About the Azores:
The Azores, officially The Autonomous Region of the Azores (Região Autónoma dos Açores), is one of the two autonomous regions of Portugal. It is an archipelago of nine volcanic islands in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, about 870 miles (1,400 km) west of mainland Portugal. The islands were known to Europeans in the 15th century and largely settled from mainland Portugal. Census numbers show that 90% are Catholic in these islands of 240,000 people with 140,000 on São Miguel and 45,000 in the city of Ponta Delgada. Pope St. John Paul II visited and said Mass at the church of Saint Sebastian on May 11, 1991.
Catholic places of interest in the Azores:
Funchal: The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption; The Jesuit Church of Saint John the Evangelist
São Miguel Island: Ponta Delgada The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Hope
Traveling to the Azores:
The Azores has become increasingly more accessible in recent years with direct international flights from the USA, Canada, UK, Sweden, Spain, Belgium, Denmark, Portugal, France, Germany, and Finland.. Various airlines connect to Ponta Delgada, the capital of the Azores. The airport is João Paulo II Airport (PDL). Azores such as its local airline SATA / Azores Airlines. In addition, TAP Portugal, Ryanair, Primera, TUI, Germania, and Delta all offer regular flights to the Azores. Flights from London take as little as 4.5 hours, and 2.5 hours from Lisbon.
Direct flights from Boston take about 5 hours.
Why Boston, out of all U.S. cities?
It has to do with the whaling industry which reached its peak in the mid-19th century, particularly in the 1840s and 1850s. During this time, whaling was a major industry, contributing significantly to the US economy, driven by high demand for whale oil for lighting and lubrication, as well as for whalebone. American whaling ships, particularly from New Bedford, Massachusetts, recruited Azorean crew members due to the Azores’ proximity to the whaling grounds and the Azoreans’ experience in whaling. Economic hardship in the Azores led to waves of emigration, with many Azoreans settling in Massachusetts, particularly in New Bedford and Boston.