By DONALD WITTKOWSKI
Hundreds of parishioners at St. Joseph Catholic Church celebrated an ancient tradition by staging a procession through the streets of Sea Isle City and then watching from the beach as a ceremonial wreath was tossed into the ocean.
The ceremony on the beach Tuesday evening was held in honor of the Feast of the Assumption, which commemorates the belief that Mary, the Blessed Mother of Christ, was “assumed” into heaven.
Father Perry Cherubini, pastor of St. Joseph Church, conducted a special Mass that also commemorated the Feast of the Assumption. The church sanctuary was filled with hundreds of parishioners.
Afterward, parishioners walked behind a statue of the Virgin Mary as the grand procession made its way along Landis Avenue and then 44th Street to the beach for a blessing of the ocean known as the Wedding of the Sea.
St. Joseph Deacon Joseph Murphy, dressed in a flowing white robe, was rowed out in a Sea Isle City Beach Patrol boat by lifeguards and twin sisters Molly and Maura Quinn. They took Murphy out past the breakers for him to set a wreath of colorful flowers adrift to ceremonially bless the ocean.
The surf was a bit rough while Murphy was being rowed out. At one point, the lifeguard boat lurched abruptly when it topped a wave close to shore.
Returning to shore after tossing the wreath into the ocean, Murphy smiled and triumphantly raised his hands above his head.
“That was easy,” he said, dismissing any worries about the rough surf. “I’m a fisherman and a boater, so I’m used to it.”
The Wedding of the Sea, an ancient tradition rooted in the Italian city of Venice, dates back to about 1000 AD during the Middle Ages.
This was the third year in a row that St. Joseph’s celebrated the Wedding of the Sea and Feast of the Assumption after a long hiatus. The ceremonies culminated with a Blessing of the Sea Festival at the parish auditorium featuring food, games, children’s activities, music and gift basket auctions. About 750 people were expected at the festival.
Expressing his thanks to the church members and the community for their participation, Father Cherubini noted that the celebration continues to grow each year and will “absolutely” return in 2024.
The church invited the entire community to participate in the celebration, not just its parishioners.
Hundreds of people packed the beach by the time the procession made its way from the church to the water’s edge for the Wedding of the Sea. Many of the onlookers took cellphone photos and video of Murphy as he was being rowed out over the waves.
