Blessing of the Fleets - at the U.S. Navy Memorial (2009)
18th Annual Blessing of the Fleets - April 4, 2009 http://www.navymemorial.org
Passed down through generations of sailors, fishermen, merchant mariners and navies around the world, the centuries-old "Blessing of the Fleets" ceremony is intended to safeguard fishing crews and ships from the danger of the seas through a traditional blessing given by a clergyman at the water's edge.
As a tribute to our nation’s rich maritime heritage and the men and women who have contributed to its growth and success, the United States Navy Memorial hosts its annual Blessing of the Fleets ceremony each spring.
At the United States Navy Memorial, the ceremony's highlight occurs when Sailors from the U.S. Navy's Ceremonial Guard proceed across the Memorial Plaza's "Granite Sea" to pour water from the Seven Seas and the Great Lakes into the surrounding fountains "charging" them to life and ushering in the spring season.
Read MorePassed down through generations of sailors, fishermen, merchant mariners and navies around the world, the centuries-old "Blessing of the Fleets" ceremony is intended to safeguard fishing crews and ships from the danger of the seas through a traditional blessing given by a clergyman at the water's edge.
As a tribute to our nation’s rich maritime heritage and the men and women who have contributed to its growth and success, the United States Navy Memorial hosts its annual Blessing of the Fleets ceremony each spring.
At the United States Navy Memorial, the ceremony's highlight occurs when Sailors from the U.S. Navy's Ceremonial Guard proceed across the Memorial Plaza's "Granite Sea" to pour water from the Seven Seas and the Great Lakes into the surrounding fountains "charging" them to life and ushering in the spring season.
