Stella Maris is reiterating the need to get back to basics in crew welfare provision ahead of World Maritime Day 2021 which carries the theme ‘Seafarers: At The Core of Shipping’s Future’.

As the world emerges from Covid-19, the charity is increasing its efforts to provide personal, human connection with seafarers via face-to-face ship visits in port.

“This year’s theme is an excellent reminder that seafarers really are at the heart of world trade and are frontline heroes. Despite the growth in digital welfare provision made necessary by the pandemic, the issues faced by seafarers still persist – abandonment, crew change difficulties, lack of shore leave, non-payment of wages and piracy,” Stella Maris Chief Executive Martin Foley said.

He added, “In our experience nothing can replace the face-to-face friendship and care provided by our chaplains and ship visitors. Because of this, seafarers know us, trust us and look for us in ports.”

Stella Maris is also building on its partnerships with ship managers, owners, P&I clubs and legal firms, all of which are vital in ensuring the right assistance is given to seafarers in a timely manner, and in times of crisis.

For the third successive year, Stella Maris’ international work to support seafarers in the UK and across the world is being sponsored by Britannia P&I Club on World Maritime Day.

During this period Stella Maris’ global network of chaplains and ship visitors have made thousands of routine visits to vessels, talking to tens of thousands of seafarers and providing them with MiFi (mobile WiFi) units, phone SIM cards, clothing, food and toiletries. The charity has been able to respond efficiently to requests for assistance from crew on board vessels as far and wide as Japan, Morocco, South Korea and USA.

“Stella Maris is hugely grateful for the significant and sustained support by Britannia which enables it to make a significant impact on the welfare and wellbeing of seafarers,” said the charity’s Head of Corporate Engagement and Partnerships Ian Stokes.

“Britannia is delighted to continue to support the vital work of Stella Maris to help seafarers in ports around the world. The past year or so has been especially challenging for seafarers and the support provided by charities like Stella Maris is more important than ever to support the welfare and wellbeing of crew,” Ella Hagell, Claims Director, Britannia P&I.

For more details about Stella Maris and supporting the charity please contact: [email protected] or phone +44 (0)7732 682090 or visit www.stellamaris.org.uk

Around 11,500 seafarers will benefit from support in the ports of Cape Town, Durban, Richards Bay and soon in Port Elizabeth after Stella Maris South Africa was awarded a substantial grant by The Seafarers’ Charity.  

This grant will enable Stella Maris to continue supporting seafarers across these four ports through the local port chaplains and ship and hospital 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. 

Our programmes also include the empowerment of and access to employment for seafarers through training and educational programmes; 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.  

Plans to develop the work of Stella Maris in South Africa over the past year were slowed by Covid-19 and national lockdowns. Meanwhile the need for this work has only grown amidst the backdrop of the Crew Change Crisis. With the support of The Seafarers’ Charity we are pleased to have the resource to drive this work forwards.   

In May, Fr Rico Talisic, one of our port chaplains in Cape Town, provided invaluable support to the crew of a fishing vessel after a crew member jumped overboard and drowned. He was only 24 years old. Three of the crew witnessed the suicide and the entire crew were deeply shaken by the incident. Fr Rico supported them with a listening ear and looked after their spiritual needs offering prayers and blessings. Support such as this is hugely important in preventing other crew members becoming depressed and suicidal themselves. 

Fr Herman Gerardo, National Director for Stella Maris South Africa, said, “We are grateful to The Seafarers’ Charity for their ongoing 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 continue carrying out our national ship visiting and crew welfare programme across the ports of Cape Town, Durban, Richard’s Bay, and Port Elizabeth (where Stella Maris will soon have a presence) helping more than 11,500 seafarers throughout the year who are struggling with loneliness, exhaustion, bullying and exploitation. We provide them with help when they need it the 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 makes our work possible.” 

Stella Maris is delighted to be among four seafarer charities to have received a donation from insurance company Britannia P&I ahead of the International Day of the Seafarer on June 25th.

Stella Maris CEO Martin Foley said, “Stella Maris’ global seafarer support network of 1,000 ship-visiting volunteers and chaplains visits hundreds of Britannia members’ vessels annually to assist and support their crews. Britannia’s consistent support over the years and its generous and much appreciated sponsorship of Stella Maris operations on International Day of the Seafarer on 25th June, enables our support for seafarers to grow as the demands and pressures on them increase.”

You can read a full press release issued by Britannia here at https://britanniapandi.com/2021/06/britannia-pi-makes-donations-to-four-seafarer-charities/

Fr Paulo Prigol, Stella Maris Manila Port Chaplain celebrated the first live-streamed Mass broadcast direct to seafarers on Isle of Man registered ships.

Mass was beamed through the Isle of Man Ship Registry’s new seafarer welfare app, and by teaming up with Stella Maris, Mass will be available live to 10,000 seafarers and 400 ships sailing under its flag.

Below is a press release issued by the company.

The Isle of Man Ship Registry has become the first flag state to broadcast a Mass direct to crew aboard its ships.

Isle of Man Ship Registry director Cameron Mitchell said the Masses are being made possible through its new seafarer welfare app ‘Crew Matters’, which has been developed in partnership with Liverpool-based training company Tapiit Live.

The app enabled the Mass to be beamed live from a church in Manila in the Philippines with technical support from Tapiit’s UK team. The Mass was held by Father Paulo Prigol, the chaplain of Stella Maris Manila, who is part of the Scalabrinian Missionaries which is responsible for seafarer welfare.

Mr Mitchell said the Mass was a success and the registry planned to stage a Mass each weekend which will be available to all catholic crew among the 10,000 seafarers and 400 ships sailing under its flag.

Mr Mitchell said the ultimate aim will be to offer religious services to seafarers of all faiths and denominations where there is a demand.

Ian Stokes, Head of Corporate Engagement and Partnerships at Stella Maris, said: “Faith is a very important part of life for many seafarers and it has taken on additional significance under the current conditions.

“Seafarers have been under increased pressure during the pandemic and have additional concerns for their families from whom they have been separated for many months, sometimes years. Not being able to practice their faith ashore due to Covid restrictions has removed an invaluable facet to their coping and wellbeing strategies, so having access to Mass through the Isle of Man App is a superb innovation. We are delighted to be a part of this ground-breaking venture.”

Mr Mitchell said the app is designed to encourage seafarers to spend less time alone in their cabin.  He said functions include providing social activities such as live gym workouts to Tapiit’s award-winning training classes.

“The app provides structured welfare support for the seafarer, ranging from a health and wellbeing self-help library that includes nutritional advice, through to Tapiit Live’s interactive support sessions,” he said.

“Users will have access to a full month’s agenda of physical and mental wellbeing classes and educational trainings, including fitness and yoga sessions. Seafarers can also log their work and rest hours, and if they feel stressed or unwell there is a live SOS function which provides immediate access to the Seafarers Help Live Chat, which is free, confidential and available 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week. In addition, the app connects to Stella Maris and enables seafarers to find contact details for its chaplains in 54 countries.”

On a practical level, Cameron said the app also tackles the problem of storing seafarer documentation in one place, as well as providing a link to trade union Nautilus with details of membership, news, careers, and jobs and training opportunities.  He said the app contains a wealth of information from the ship registry including the master’s handbook, shipping notices, IOMSR news feeds, marine traffic and local port services.

Pope Francis has voiced his concern for stranded seafarers affected by the crew change crisis and urged governments to do all they can to repatriate them. 

In his Angelus address yesterday (20th December), the Holy Father said, “The coronavirus pandemic has caused particular distress to seafarers. Many of them – an estimated 400,000 worldwide – are stuck on the ships beyond the terms of their contracts and are unable to return home.  

“I ask the Virgin Mary, Stella Maris, to comfort these people and all those who live in difficult situations, and I urge governments to do everything possible so that they can return to their loved ones.” 

In June, Pope Francis sent a video message of encouragement to seafarers, acknowledging the difficulties they face as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

The Holy Father also dedicated his prayer intention for the month of August to people of the sea, asking the faithful to pray for seafarers, fishers, and their families. 

The Pope’s comments yesterday came as Catholic churches in many parts of the UK celebrated “Sea Sunday”: the day every year when church communities remember, pray for and support seafarers and fishers through the work of seafarers’ charity Stella Maris (formerly known as Apostleship of the Sea).

So far 45 countries have designated seafarers as key workers, which has helped alleviate the ongoing crew change crisis brought about by national border closures, visa restrictions, airline cancellations and other challenges which have prevented seafarers from returning home.

Martin Foley, chief executive of the charity said that, whilst the progress so far is encouraging, more governments needed to step up and make crew change a priority. 

“Seafarers are among the heroes of this pandemic and we are grateful to Pope Francis for highlighting their plight. Unfortunately, because of the current situation, many who have finished their contracts will not be able to make it home for Christmas to be with their families,” he said. 

This has left a psychological toll on many seafarers, Martin added. He said for its part, Stella Maris continues to visit seafarers on ships, when permitted, or meet them at the gangway, with social distancing in place. 

“It’s important seafarers know that they are not forgotten, especially at this time of year, and that we are there to support them”. 

See our Sea Sunday resources and appeal video at: https://www.stellamaris.org.uk/sea-sunday/

After the Angelus on Sunday 18th October, the Holy Father turned his thoughts to the captured Italian, Indonesian, Senegalese and Tunisian crew members, and said, “I would like to address a word of encouragement and support to the fishers stopped for more than a month in Libya and to their families. By entrusting themselves to Mary, Star of the Sea, they may keep alive the hope that soon they will be able to embrace their loved ones”.

Before concluding the Angelus, Pope Francis once again mentioned the men’s plight and expressed his closeness to their families, asking those present in St Peter’s Square to pray in silence together for the fishers and for peace in Libya.

The fishing boats “Antartide” and “Medinea” were captured by the militias of General Haftar, about 35 miles north of Benghazi, in international waters (disputed between Italy and Libya) in a stretch of sea within the so-called EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone) that Libya unilaterally established in 2005 and which extends for 62 miles beyond the 12 conventional miles of national territorial waters.

The vessels’ owners and the fishers’ families have appealed to the Italian government and done everything possible to bring their loved ones’ home.  In the past weeks Monsignor Domenico Mogavero, Bishop of Mazara del Vallo, met the family members of the 18 fishers several times, expressing closeness and concrete support from the Church to the families.

Since its foundation one hundred years ago on 4th October 1920, Stella Maris has always upheld the dignity of seafarers and fishers, and considers it appalling that the 18 fishers, who were at work to support their family, are criminalised and detained away from their loved ones for weeks now.

Stella Maris said, “These fishers are caught up, through no fault of theirs, in a complicated political game that transcends themselves and their hard work. We express solidarity with the fishers and their families and hope for a resolution soon.”

One of the fishing vessels owners told Stella Maris he felt reassured after hearing the Holy Father’s address. “The Pope’s words strengthen our hope and were a comfort for our heart,” he said.

The mother of one of the captured fishers added, “The Pope’s words have warmed our hearts and we hope that they can also reach the Libyans so that soon we can embrace our loved ones again.”