Faithful pray and honor Mary on the Feast of the Assumption

Audrey Silverstein of Margate crowned the Blessed Mother.

The faithful flocked to Longport Wednesday, Aug. 15 to pray and celebrate the Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary into heaven.

Hundreds of parishioners and visitors packed the Church of the Epiphany as Pastor Joseph Ferrara celebrated Mass. Although the church is air conditioned, one woman was overcome with heat and taken to the hospital.

Margate Mayor Michael Becker, Ventnor Mayor Beth Holtzman and Longport Commissioner James Leeds followed Fr. Ferrera and the statue of the Blessed Mother of Jesus down 29^th Avenue in a procession to the beach with several hundred people following and singing the Ave Maria and other devotional hymns and prayers..

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Atop the bulkhead, Fr. Ferrara turned from the crowd to bestow blessings on the sea. The procession continued to the water's edge, where Fr. Ferrara boarded a lifeguard surf boat. After stumbling a bit, he found his seat at the stern and two Longport lifeguards rowed him out past the waves, where he blessed the sea once again and raised a wreath of flowers before tossing it into the sea.

Children and adults brought little bottles to collect seawater to bless their homes, pets and loved ones.

Jane Schwegman of Egg Harbor Township attended the Blessing of the Sea to bring holy water to her neighbor who is very ill.

It means a lot to her, Schwegman said.

Schwegman's granddaughter Emily Nagle was there as well to bring holy water home with her.

It's cool to have a piece of God inside my house and with me, she said.

The shore town's tradition is modeled after similar ceremonies in Italian cities that bless the sea to protect seafarers and fishers who take their livelihoods from the sea.

In 1950, Pope Pius XII declared the Assumption of Mary as dogma in the church's belief that after her time on Earth, the Virgin was assumed into heaven body and soul.

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