Fisherman gathered over the weekend off Alabama's coast for the annual the 64th annual Blessing of the Fleet.
The Press-Register reports (http://bit.ly/18plF8X) that Sunday's event was the largest fund-raiser of the year for St. Margaret Catholic Church. It was also a highlight of the two-day community festival in Bayou La Batre.
Archbishop Thomas Rodi asked the Lord to bless the boats, their equipment and those who use them before he departing on a vessel and ceremoniously blessing each boat during a floating parade down the three-mile bayou.
The annual blessing was smaller in numbers compared to years ago, before the industry was besieged by rising fuel costs and the effects of the Deepwater Horizon disaster and hurricanes.
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Information from: Press-Register, http://www.al.com/press-register/