Allan Appel Photo
Jet skiers making waves to be blessed.
Theological conundrum: Include jet skis in the blessing of the boats?
Absolutely, as they are watercraft.
That was the consensus of the two dozen people who joined Theresa Argento of the St. Andrew the Apostle Society and Deacon Richard Santello of St. Michael’s Church at Long Wharf to conduct the 112th annual blessing of the boats in New Haven harbor on a sky-and-water-blue Sunday afternoon.
St. Michael’s Deacon Richard Santello, Theresa Argento, unidentified woman, and Capt. Caspar Amodio on his blessing boat, Knot Easy.
In all that long history of blessing, no one could remember jet skis being included in the annual rite. The decision was good news for Joseph Bonito and Christopher Ianniello. The young men had recently bought their marine vehicles, and now were loading on friends at the pier.
As onlookers waved, they revved up their engines and jet-skied out to the harbor for a blessing.
There they joined a long ceremonial oval of more than 50 boats that circled around the blessing boat, Caspar Amodio’s 46-foot Knot Easy. One by one as the boats slowly passed Knot Easy‘s stern, Deacon Santello conducted the ritual on each, regardless of length or religion.
Christopher Ianniello (back) just bought a new jet ski; Joseph Bonito just purchased a used wave-maker. They both acknowledged they needed a blessing.
The meaning of the blessing? “That it [the boat, or jet ski] might be sanctified for using their water craft and their lives to witness to the Lord, and for safety of ship and crew,” said Santello.
The maritime blessing traditionally launches the St. Andrew the Apostle “festa,” which this year runs from June 21 to 24, said Argento, the longtime president of the society’s women’s division.
Click here and here for a list of the landlubber activities, which this year begins on Thursday night June 21 at 6 with the opening parade down Wooster Street.