Roughly 50% of seafarers are Catholic and long months at sea mean seafarers and fishermen rarely get to Mass.
Our chaplains and ship visitors make arrangements for this to happen on board whenever possible, or they can arrange to take seafarers to the local parish church. We also provide faith resources, such as our Stella Maris magazine, prayer books and rosaries, to help seafarers maintain their faith at sea.
In times of crisis, such as a death at sea, Stella Maris chaplains are there to pray with the crew, bless the ship and offer comfort and support.
Following the death of a colleague at sea, 19 crew members asked for a blessing on their ship. The men were distraught, grieving and seeking reassurance. Our chaplain arranged for a local priest to celebrate Mass on board and provide pastoral support.
“The mood on board was quite low and the tragic incident was still very fresh in their minds. Mass was celebrated in memory of the deceased crew member and after this, the atmosphere was more positive.“
– Peter Morgan, Stella Maris Chaplain
See our support in action
Supporting Fishermen in South Africa
More than 40 million people are in some form of slavery today according to the International Labour Organisation, including more
Human Rights Abuses
In June 2018 Nicholas Barends, the Stella Maris South Africa national director, found a letter on his office desk from
Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea
Following a pirate attack on a cargo ship in the Gulf of Guinea, the P&I club contacted our London office