Bishop Malooly blesses water at Ocean City on feast of the Assumption: Photo gallery

One of the highlights for Bishop Malooly of the blessing of the water in Ocean City is the opportunity to draw passersby into a moment of reflection in a natural setting in the Diocese of Wilmington.

The annual blessing Aug. 15 on the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is much like the youth pilgrimage in Wilmington and other events presided over by the bishop. It’s an opportunity to connect with Catholics and non-Catholics alike.

“It’s one of the interesting aspects,” the bishop said of the oceanside blessing. “People just stop what they’re doing.”

As he does each year, the bishop celebrated 5 p.m. Mass at Holy Savior church and afterward proceeded to the beach two blocks east with Father Stanislao Esposito, the church’s pastor, and a gathering of parishioners and vacationers under an early evening sun.

After blessing the water, the bishop joined several dozen international students for dinner at the Father Connell Parish Center at Holy Savior. The students are part of a program that brings 1,300 students from other countries to beach towns from Rehoboth Beach to Ocean City where they work summer jobs.