The statue of the Madonna is brought out to the public from the Fisherman’s Club and processed through the North End / Waterfront to the edge of Boston Harbor at Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park.
At 6:20 in the video, the opening ceremonies are conducted on a stage at Christopher Columbus Park with the annual blessing of the fishing waters.
The blessing of the fisherman’s fleet goes back to a Sicilian tradition in Sciacca, Italy that was brought over to the North End, back when there actually was a fishing fleet on the North End waterfront in the early 1900s.
Shown below is the former T-Wharf in the North End at approximately the same location as where the annual fishing waters blessing takes place at Christopher Columbus Park.
Photo: Old T-Wharf/North End by Leslie Jones (1917-1934 approximate). Courtesy of the Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection. Sourced from the Flickr archives of the Boston Public Library.
More information on the Fisherman’s Feast at www.FishermansFeast.com.
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What an unbelievable video! Brought tears to my eye to see this tradition continuing on with such vigor and enthusiasm. Congratulations to the feast committee!
I thoroughly enjoyed the Feast via your video! It is almost like being there. In fact it brings one to the best view. Thankyou!