Tag Archives: Blessing of the Nets

‘The season where hope comes back:’ Praying for a good catch on Lake Erie

George Gibbons understands that saying a prayer over his fishing nets may not guarantee a good catch or keep him and his fellow commercial fishermen safe on Lake Erie’s choppy waters. But it can’t hurt, either. “We’re a superstitious lot,” said Gibbons, who has been a regular at the blessing of the nets ceremony at St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Port Dover since the early 1970s. The annual church service is dedicated to the fishing families of Port Dover, which was once a bustling freshwater port and still retains a small fleet of commercial tugs that will return to the water in March. >click to read< 13:37

Blessing of the Nets – Ceremony at Port Dover Harbour Museum honours commercial fishermen

PORT DOVER – We can all taste the results of the commercial fishing industry – delicious meals a plenty in towns like Port Dover. What the general public doesn’t witness is the risk each fisherman encounters on Lake Erie for weeks at a time. During those moments, it doesn’t hurt to have someone watching over you, which is where the annual Blessing of the Nets and Fishermen’s Memorial Service comes into play. Read the rest here (photo)  12:44