025). Her commitment to the IFES Society continues through her active role on the board of directors and her tireless work managing the kitchen. Whether she is busy overseeing events or offering a helping hand to someone in need, Amelia’s "big heart" and devotion to the Espirito Santo and Queen Saint Isabel shine through. We truly believe her brothers, Abilio and John, are smiling down on her as she carries forward their incredible legacy.

We also want to share a special thank you to our reigning queens as they prepare to pass their crowns to our centennial royalty. We are so grateful to Sr. Queen Mara Jacinto and her sidemaids, Natalie and Emily Aires, as well as Jr. Queen Sofia Furtado and her sidemaids, Liberty Silva and Stella Bettencourt. Thank you for your two years of dedicated service and for representing the IFES Society so beautifully. May the Holy Spirit guide you in all your future endeavors!

Spread the Word: Please share the IFES Society of Mt. View Facebook and Instagram pages with your friends and family so they can follow our journey toward this historic milestone.

We are officially two weeks away from celebrating 100 wonderful years of the IFES Society!We honor our second tribute to...
05/04/2026

We are officially two weeks away from celebrating 100 wonderful years of the IFES Society!
We honor our second tribute to the Freitas family, John & Telma Freitas. The radiant smiles shared by John and Telma capture a moment of deep pride and faith as they celebrated John’s presidency of the IFES Portuguese Society. Alongside them, their daughter, Joanna Freitas Demelo, served with grace as the Senior Queen. For John and Telma, life was centered around the joy of togetherness—sharing meals, laughter, and John’s spirited chamrita dancing with those they loved which they truly valued the spirit of IFES community. Along with his brother Abilio, John was a huge part of the construction and concrete at IFES in the mid-80s where he joined the hard-working men of IFES and his son, Paul Freitas pouring the concrete at the hall.
One of many highlights of John’s 1989 presidency was a monumental family reunion that brought together over 500 relatives, many of whom remain pillars of the IFES community. They were passionate about preserving their heritage and bringing the traditions to the IFES Society as they introduced the beloved Festa dos Reis from their homeland, Ilha do Pico to California.
A fun fact: Not only was Telma one of the first women to be become a member in the late 70s after the bylaws were updated but I’ve been told that she was a great ‘Door Security Guard’. IFES has had the best sopas, in fact people would try to walk out the door with a pan of sopas, but no one could get away with Telma at the door as she ensured everyone was served before anyone could take any sopas home.
Joining Joanna in the royal court were sidemaids Delia Toste Devere and Sandra Costa. The Junior Queen was cousin Dani Pereira Moore, accompanied by Jamie Pereira and Jenny Estrela as sidemaids.

We can’t wait to see you at our festa on May 16 & 17, 2026.

Address

432 Stierlin Road
Mountain View, CA
94043

Telephone

+16509672759

Website

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