Rocky Bottom Fisheries / Facebook
CV NEWS FEED // With the start of fishing season around the corner, Church leaders at the Diocese of Portland, in Maine, performed the annual Blessing of the Fleet.
The Portland Peninsula and Island Parishes hosted the boat blessing at the Maine State Pier on June 30.
According to a press release from the Diocese, all sailors and boaters were invited to steer their boats by the pier to receive the blessing. “Water taxis, lobster boats, trawlers, recreational yachts, and other craft are all welcome,” the release stated, noting that being Catholic was not necessary to attend.
“One year, a group of fishermen decided not to get their boats blessed,” according to one local report. “That winter, Portland’s fleet hit a terrible storm out at sea. The unblessed ships made it home safely, but their nets were empty,” unlike the blessed ones.
A procession of local priests led by Rev. Seamus Griesback of Immaculate Conception Cathedral preceded the blessing. The clergy prayed over the ships before individually blessing each as it passed by the pier.
The event was the third annual celebration of its kind, and around two dozen worshippers and spectators attended, according to the local report.
