Rome, Italy, Aug 2, 2017 / 23:02 pm
Every August, for the feast of the Madonna of the Sea, Italian priest Father Mario Calogiuri takes to the beach of San Foca to bless swimmers and seafarers "between the deckchairs and umbrellas" in a blue swimsuit, according to Italian source La Repubblica.
But this year, he decided to go a more memorable route.
Rather than just a bible or a rosary, Fr. Calogiuri came to the beach with a five-foot statue of the Virgin Mary in tow.
Mary was then hoisted to the top of the slide of a small plastic paddle boat and taken out to sea.