Bishop Dennis Sullivan celebrated the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, with the Wedding of the Sea traditions in Wildwood on August 14, and in Atlantic City on August 15. In these towns and in many other coastal locations around the world, the Wedding of the Sea has been an annual tradition dating back centuries, symbolizing the relationship of the city and the sea. It is believed that the custom originated in Venice, Italy, when an archbishop, at sea during a storm, threw his ring into the water to calm the waters.
Following a Mass and procession at both Notre Dame de la Mer in Wildwood on Aug. 14, and the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City the next day, Bishop Sullivan made his way out into the waters and cast a wreath into the ocean, praying for the sea and the city beside it.
Elsewhere, such as Holy Trinity Parish in Margate and St. Brendan the Navigator Parish in Avalon, Wedding of the Sea festivities were also held.
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