PORT OF BROWNSVILLE — Tooling past one boat after another in the shrimp basin at the Port of Brownsville, Monsignor Heriberto Diaz — arrayed in his vestments aboard the trawler Capt. Sam — sprinkled holy water toward each one, continuing an ancient ritual, albeit this time accompanied by diesel exhaust fumes from the vessel’s stack plus occasional ear-piercing blasts from the air horn.
It was the Texas Shrimp Association’s Blessing of the Fleet on Thursday, the first since the pandemic. It was likewise Monsignor Diaz’s first experience with fleet blessing. The St. Mary’s Catholic School pastor admitted afterward that his elbow was a little sore, from all the sprinkling.
No doubt every crew member, boat captain and fleet owner gathered for the occasion, which began with a dockside prayers under a corrugated metal shed at Zimco Marine, was hoping the prayers and blessing would get some traction, since the Brownsville-Port Isabel shrimp fleet needs all the help it can get.
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