On Memorial Day, as tens of thousands across the region headed for the local florist and perhaps bought a plant, flowers or a wreath to lay at the grave of a departed loved one, it probably never occurred to most that they are fortunate to have a place to pay tribute to those who have died.
For a small, but unfortunately growing number of fishermen who lose their lives in mishaps out on the open water, there is no final resting place where their relatives can gather to remember them; their bodies are forever lost at sea.
Whenever an accident or storm claims the life of a fisherman, the faithful without fail make their way to St. Mary, Star of the Sea Parish in Narragansett, where they gather in prayer, invoking God’s mercy for the soul of their loved ones. For the last dozen years, the parish has also paid tribute to those fishermen lost at sea in a special way, a powerful annual Mass on Memorial Day meant to bring solace to families and dignity to those whose bodies will never be at rest. It is an occasion that anyone should plan to attend, just to experience the power and simple beauty of the moving and unique ceremony.
Isabel Woodruff, an 83-year-old local resident who is a member of the local Episcopal Church told Rhode Island Catholic this week that she thought it was wonderful what the Catholic Church does each year to honor the deceased mariners, including her own son, Glenn Allen Woodruff, who died decades ago at the age of 21 when the small fishing boat that he was on overturned in the waters right in front of the family house. “God gives you the strength to go on,” she said.
