Despite the windy conditions, dozens of local boaters cruised along the St. Johns River Sunday for the annual “Blessing of the Fleet.”
“It goes back to Europe where the community may be involved with fishing, primarily they relied on the sea,” Father John Hugus said. “So then, the church developed the blessings for the safety of the sailors when they go out, so they come back home, that’s basically when it started.”Father Hugus and Carol blessed the boaters with holy water and prayers.
“We bless them and the ship that they’re on, and we pray for them so that they have safe journeys through their time in the water,” Carol said. Staging began at Metropolitan Park and the blessing took place at the Lone Sailor Statue on the Southbank of the St. Johns River.Marcela joined News4JAX in 2023. She grew up in Mexico and eventually moved to California to pursue her dream of becoming a journalist. Now, she is a proud San Diego State University alumna who has many years of experience in TV and digital journalism.
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