The Annual Blessing Of The Fleet
Pictured below, a procession of pleasurecraft pass between Casino Island and the Bonnie Belle, as members of the clergy bless each boat. The Village of Alexandria Bay is in the background. This ceremony is reminiscent of one established ages ago in the Iberian and Mediterranean seas, designed to ask the Lord’s indulgence in providing good weather and safe boating conditions during the approaching navigation season. The annual ritual has been adopted by many coastal regions of the United States.
