The US Navy conducts an annual “blessing of the fleet,” a tradition intended to “safeguard crews and ships” from the hazards of the oceans through a religious blessing.

It turns out the Navy also conducts a “blessing of the wings” as part of new Naval Aviators’ winging ceremonies. An official Navy article recounts that the chapel at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi held its first services on the infamous December 7, 1941, and as the new aviators went off to war, chaplains began “blessing” their wings:

According to the chaplains, during World War II, many Catholic chaplains began blessing the wings of Catholic aviators. This tradition continued throughout the years and eventually became a “Blessing of the Wings” service in chapels around the world.

Eventually the service included other Christian traditions and became the “Aviator’s Blessing,” accompanied by pinning a set of wings on a tapestry.

(It might also be worth remembering that, somewhat ironically, Corpus Christi is Latin for Body of Christ.)

Naval aviator Nathan Kren included a photograph of pinning his wings to the tapestry in an alumnus column for his school:

Importantly, Father John Vidal explained the significance of what they were doing:

“Many people don’t know what a ‘blessing’ is,” said Vidal to those gathered at the chapel July 31. “We are setting something aside for God. Setting these wings aside reminds us that ‘Lord, I’m taking you with me in the cockpit.’

“You are connecting to a community and connecting to God.”

The interconnection of faith and profession may not be more important in a profession as it is in the US military.

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