Written by Amber Skinner | 15 July 2010

In addition to the Blessing of the Fleet (BOF) traditionally performed during Cundy's Harbor Days, a second mass BOF will take place as part of the Lobster Boat Races (LBR) on July 25 at 10 a.m. Pastor Veronica Gonsior of Cundy's Harbor Community Church of the Nazarene will officiate this "general blessing of the day and all fishermen," she said.
The LBR will be held in Middle Bay off George J. Mitchell Field as part of the Harpswell Shindig, scheduled to last from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Shindig, basically a continuation of the Harpswell Festival, held the day before and also at Mitchell Field, will offer food vendors, local crafts for sale and children's activities.
This will be Gonsior's first time attending the LBR "because it's always held on Sunday and I'm expected to be at church," she explained, laughing. But when she was asked to perform the BOF prior to the LBR this year, her "congregation said: 'You need to be there.' I'm fortunate to have such a supportive congregation," she continued. Before the races begin, she'll be taken out on a float in Middle Bay to say a prayer.
The Shindig is set to take place rain or shine, and the LBR will be broadcast live over VHF radio to all boats. Ample anchorage will be available.
The Blessing of the Fleet began as a Catholic ceremony hundreds of years ago in and around the Mediterranean Sea. A blessing from the local priest was meant to ensure a fishing season both prosperous and free from harm. The ritual has now migrated around the world, from fishing villages to large cities, but varies significantly by community. In some places, it remains a simple ceremony, while in others it has become a multi-day festival including parades, dancing, specialty food and contests.
Gonsior, a lifelong resident of Cundy's Harbor, and "the granddaughter, daughter and niece of fishermen and the brother of a lobsterman," has been performing the Blessing of the Fleet during Cundy's Harbor Days since 2007, she said. During that ceremony, "each individual boat is blessed, a wreath is laid in the middle of Cundy's Harbor in memory of all the fishermen who have died doing what they love and a rewritten version of the 23rd Psalm, substituting fishermen for shepherds, is read," Gonsior said. This year Cundy's Harbor Days is scheduled for August 6 to 8, with the BOF set for Sunday at 8:30 a.m.
"Not only is fishing part of my heritage," Gonsior said, "but I think fishermen have a special place in God's heart. Of Jesus' 12 disciples, four were fishermen."
At both BOF ceremonies, everyone is invited to participate. "We welcome anybody whose boat can float," Gonsior said. "Fishing is one of the most dangerous jobs. If I were a fisherman, I wouldn't want to go out on the water without God's blessing and protection."
An Islands lobsterman agrees: "It's tough out (on the water). I've gone to the Cundy's Harbor Blessing of the Fleet for as long as I can remember.
"I'm glad there'll be two (BOFs) this year," he continued. "My boat and I need every blessing we can get."
Mitchell Field is located on Harpswell Neck Road (Route 123), approximately four miles from the flashing light at Mountain Road. For more information about the Lobster Boat Races, call Henry Barnes at 725-2567; for Harpswell Shindig details, call Alison Hawkes at 729-6560; and for further Cundy's Harbor Days information, contact the Cundy's Harbor Library at 725-1461. The Cundy's Harbor Community Church of the Nazarene can be found at 863 Cundy's Harbor Road. Services are held Sundays at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.