Among the memorable events for me this summer were the celebrations of the Wedding of the Sea. In both Wildwood, Notre Dame de la Mer Parish, and the Parish of Saint Monica, Atlantic City, thousands of people attended. Our shore parishes that conducted this ritual also had robust attendance. What does this tell us about this celebration, which is a mixture of faith and culture?
Italian immigrants, principally from Naples, in the late 19th century, brought this unique celebration to the parish of Saint Michael, Atlantic City, where it has been an annual tradition for many years. They brought from the old country to South Jersey what was imbedded in their cultural and religious makeup.
The story is that in the year 1445, the bishop of Naples calmed the angry ocean waters during a storm by throwing his pastoral ring into the sea. A ritual developed based on that story, and the ritual attached itself to August 15, a day long associated with the Blessed Virgin Mary.
In both parishes following the celebration of the Mass of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven, I got into a lifeguard’s rowboat and was rowed out past the breakers. Flowers, which had decorated a shrine of the Blessed Mother in church and a simple (cheap) ring, were thrown into the ocean. This deposit of flowers and ring recalls the episode with that 15th century Venetian bishop. The popular religiosity of the people declared that as a result of this ritual, the ocean waters are blessed. What might we learn from all this? What does it teach us?
Immigrants still come to our country, and they bring their customs and religious celebrations. In our time, they are so driven to escape their native lands – which are wracked by poverty, danger, unemployment, marauding gangs, political corruption and, in some countries, hostility against the Catholic Church – that they put themselves at risk to get here to the land of the free and the home of the brave. Immigration is the story of our nation. Immigrants have contributed to and continue to contribute to our country. Many are people of faith. Those who share our Catholic faith enrich our Church. Others are believers of other great world religions such as Muslims, Fundamental Christians, Hindus, Jews and Buddhists.
The culture of 19th century Neapolitan immigrants preserved the story of the calming of the waters. They ritualized it in a popular religious ceremony called Sposalizio del Mare, The Wedding of the Sea, which they observed on the 15th day of August. For centuries, the Assumption into Heaven of Mary, the Mother of God, had been attached to that date. It was not until 1950 that Pope Pius XII declared the Assumption an article of faith and officially placed it on the Church calendar. Neapolitan culture and religious traditions including family, church, celebration, community, neighborhood and love for the Madonna supported and encouraged the ceremony of the Wedding of the Sea. The Neapolitan culture of the 19th century Italian immigrants to South Jersey bore their Catholic faith and their faith was enriched by their culture.
What about our culture? What about our faith? What are they? How would you describe American culture? Are there expressions of popular religion in it? Is it comfortable with expressions of faith? Are church, neighborhood, family, celebration, community and love for the Madonna evident in our culture? Sadly, I do not think so. Family is under attack from many sides, as is human life. Participation in church continues to plummet. Neighborhood is no longer an identity. Community has given way to isolation. The Madonna is not Mary, the Mother of Jesus, but a female superstar. For many who no longer believe nor practice faith, religion does not offer explanations, insights or understanding of human life.
What does our culture bear? Is our culture vacant of any relationship with faith? Has it been swallowed up in a culture that may be described as empty of or even anti-God, or empty of or even anti-religion, or empty of or even anti-Church?
It is heartening to see the crowds at the Wedding of the Sea for whom faith and culture are still relevant. It is encouraging to see that vestiges of faith have survived our pretty much empty-of-religion culture. As our American culture increasingly blends into a worldwide culture, those vestiges are disappearing, and a worldwide culture empty of God, temple, synagogue, mosque, church and religion is taking over and affecting and attracting the young. It is visible in music, dance, art, dress, language and science.
Faith and culture enrich each other. We need both. Perhaps this need explains the attraction of crowds to the Wedding of the Sea.
Most Reverend Dennis J. Sullivan, D.D.
Bishop of Camden