Shrimp boat blessings return after a year lost to COVID
SCOTT YOSHONIS, The Courier
FacebookTwitterEmail
Decorated boats glide down Bayou Little Caillou in Chauvin, La., for the Blessing of the Fleet on April 24, 2016. (Chris Heller/The Courier via AP)Chris Heller/AP
CHAUVIN, La. (AP) Annual shrimp boat blessings will return to the bayous of Terrebonne and Lafourche in coming weeks after being canceled or curtailed last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a decades-old tradition, Catholic churches in fishing communities throughout south Louisiana lead the blessings in hopes of a safe and prosperous shrimp season.
This year, the Rev. Antonio Speedy of Holy Family Catholic Church said the Blessing of the Fleet in Bayou Grand Caillou will look more like normal but will still have to keep the pandemic in mind.