[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 65 (Tuesday, April 14, 2026)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E322]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          COMMEMORATING THE 35TH ANNUAL BLESSING OF THE FLEET

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JOHN JOYCE

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 14, 2026

  Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise to join in the 
commemoration of the recent Blessing of the Fleet, which was conducted 
on April 11, 2026 at the U.S. Navy Memorial in Washington, D.C.
  Passed down through generations of sailors, fishermen, merchant 
mariners, and navies around the world, the centuries-old Blessing of 
the Fleet ceremony is intended to safeguard crews and their ships. It 
is said to protect them from the danger of the seas through a 
traditional blessing given by a clergyman at the water's edge.
  As a tribute to our Nation's rich maritime heritage and the men and 
women who have contributed to its growth and success, the United States 
Navy Memorial hosts its annual Blessing of the Fleet ceremony each 
spring.
  During the ceremony, sailors from the U.S. Navy's Ceremonial Guard 
proceed across the Granite Sea on Navy Memorial Plaza to pour water 
from the Seven Seas and Great Lakes into the surrounding fountains. 
This element of the ceremony charges the fountains with life, as they 
usher in the spring season.
  On behalf of constituents throughout the 13th Congressional District, 
I express gratitude to the men and women of the Seas Services--past and 
present--for their devotion to duty and defense of liberty. May their 
service be forever remembered.

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