Portuguese procession held in Montreal despite permit refusal

“I’m very happy it was not cancelled, I couldn’t believe it when I heard (the organizers) were having trouble.”

“Family and friends gather here every year, it’s an occasion to see each other, celebrate our community, and dress up,” said Monteiro, wearing a light blue dress.

“We aren’t doing anything wrong,” said 87-year-old Irene Araujo, standing on the stoop where the procession passed by. She was holding a rosary in her right hand, letting it slip through her fingers.

The march, Linhares said, is a silent street procession accompanied by philharmonic bands; it doesn’t include prayers or religious chants.

“It is a religious march, but it’s also a tradition; it has been happening for the past 60 years in Montreal,” he said.

He said the Plateau-Mont-Royal borough cited Quebec’s new law on public prayer, which prohibits organized public prayer in certain public spaces under the province’s secularism framework introduced in April.

Linhares said the decision caused him concern, given the size of the event. Each year, it draws at least 2,000 people from across Canada and the United States, as well as participants from the Azores, an autonomous Portuguese archipelago in the North Atlantic.

“Of course, I got a little bit nervous for sure,” he said.

Linhares said Montreal police confirmed on May 13 that the procession could go ahead, and that the borough acknowledged the police authorization for the event.

Linhares said organizers plan to use the coming year to push for clearer, citywide rules on cultural and religious processions, arguing that interpretations vary between boroughs and should be made consistent across Montreal.

The procession began around 4 p.m. at Mission Santa Cruz Catholic Church on Rachel Street, followed by a route through Montreal’s Plateau-Mont-Royal, before returning to the church.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 17, 2026.

Charlotte Glorieux, The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press

Portuguese procession held in Montreal despite permit refusal

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