Stonington — The annual St. Mary Church Blessing of the Fleet celebration will take place on Sunday in the borough.

The event begins at 10:30 a.m. with a Fishermen's Mass at St. Mary Church to honor those who lost their lives at sea. At 11:45 a.m. a parade and procession will step off from the Town Dock and proceed down Water Street, turn at Cannon Square and proceed up Main Street to the front of St. Mary Church for a review by Bishop of Norwich Michael Cote and St. Mary Church clergy. The procession will then continue to the dock for the blessing of the boats by Cote and remarks in front of the Fishermen's Memorial.

Cote and guests will board the fishing vessel Neptune. A "broken anchor" wreath in memory of fishermen lost at sea will be dropped into the water by Peggy Krupinski, wife of Walter Krupinski, a local commercial rod-and-real fisherman who died last September when his small boat was struck by a 60-foot yacht while fishing off Watch Hill.

Following the official program, the Blessing of the Fleet Committee will host a family event on the Town Dock green from noon to 4 p.m. including lunch and soft drinks, Portuguese sweetbread, baked goods and music by the Country Misfits. Blessing of the Fleet hats, t-shirts and rope bracelets will be available for purchase as well.

Activities kick off on Thursday at 6 p.m. with the 2nd Annual Blessing of the Fleet 5K Road Race in Stonington. Online registration for the race is open until Wednesday at www.runreg.com/blessingofthefleet5k. On-site day-of registration is available for the race from 4 to 5:45 p.m.

For more information on the Blessing of the Fleet, contact committee members Mike and Georgia Crowley at 860-535-0667.