Blessing of the Fleet Mass at St. Michael Catholic Church in Biloxi

Although several Blessing of the Fleet events fell victim to the weather and COVID-19 pandemic, the annual Blessing of the Fleet Mass and the crowning of the 2020 Shrimp King and Queen still took place Saturday night as planned.

The traditional mass held at St. Michael Catholic Church in Biloxi was held prior to the crowning ceremony.

Tara Moore, whose daughter was one of the Shrimp Queen contestants, tells News 25 about the tradition behind the Blessing of the Fleet ceremonies. “The Blessing of the Fleet is a commemoration of just the heritage we have here in Biloxi with the seafood industry. It goes back for many, many generations. And it’s just a reminder of the sacrifices that have been made for our community and the seafood industry that has just flourished over time. And it’s a reminder for our younger generation of the roots where they came from to connect with our older generation who has established the community that we have.”

Erin Schreck and Eddie Rhodes were crowned as the 2020 Blessing of the Fleet Shrimp Queen and King.