Author: Nathaniel Xavier

We held our first Stella Maris Mass of the year at Cardiff Cathedral on 8 February.

The main celebrant was Archbishop Mark O’Toole, Bishop of Menevia. He was joined by Fr Paul Osunyikanmi, Stella Maris regional port chaplain for Wales.

It was wonderful to see our port chaplains, ship visitors, volunteers, supporters and head office staff at the Mass and reception. Thanks everyone for your generosity.

Photos can be see on our Flickr site here https://www.flickr.com/photos/apostleshipofthesea/albums/72177720305989698

You can read Archbishop Mark’s homily below.

I am delighted to be with you today to thank God for the work of Apostleship of the Sea, and to celebrate this Mass in Honour of Our Lady, Star of the Sea.  Your presence in ports throughout the world, your daily visits to ships docked in these ports and the fraternal welcome you give to the crews whilst in port are a visible sign of the Church’s concern for those who are far from home and who cannot receive ordinary pastoral care through a parish.

Personally, I have a soft spot for your work and mission.  This is because my grandfather was something of a seafarer and fisherman.  He was fortunate enough to have his own boat and grateful for the livelihood it provided, making a living in trading goods and supplies off the West coast of Ireland.  Yet he knew the perils and changing temperaments of the open sea and always preserved a huge respect for its changing moods.  As a family we always saw in this, something of the reality of human life with all its ups and downs.

It is one of the reasons I have always loved that Gospel passage of Jesus asleep in the boat.  Sometimes in life it seems that Jesus is asleep amidst the storms that we may be facing.  But He is with us, as He was with those earliest disciples.  Jesus accompanied his disciples in their boat.  He knows their experience from the inside as he helped them in their labours in fishing and making a living, and he calmed the storms.  Thus, the Church also accompanies seafarers, taking care of the specific spiritual needs of those who for various reasons live and work in the maritime world.  We gather today to unite ourselves with this intention and that we work to break down “the globalisation of indifference” of which the Holy Father has spoken.

Several years ago, I was able to witness a situation where local port Chaplains working for Stella Maris, helped release some Filipino migrants who were being exploited in a kind of modern slave labour on ships.  They were far from home and loved ones, with little prospect of going home until the “whistle was blown” by those ship visitors. 

Nowadays the world of seafaring, with its continual movement of people, has to take account of the complex effects of globalisation.  Unfortunately, there are situations of injustice, especially when crews are subject to restrictions on disembarkation, abandoned along with the vessels on which they work, face the threat of piracy at sea or suffer as a result of exploitation and abuse.  The vulnerability of seafarers must encourage even greater concern on the part of the Church.  Their plight stimulates the maternal care of the Church and this is shown, through you, to those you meet in ports and on-board ships.

Many of the people you serve know this very well.  They are at the mercy of forces much greater than themselves.  Sometimes, those forces work for their good, and help them make a better life for their families at home.  Sometimes they are not so good; they can be exploitative, even malevolent.  It is one reason why it is good to meet today, in God’s Providence when the Church also keeps the memory of St Josephine Bakhita who knew what it was to be trafficked form one part of the world to another and who nevertheless, despite her suffering new the closeness of eh Lord and the loving care of the Church. 

So, today we gather to pray for seafarers all over the world, and especially here in Wales.  We know that they are some of the poorest, and most exploited, of workers and they need our support and our protection.  In these two Dioceses with their long stretches of dramatic and beautiful coastline, we know something of the power and beauty of the sea.  “Here your proud waves must break”, we echo with Job in that reading. 

I think each of us knows something of the immensity and beauty of lvinig and working by the sea.  Yet, living off the sea can be a somewhat precarious existence, true today as it has always been. It is Mary, under her title, Star of the Sea, who has found such a strong resonance in the hearts of so many believers who are seafarers or those who work or live by the sea.  Our Blessed Lady knew what it was to be far from home and loved ones in a strange land.

Our Lady, Star of the Sea, bring us the light of your Son, and show His path in our dark world so that we may find our way to Him under your protective mantle.  Protect seafarers and their families, and bring them consolation when they are separated.  Help us to show your maternal care for all those who are need especially the poor and suffering.

Our Lady, Star of the Sea… Pray for us

+Mark O’Toole

Archbishop of Cardiff

Bishop of Menevia

Life at sea can be difficult and lead to long periods of loneliness and depression. Since 2019, Stella Maris Nordic has been supporting seafarers and fishers in a large area stretching from Finland in the east to Greenland in the west. Now, the official maritime charity of the Catholic church in the Nordic countries has been incorporated into Caritas Denmark.

For the past two years, Stella Maris Nordic has worked to improve the lives of seafarers in Nordic ports. As the network of volunteers has grown, and the number of ship visits has increased, there is a need for a new focus on fundraising and a firmer organisational framework. Deacon David Noval, who has spearheaded the work, will return to a position in the company where he was previously employed, and Stella Maris Nordic will be incorporated into the Catholic relief organisation Caritas Denmark.

At Caritas Denmark, Michael Andrew Dolan Møller has been appointed National Director of Stella Maris Nordic. Møller has been an active volunteer in the start-up phase of the maritime charity, and he is Caritas Denmark’s parish representative in the city of Aarhus. Aarhus is also the biggest shipping port in Denmark.

Michael Andrew Dolan Møller says: “My wife Jonalyn and I have visited over 160 ships in the past year and a half. It has been an enriching experience for both of us, and hopefully we have made life a little easier for the people we have visited. We look forward to continuing this work in the new structure with Caritas.”

David Noval says: “The last two years of my full-time involvement in setting up Stella Maris Nordic have been fantastic. Many businesses, churches and individuals are now aware of the Church’s work for seafarers and fishers. It is time for a different focus, which I am confident that Caritas can bring. The hearts of Stella Maris and Caritas beat for those who need us, and that is why I am happy that Caritas can take the work in Denmark to the next level. I hope that the strong support in our network will continue in the new set-up. I am honoured to have been part of the journey and excited to see the work flourish in partnership with Caritas.”

Bishop Czeslaw Kozon says: “Caritas’ mission is to reach out to the marginalized. People at sea can also find themselves in a vulnerable position by being far from home for long periods of time and sometimes having harsh working conditions. Historically, Caritas and Stella Maris have many ties that unite. When reverend Knud Ballin founded Caritas in 1947, he was also active in the service of Stella Maris, and in recent years Caritas has supported the work of Stella Maris. I am deeply grateful for Deacon David Noval’s great work and initiative, and I look forward to seeing Caritas further develop the maritime charity.”

Martin Foley, Stella Maris European Regional Coordinator and Stella Maris UK CEO says: “Stella Maris UK will support the continued growth of Stella Maris in the Nordic countries and looks forward to working in close partnership with the new National Director, Michael Andrew Dolan Møller, and the team at Caritas Denmark. We also pay tribute to the departing National Director, David Noval, for the outstanding work he has done in re-establishing Stella Maris in Denmark. He leaves very strong foundations on which to build. We pray for David and his family as he embarks on a new chapter of his life.”

Around 18,600 seafarers, fishers and their families will benefit from support in Kilindini Harbour in Mombasa; Lamu Port in Malindi; Homa Bay, the county with the largest share of Lake Victoria; and Lake Nakuru, Naivasha and Barringo in Nakuru after Stella Maris Kenya was awarded a substantial grant by The Seafarers’ Charity.  

This grant will enable Stella Maris to support seafarers across these areas through the local port chaplains and ship visitors. The main focus of this programme is to meet the pastoral and welfare needs of seafarers, regardless of nationality, belief or race. Thereby improving their mental, physical, and spiritual health and wellbeing and quality of life. 

Stella Maris Kenya’s programmes also include access to training and educational programmes; counselling and psychosocial support for seafarers’ spouses; referral of crew and cases of abuse of seafarers to the appropriate Government Offices; growing our capacity and reach by increasing the number of port chaplains and ship visiting volunteers at each port and therefore the numbers of ships visited and seafarers helped.  

To date the work of Stella Maris in Kenya has largely been restricted to Mombasa. The team has recently grown from one port chaplain and three volunteers to a National Director and a team of more than twenty-seven port chaplains and ship visiting volunteers. By expanding their team, Stella Maris Kenya have grown their reach across both Mombasa and Lamu Port in Malindi, as well as Nakuru and Homa Bay. With the support of The Seafarers’ Charity, we are pleased to have the resource to support this expansion and drive their work forwards.

Since September last year, Margaret Masibo, National Director of Stella Maris Kenya, and her team have provided invaluable support to the crew of the abandoned fishing vessel, FV Ra-Horakthty. When she first went onboard the crew had had no fresh food or water for several days and were starving to death. They had no money and could not disembark from the ship as they did not have papers to be in Kenya. Margaret supported them with a cooked meal; supplies of food and drink; and access to wi-fi so they could contact friends and family; as well as putting pressure on the shipping company to provide support, helping find legal representation for the men and liaising with the relevant embassies for them to go home. Tragically, abandonments such as this are becoming all too common. Support such as this is hugely important in helping to ensure that abandoned seafarers and fishers get the help they need, for as long as they need it. (Watch our webinar on Seafarer Abandonment in which Margaret was a panellist)

Margaret said, “We are grateful to The Seafarers’ Charity for their support of our work. This grant will make a huge difference to the lives of the seafarers and their families whom we help.  

Support from this grant will enable us to grow and solidify our national ship visiting and crew welfare programme across Mombasa, Malindi, Nakuru and Homa Bay, helping more than 18,600 seafarers and their family members throughout the year who are struggling with loneliness, exhaustion, bullying and exploitation. We will provide them with help when they need it most.

Without the support of The Seafarers’ Charity, we would not be able to be there for seafarers in need and we wish to thank them for their grant which helps make our work possible.” 

We’d like to share with you the first Annual Report of Stella Maris South Africa, put together by Fr Rico Talisic, Stella Maris National Director and Cape Town port chaplain. The report covers the period between April 2021 and March 2022.

During this time, Fr Rico has been appointed as the new National Director and Stella Maris South Africa also received a new Bishop Promoter, Bp Vincent Mduduzi Zungu OMI who represents Stella Maris South Africa at the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC).

Stella Maris port chaplains and volunteers tried their best to reach out to more seafarers and fishers during this period. Since April 2021, 570 ships had been visited across the ports of Durban, Richards Bay, and Cape Town. On these ship visits, 1,684 seafarers and fishers had been visited and assisted. In addition, Cape Town had visited 48 hospitalised and quarantined seafarers and fishers due to Covid-19 protocols.

You can find more detail and read case studies and get insights from the pdf document below.

Stella Maris, the Catholic Church’s outreach to seafarers and fishers and their families, will strengthen its global network to become even more effective advocates of the people of the sea.

Delegates attending the charity’s 25th World Congress in Glasgow, Scotland from October 3 to 5 reaffirmed their shared faith and values to stand with the people of the sea in the challenges they face at sea and on shore.

This shared faith stirs us into action, said Stella Maris UK CEO and Europe regional coordinator, Martin Foley. Stella Maris exists to love the people of the sea, its staff, volunteers, and all the people with whom the charity works.

“We strive to serve the people of the sea, the maritime sector, the Church, and all stakeholders, with integrity. We have great strength in the diversity of our teams globally. Being from the communities we serve, and working and living alongside them, gives us an enhanced understanding of the challenges they face” he said.

Nearly 200 port chaplains, regional and national coordinators, ship visitors and volunteers from 25 countries, plus officials from the Holy See, attended the Congress which marked the charity’s 102nd anniversary where Stella Maris was founded in Glasgow.

Use of technology
We need to communicate the work we do more effectively, in shining the light on injustices and abuses taking place within the maritime and fisheries sectors, including abandonment of seafarers, modern slavery and trafficking, said Martin.

“In order to do this, we need more than anecdotes, so we will continue efforts to promote the use of a common Stella Maris database that records our activity on ships, fishing vessels, hospital visitations, and elsewhere. 

“The database, which was set up by Stella Maris UK, and is being currently used in the UK and countries including Kenya, South Africa and in Europe, will be transformative, and help us communicate better internally and with the media, industry regulators and authorities,” he added.

Ukraine
Stella Maris International Director Fr Bruno Ciceri said Stella Maris will continue its support for the seafarers, fishers and families affected by the war on Ukraine.

As the war drags on, Stella Maris chaplains are working to support the immediate needs of these seafarers and their families.

The charity’s Ukraine national director Fr Alexander Smerechynskyy is involved in providing support to the families of Ukrainian seafarers. Fr Alexander and his colleague Rostyslav Inzhestoikov have been working alongside seafarers and are being a source of good counsel and support to their families when their loved ones are away at sea.

“However, there is now increasing demands for mental health support from Ukrainian seafarers and their families suffering trauma, worry and fear during the ongoing war, so the charity is putting in place a new programme of medium to long-term support from professional psychologists in Ukraine.

“The platform will provide a programme of remote, ongoing psychological consultation for those most in need,” said Fr Bruno.

Fr Bruno added that Stella Maris is greatly encouraged by the message Pope Francis sent on the occasion of the World Congress, which urges the charity to never waver in highlighting issues affecting seafarers and fishers, and to voice-out challenges faced by the maritime community.

* To see more photos go to https://www.flickr.com/photos/apostleshipofthesea/albums/72177720302598251