36 boats get blessed

Mon, 06/22/2020 - 7:30am

    Thirty-six fishing boats motored past the Boothbay Harbor Fish Pier Sunday afternoon, June 21 as area clergy blessed them with kind words and holy water. The Blessing of the Fleet event was salvaged from the annual Windjammer Days festival, canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Four clergy members conducted the blessing – Rev. Katherine Pinkham of Edgecomb Community Church, Rev. Maria Hoecker of St. Columba’s Episcopal Church, Rev. Richard Rego of the United Methodist Churches of the Boothbay region, and Rev. Peter Ilgenfritz, interim pastor of Congregational Church of Boothbay Harbor.  

    As usual, many of the boats carried friends and family members for the event, which was preceded by bell ringing at the nearby Catholic Church. The usual Memorial Service was not held.