Blessing of the Fleets honors military and public safety personnel
BRADY TOWNSHIP — Division 7 of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary’s third annual Blessing of the Fleet brings an internationally historic Catholic ceremony to Butler County.
Commander Wes Notovitz guided the Coast Guard Auxiliary division, America’s Sea Cadets affiliated with the United States Navy and Boy Scouts of America’s Sea Scouts, through the ceremony. The event, which took place Saturday afternoon, May 24, at Davis Hollow Marina at Moraine State Park, honored people in the military and public safety who died in the line of duty.
“It’s important for the local people to get to know the Coast Guard Auxiliary … we’re here to help,” said Notovitz, a Worth Township resident.
The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary is the noncombatant volunteer branch of the Coast Guard that organizes recreational boating and safety activities.
The blessing ceremony traditionally is performed at the launching of new vessels and has become a regular practice for the protection of ships and crews, Notovitz said. It was commonly performed in Mediterranean countries like Spain and Italy under the guardianship of various saints.
It became synonymous in Spain with the Virgin of Carmel introduced by Spanish Admiral Antonio Barceló. The July 16 celebrations were often accompanied by an image of the Virgin of Carmel on one of the ships, Notovitz said.
Before the Protestant Reformation in Europe, priests also would bless fishing ships and sprinkle holy water onboard in hopes of a bountiful season. Russian ships bound for Siberia also carried the tradition, Notovitz said.
The blessing was brought to the United States by Catholic immigrants and boomed with the fishing industry along the Gulf Coast. It first took place in Biloxi, Miss., in 1929, and spread to La Batre, Ala., and Brunswick, Ga., by the late 1940s, Notovitz said.
Saturday’s blessing ceremony included scripture readings, bagpipes and the ceremonial wreath set in the water as a trumpeter played taps to remember family members, friends and loved ones who died serving the United States.
Notovitz also presented former crew chief Larry Jones, who retired from the Pittsburgh Bureau of Emergency Services, with a certificate of appreciation for helping to organize the blessing. Jones played bagpipes in the ceremony.
Notowitz also previously served in public safety, working in EMS and counterterrorism law enforcement in Butler County.
“We are going to be a growing presence in emergency management,” he said.
After the blessing, some Coast Guard Auxiliary members stayed to conduct free voluntary boat inspections on ships at the marina. The auxiliary’s inspectors look for the required safety equipment and ensure the vessel is structurally sound but do not issue citations for violations.
“Our goal is to make sure that (in) the boats on the water, people are voluntarily safe,” Notovitz said.
Cabot resident Jim Meyer, one of the members conducting boat inspections, said he was recruited to join the Coast Guard Auxiliary last year at the Pittsburgh Outdoor Show in Monroeville.
“It’s solemn,” Meyer said about the blessing, “for the memory of the people that have (passed) away not only on land but in water.”
Notovitz said the auxiliary issues a sticker for boats that pass the safety inspection. The sticker is recognized by the state Fish and Boat Commission, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and some insurance companies for discounts. Requests for boat inspections at the marina or on land can be submitted on cgaux.com.
“They look more favorably upon the skippers and owners because they realize they took the time to make sure their boats are safe,” Notovitz said.
