Perth Voice Interactive

FOR this year’s Blessing of the Fleet Queen, the honour also came with an opportunity to share some of the tradition with her young friends.

Viviana De Bari’s family has had a long association with the Blessing; her great grandmother Susanna arrived in Australia from Capo D’Orlando in the early 1900s and was on some of the earliest ladies’ committees.

“I have been in it since literally before I can remember,” Viviana says.

“It’s something I have always wanted to be, and I remember always looking at the Queen in the parade when I was little and thinking that I wanted to be her, so to be chosen, it really is a great honour.”

She says becoming this year’s Queen has sparked an interest in the Blessing and its traditions amongst her friends.

“None of them are super-Italian, or where my family was from, and they were very intrigued and interested to get to know about it.”

The Queen follows the statues of the Madonnas along the procession through Fremantle, holding the hands of young girls dressed in blue, before stepping onto one of the boats where a priest officially blesses the fleet ahead of the season.

Crowning

Viviana says there was also a crowning service a couple of weeks ago where she was blessed, and is planning to attend the three masses held before the event where the rosary is said.

“I have never done three masses in a row before, so that will be interesting,” she said.

At the moment Viviana says she’s working casually and “sleeping in” at home before starting a hairdressing apprenticeship at Reno’s in the Claremont Quarter next February.

Her own hair for the Blessing is been done early in the morning by a family friend.

“She is Italian, and I have been going to her to do my hair since I was little,” she said, saying it added another special traditional touch to the day.

Viviana’s mum Gloria says the family has always been involved in the Blessing of the Fleet.

Her own father came from Capo D’Orlando and crewed on the boats for nearly 50 years before retiring.

“It was something we did every year because of dad, and hoping they would get a good fishing season in.

“And because the Madonna was from his home town, it meant a lot to him.”