Episcopal rector to ‘bless’ boats in Muskegon Lake channel on May 29

The Port City Princess and St. Paul's Episcopal Church are inviting boat owners to have their vessels "blessed' on Sunday, May 29. The occasion is the eighth annual Blessing of the Boats, which the downtown Muskegon church and the owners of the excursion vessel have sponsored for the Muskegon Lake fleet.

Anonymous

Muskegon

May 21, 2011

According to the Rev. Thomas Scott, rector of St. Paul’s; and Sylvia Precious, owner of the Port City Princess, “blessings for safety and prosperity” will be bestowed upon any vessel that maneuvers alongside the Princess in Muskegon Lake early Sunday afternoon.

The Princess will depart its pier at the Mart Dock at 12:30 p.m. Weather permitting, it will steam out to Lake Michigan for a brief service in memory of the excursion ship’s founder, Ralph Precious.

The Princess will then return through the Muskegon Lake channel and remain at rest at the channel’s entrance to confer blessings upon any boat which steers alongside.

Scott also will bless LST-393 at the Mart Dock, the Milwaukee Clipper and the USS Silversides in the Muskegon Lake channel.

Scott and Precious stress that they seek neither donations nor offerings for a boat blessing. A $25 charge, however, does apply to a champagne brunch to be held aboard the Princess during the excursion.

For more information, call 231-744-1619.