"Dear friends, devotion to Our Lady is an important part of spiritual life. In our prayer we should not fail to turn to her, confident that Mary will intercede for us with her Son," the Pope said to pilgrims during his Aug. 22 general audience at Castel Gandolfo. "Looking upon her, let us imitate her faith, her complete openness to the loving plan of God, her generous welcoming of Jesus. We learn to live from Mary."

The Pope recalled how the establishment of a particular day to celebrate the queenship of Mary is actually a "recent establishment," even though it has "an ancient origin and devotion." When Pope Pius XII created the feast in 1954, he originally placed it on May 31, at the end of the month dedicated to Mary.

"On that occasion he said that Mary is Queen more than any other creature for the elevation of her soul and for the excellence of gifts received. She never ceases to bestow all the treasures of her love and of her care on humanity," Pope Benedict said.

The fact that Mary is "uniquely bound to her Son" both on earth and in Heaven lies at the root of today's feast, said the Pope, since she now participates in "God's responsibility for the world and the love of God for the world."

This love is expressed, suggested the Pope, in the fact that Mary is continually "watching over us, her children, the children who come to her in prayer, to thank her or to ask for her maternal protection and heavenly help, perhaps after having lost their way, burdened with grief or anguish amid the sad and troubled vicissitudes of life."

It is the queenship of Mary that we should turn to throughout life, he said, "so that from her Son we may receive every grace and mercy necessary for our journey along the roads of the world."

"To him who rules the world and holds the destinies of the universe we turn with confidence, through the Virgin Mary."

Perdido Bay United Methodist Church has an outreach service that takes place weekly at the Flora-Bama Lounge, Package and Oyster Bar, which prides itself on being "America's last roadhouse." Titled "Worship at the Water," it was launched in July 2011 and observed its first Easter earlier this year, with over a thousand people attending the service.

In an interview with local media, founding pastor Jack de Jarnette explained that this was a way to reach out to secular society. "When you cannot get people to come to church, the alternative is to bring the church to them," said Jarnette to Florida Today. Jarnette also told FT that if on earth today Jesus would have been there, adding that "It's the sort of place he often went and hung out with people."

Dr. Jeremy K. Pridgeon, Pensacola District Superintendent of the Alabama-West Florida Conference of the UMC, the Conference Perdido Bay belongs to, told The Christian Post that it was not the only church having an outreach ministry of this kind.

The services for Worship at the Water are contemporary, with worshippers meeting under a large tent mostly wearing beach clothing and with a band performing various songs. Baptisms are held in the Gulf of Mexico and offerings are placed in neon tackle boxes located throughout the bar.

Worship at the Water has received its share of media attention for holding worship services at a place not known for sacred behavior. Fox News' program "The Five" had a segment last Friday on the question of whether or not one can "mix Bibles and beer."

"Most people go to church because they want to stay out of Hell. Most people in those bars have already been there," said Bob Beckel. "I think it's a good idea. If they drink and they hear the Word I think it's helpful. One or two may catch onto it."