Author: Sarah Eustace

Around 80 people gathered at St Mary Immaculate Church at a Mass organised by Apostleship of the Sea (AoS) in Falmouth on September 26 to pray for seafarers and to celebrate the feast of Our Lady Star of the Sea, Stella Maris. Fr Brian Kenwrick was the main celebrant.
             Dean of Cornwall Fr Peter Morgan concelebrated Mass. AoS Wales & West Country Senior Regional Port Chaplain Rev Roger Stone BEM was in attendance. 
             Mass was attended by AoS Plymouth & Teignmouth Port Chaplain Ann Donnelly, AoS Falmouth & Fowey Port Chaplain John Pinhay, AoS ship visitors, parish contacts, supporters, volunteers, head office staff and local parishioners.
             Also present was a group of crew members from the ship The World. Fr Peter commissioned two new AoS ship visitors during Mass – Hannah Forrest (ship visitor for the Ports of Plymouth) and Evelyn Magennis (Port of Teignmouth). Hannah and Evelyn, along with other AoS ship visitors in the Diocese provide pastoral and practical support and a listening ear to seafarers arriving at ports in Devon and Cornwall. 

              In his homily, Fr Brian, whose father served in the Royal Navy for 29 years, said Our Lady Star of the Sea has special meaning and significance to seafarers and the AoS. 
              He said, “Inspired by the Blessed Virgin, AoS provides pastoral and practical support to seafarers via their port chaplains and ship visitors in ports around the world. 
              “Members of AoS, inspired by the example of Mary, make themselves available to serve seafarers and serve their families. Many seafarers who AoS help are often vulnerable powerless and helpless, a long way from home in need of a friendly face and a helping hand.” Fr Brian added,
              “So often seafarers have a natural awareness of the presence of God and look to Mary, Star of the Sea, to guide them to a safe harbour. Our Lady’s care, love and concern for seafarers does not cease when they arrive at port. This love continues to them as expressed and proclaimed by the AoS.
              “We give thanks to our seafarers who do so very much to bring the necessities of life to our country and for AoS who show God’s love to them and their families.” 
              A reception was held after Mass in the church hall.

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Words and photos by Keith Morris
A Mass to pray for seafarers and the work of Apostleship of the Sea (AoS) was held at St John the Baptist Cathedral Norwich on October 1. 
             The Stella Maris Mass, in honour of Our Lady Star of the Sea, was celebrated by Bishop Alan Hopes and attended by AoS port chaplains, volunteers, supporters, head office staff, trustees and local parishioners. 
             In his homily, Bishop Alan spoke of Mary as the lodestar of travellers, all pilgrims making their way home to God. 
             “She is the special patron and lodestar of all seafarers – who turn to her in their challenging work as they travel the world by sea and as they face all the difficulties and frustrations of working away from their families and loved ones for such long spells,” said Bishop Alan. 
             "Tonight we come to return thanks to God for the work of the Apostleship of the Sea and to pray for those of you who work in East Anglian ports such as Felixstowe, King’s Lynn and Lowestoft, as chaplains and volunteers, serving the needs of those who work at sea for long stretches, many of whom are Catholic. 

             “I have seen you at work in a service that has touched the hearts of so many seafarers. You befriend and respond to the immediate needs of those who come ashore for short intervals – particularly being able to connect them with their families, to provide them with a shelter in the chaplaincy and assist them to get rest and refreshment.
             “I know that you and local priests also assist them in their spiritual needs so that their faith is renewed and strengthened. I know that you pray for them and offer Mass for them. They know and welcome the power and strength of your prayer and your love,” said Bishop Alan. 
             After Mass, the congregation enjoyed refreshments in the Narthex, courtesy of AoS. East Anglia Ports Chaplain, Patricia Ezra, spoke about her personal experiences of her first year or so in the role. 
             “I have experienced the sad and the bizarre and everything in-between,” said Pat. “But the seafarers are almost always pleased to see you and greet you with a big smile and a welcome. The look in their eyes when they see that someone is interested in them, and occasionally they will ask you to pray for them or organise a Mass. Your support to enable me to do this is absolutely vital. It is a very simple ministry at one level but it makes such an enormous difference to them.”
* More photos can be seen on our Flickr site here. 
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Apostleship of the Sea (AoS) made many friends on their recent visit to St Teresa Newarthill, and none more so than Parish Priest Fr. Bill Bergin. 
              Volunteer Gerry Bradshaw and AoS Scotland Development Officer, Euan McArthur, spoke at both Masses in the Motherwell Diocese parish and raised £431.45 on the weekend of September 8 & 9.
              Fr Bill Bergin, who will make the journey to the Capital to be in attendance at the Stella Maris Mass in St Mary’s Cathedral in Edinburgh on the evening of Monday 24 September, praised AoS for all they do in supporting seafarers. 
              Fr Bergin said, “We are very happy to offer our fullest support as a parish. A lot of AoS’ efforts are perhaps unseen, but we must appreciate how important they are in helping seafarers who are vital to our economy.” 
              AoS will return close to the Newarthill area next month. Sea Sunday will take place in St John Bosco , New Stevenston, and Christ the King, Holytown thanks to Fr. Gerry Haddock who has invited the charity to speak about our work on the final weekend of October.

 
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A Mass to pray for seafarers and to commemorate the feast of Our Lady Star of the Sea was held in Our Lady of Victories Church on October 2. 
              Bishop John Wilson was the main celebrant at Mass which was organised by Catholic seafarers’ charity Apostleship of the Sea (AoS). Monsignor Roger Reader and Fr David Burke concelebrated Mass.
              AoS trustees, parish contacts, volunteers and supporters came together at the Mass to pray for seafarers who bring up to 95 percent of goods into the UK, from the clothes we wear to the foods we eat. 
              Prayers were also offered for the ministry of AoS which provides spiritual and practical support to seafarers. 
              In his homily, Bishop John spoke about his visit to the Port of Immingham in 2012 when he was then Administrator of the Diocese of Leeds, and celebrated Mass for the Filipino crew of a Russian coal ship and blessed the vessel. 

AoS Parish Contact Clifton and wife Elva with Bishop John and Fr David Burke. Photo: Sophie Stanes

              “It was my first experience of the work of the Apostleship of the Sea and the memory of that day, and the people I met, remains with me. 
              “Only during that visit was I struck, really for the first time, by the harsh conditions endured by so many seafarers. Often away from their homes and families for long periods, the reality of their isolation brought home the importance of faith and friendship, two essential dimensions of chaplaincy to those working at sea.” 
              Bishop John said that this enormous international seagoing workforce has an important claim on the Church’s care and advocacy. 
              “As the Lord Jesus first called fishermen into his friendship, so today the Apostleship of the Sea reaches out.” 
              He added it was appropriate that during the Mass we commend AoS’ ministry to the prayerful intercession of Our Blessed Lady Stella Maris, Star of the Sea. 
              “Mary, the guiding star, witnesses that the Lord is with us, even in the storms of life when the waters are choppy. She encourages us to hold a steady course, naming Jesus as our Saviour.”

* More photos available on Flickr here. 

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A Mass of thanksgiving was celebrated by Bishop Terence Drainey at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Middlesbrough on October 3. 
             Mass was organised by Catholic charity Apostleship of the Sea (AoS). During Mass, six AoS ship visitors who provide pastoral support to seafarers in the Humber and Tees region were commissioned by Bishop Terence.
             They are Hugh Ward, Mary Ward, Billy Barnett, Jun Barnett, Roger Worton and Gerry Quinn. 
             AoS Tees Port Chaplain Deacon Peter Barrigan who delivered the homily spoke of how AoS’ ministry was one of brief encounters with seafarers.
             He said, “Our ministry is to be present, and very often deliver little acts of kindness – provide seafarers with phone top-up cards, rosaries, transport into town, but mainly to listen to them.
             "These are brief encounters; as we probably won’t see them again so it’s important to be with them in the moment. We can’t always know where these brief encounters will go but they will be remembered. My own father sailed in the merchant navy and told many stories about the kindness of people he encountered.”

             Deacon Peter added, “Jesus’ ministry a lot of times consists of brief encounters. The Gospel has lots of stories about Jesus spending time with strangers, listening to them, carrying out acts of kindness. 
             He continued, “We at AoS are sent by the Church, commissioned by the Bishop to be Christ to all we meet at ports. We welcome the stranger, are gentle and compassionate with them, and need to be self-giving in our sacrifice. 
             “We are in a privileged position to care for seafarers and do this under the protection of Our Blessed Lady Star of the Sea, Stella Maris.”
             The Mass, which was followed by a reception, was attended by Anne McLaren, AoS Senior Regional Port Chaplain (North East England) and AoS Port Chaplain for Hull & Goole, AoS volunteers from Hull, Tees and Middlesbrough, supporters, parish contacts, head office staff and local parishioners.

* More photos can be viewed on Flickr. 

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Crew members from the tanker Key Fighter have spoken about the shock and sadness of losing two of their colleagues who died following an incident on board the ship in early September. 
              The ship was in ballast from Norway to England and the men were found unconscious on board.  They had been exposed to toxic gas during routine duties on board. 
              The ship management company has said that no technical defects have been detected on the vessel or equipment on board. 
              Wojciech Holub, Port Chaplain from seafarers' charity Apostleship of the Sea (AoS), went on board the ship to provide pastoral support to the grieving crew when they arrived at Erith Port in London.
              Wojciech said, "The crew were terribly distraught and overcome by sadness. One of the dead men was very much a father figure to the crew, while the other was a close friend to several of his crew mates." 
              Some of the Filipino crew members requested that a Catholic chaplain bless the ship so Wojciech blessed the cabins and the cargo hold area. 

              He said, "We prayed together, and I encouraged them to speak about their grief. It was very emotional and several of them broke down in tears during our conversations.
              Wojciech added, "One of the deceased seafarers had been due to retire and was on his final contract of employment. He had joked that he would probably die while at sea. It really was his final voyage." 
              "Another crew member said he found it particularly difficult to accept the situation because he recently lost his son to an illness and had now lost a very close friend." 
              "It was a terrible time for the seafarers, but they were grateful for our presence and reassured by the pastoral support AoS provided," said Wojciech. 
              This incident is one of 60 major cases this year in which AoS has worked with companies when it comes to seafarers' deaths, hospitalisations and other major crew issues.

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A Mass was held in the Cathedral of St Mary & St Helen, Brentwood to commemorate the feast of Our Lady Star of the Sea, Stella Maris and to pray for seafarers and the ministry of Apostleship of the Sea (AoS) which provides spiritual and practical support to seafarers. 
              Bishop Alan Williams was the main celebrant and was assisted by priests from the Diocese. Fr Paul Dynan, parish priest of Our Lady & St Joseph and Our Lady Star of the Sea in Tilbury – which celebrates its centenary this year – gave the homily. 
              In the Diocese of Brentwood, AoS, through its network of port chaplains and ship visitors support seafarers arriving at ports such as Tilbury, London Gateway and Harwich. 
              In his homily Fr Paul recalled how recently, after returning from his holidays, he opened his email inbox to find a request for a Catholic priest to visit a young seafarer on board a ship which was in port for a few days. 

              After visiting the ship, the seafarer told Fr Paul he was feeling better and much relieved, and without any prompting said how grateful he and his seafaring colleagues are for the tremendous support they receive when they come into ports from AoS.
              He added that parishioners from Our Lady Star of the Sea used to welcome and meet seafarers personally in the past when ships docked in port for weeks.
              However, many seafarers spend little time ashore these days because of quick vessel turnaround times. 
              “We need to constantly remind ourselves of the huge debt of thanks we owe to seafarers. They and their families are continuously in our thoughts and prayers,” said Fr Paul. 
              The Mass held on September 20th, was attended by AoS Port Chaplain Patricia Ezra, AoS supporters, volunteers, trustees, head office staff and local parishioners.

* Photos can be viewed here.

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Apostleship of the Sea’s (AoS) ministry of providing friendship and spiritual and material support to seafarers is a great example of the Corporal Works of Mercy, said Archbishop Peter Smith in his homily at the Mass of Our Blessed Virgin Mary Stella Maris held in St George’s Cathedral. 
              Archbishop Peter was the main celebrant at the Mass, held on September 21, to commemorate the feast of our Lady Star of the Sea, and to pray for seafarers.
              It was attended by AoS supporters, donors, volunteers, trustees, port chaplains, parish contacts, knitters, well-wishers, head office staff and local parishioners. 
              AoS port chaplain and ship visitors’ welcome seafarers at ports in Great Britain, providing care and friendship to them.

Photo: Maria Brosnan              
              In Southwark Diocese, AoS port chaplains and ship visitors reach out to seafarers in the ports of Gravesend, Sheerness, Dover and Medway. 
              “We know the enormous contribution that seafarers make to the global economy. However, life at sea often means long periods of separation from family and community,” said Archbishop Peter. 
              He added that nowadays, ships are in and out of the port in a matter of hours, which made it challenging for seafarers to keeping in touch with their families. 
              Hence having someone they can talk to from AoS is a great support and comfort to many seafarers. 
              “We thank all of you who support the AoS and those who provide financial support, without which their Works of Mercy cannot continue,” said Archbishop Peter. 
              “We ask the intercession of Our Blessed Virgin Mother for all seafarers and for the flourishing of AoS as AoS moves towards their centenary in 2020. God bless you in the work you do and keep it up,” he added.

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Here's an article about our Scotland Bishop Promoter, Stephen Robson, which appeared in the Scottish Catholic Observer on 6 July 2018. Words by Euan McArthur. 

Stephen Robson loved listening to stories of how Apostleship of the Sea helped seafarers. Now, as the charity's Bishop Promoter for Scotland, he finds himself moved every time he witnesses first-hand their mission being carried out. 
              Robson was often regaled by anecdotes from his predecessor, Bishop Peter Moran, whom he replaced in February 2015 and since then he's embraced uncharted waters to the extent he's brimming with passion to improve the plight of many who venture out to sea to earn a living.
              It didn't take long for the Bishop of Dunkeld to grasp just how vital a role he'd assumed in endeavouring to assist those arriving on these shores, something he's experienced in his own Diocese when foreign sailors are taken to Mass in St Andrew's Cathedral, Dundee by volunteer ship-visitors. 
              As parishes prepare to celebrate Sea Sunday around the country today and acknowledge the reliance of everyday goods which arrive by sea but can sometimes be taken for granted, Robson feels privileged to be a leading advocate for AoS here in Scotland, where it all started almost 100 years ago. 
           
              He recalled: "Our previous promoter, Bishop Peter Moran, is a very good friend of mine. He used to speak so warmly and happily about Apostleship of the Sea. 
              "To be honest, I didn't really know all that much about AoS before being appointed Bishop Promoter for Scotland, other than the fact it was founded in Glasgow and the kind of general work it done, but soon began to realise how important a mission it is. 
              "You just have to look at the number of seafarers who're Catholic and come to this country from places like India and the Philippines, and a lot of these men leave their families back home to come away and work for a long period of time. 
              "Not everyone is impervious to feelings of loneliness. Some of the guys are struggling a bit. We've got ship visitors who bring them to Mass and it's just nice to meet them and have a chat. 
              "It struck me as incredibly important how much work is done to help these people keep in contact with their families, especially when they are experiencing difficulties in communications. 
              "There is somebody there to try and defend them when things go wrong. 
              "We only need to look as far as the crew of Indian lads from the Malaviya Seven who were left stranded in Aberdeen not so long after their ship owners went bust and gave up on them. 
              "It strikes me that there's a lot of abuse among some vulnerable seafarers in a foreign land when it comes to issues of pay, justice and sickness. 
              "Apostleship of the Sea is so good about that, assisting them practically and spiritually. 
              "What happens if a seafarer's wife dies or one of their children takes ill? They need emotional support from AoS Chaplains." 

              Robson is an ideal fit for AoS. Having spent some of his early Priesthood years in Our Lady of the Waves Church in Dunbar, he's had a natural affinity with the sea from as far back as he can remember. 
              The entire family, in fact, were steeped in a rich seafaring tradition which inevitably brought its own dangers and challenges. 
              He explained: "My Dad had a part-share in a fishing boat when I was a child. 
              "As a kid. we used to go to Dunbar and when I became a Priest, that's where I spent a lot of my time. 
              "I was a wee bit nervous of the Sea when I was a wee boy but Dad had a great love for the Sea as he'd been in the Royal Navy himself and in the War in the Far East. 
              "My great uncle – my grandfather's brother – was a seafarer all his life. He started off as a Cabin boy on Fyffes banana lines.
              "He was 105 when he died. He worked himself up and became the commodore of the fleet. 
              "The interesting thing was when we were growing up, he used to tell us stories about the war when he was in charge of the Atlantic Convoys when they were bringing food and provisions from the United States to our country. 
              "He wrote a book which my Mother has a copy of at home and it reminds us how dangerous that whole mission was. 
              "They were often traced by U-Boats and picked off by aeroplanes. They were constantly in difficulty, quite frightening really." 

              When the opportunity arises, Robson enjoys going on a cruise and is well aware of the growing presence of AoS from his travels across the world. 
              From its humble origins back in 1920 when it was founded on the banks of the River Clyde in Glasgow, the Catholic charity now has a presence in over 300 ports worldwide and that's a fact which fills him with much satisfaction, although he's been forced to endure some frustration as well. 
              "One of the thing which impresses me is the fact it's an international organisation and one that's growing," said Robson. 
              "Actually, last year I was in Taiwan, Japan and Korea. The first thing I saw when I stepped off the ship in Korea was Apostleship of the Sea. 
              "Korea has quite a large Catholic population and I saw it as well in Nagasaki in Japan. It's genuinely very impressive to see AoS so widespread in its work. 
              "I just love being by the Sea and have been on cruises for the last eight years. 
              "We used to go with one particular cruise-line which I won't mention. There were six Priests and we always liked to provide a Sunday Mass for the people on board because very few cruise-lines have resident chaplains for Sunday's.
              "We used to say a Mass for the crew at about 11pm, Midnight or even 1am as that was the only time they were able to attend, particularly the Indians and the Filipinos who worked such long hours and were desperate to go. 
              "But they stopped that as well and really we've had increasing difficulty over the years to say Mass. 
              "The first thing I actually noticed was the stuff we used like the chasuble for the Mass was supplied by Apostleship of the Sea. But they weren't allowing us to say Mass onboard the ship which I found quite sad. 
              "At one time they must have allowed it, because the vestment from AoS is quite distinctive. You couldn't help but notice it."  

              Closer to home, the World Congress is coming to Glasgow in 2020 to mark AoS' centenary, providing the opportunity to celebrate its past while looking to the future. 
              During the month of September, Scotland hosts four Stella Maris Masses and their Bishop Promoter led their celebrations for the inaugural Mass in St Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh last year. 
              Robson said: "We've starting expanding the annual celebrations to raise the profile. 
              "We have our Stella Maris Masses in all the big cities in Scotland once a year to highlight the importance of the mission. After all, we have big Ports here in Aberdeen and Grangemouth where there's a lot of oil commerce and merchant shipping. 
              "It's very important now that we have Masses in Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dundee and Edinburgh and we've also expanded our mission into Argyll and the Isles. 
              "We're hoping our centenary celebrations in 2020 will broaden things even further, and we're looking for support from our parishes. 
              "The Sea Sunday collection isn't always taken up but hopefully that changes. It would be great if everyone in Scotland was not only aware of the mission, but the fact it was started here. It's something which has been exported which we should be proud of. 
              "What we want is for everyone to celebrate that with as much verve and enthusiasm as possible." 

* More on this story can be found at http://www.sconews.co.uk/feature/55879/the-stars-of-the-seas/ 

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Here's an extract from an article about our ship visitor Mary Wheeler which appeared in the Scottish Catholic Observer on 21 September 2018. Words by Euan McArthur.
 
Mary Wheeler was enjoying retirement until one day her attention was grasped. On hearing an appeal on behalf of Apostleship of the Sea, she has since spent much of her free time helping seafarers. 
             Having previously enjoyed a career as a Primary School teacher, the last three years have proved just as rewarding and quite different from anything she might have envisaged doing once she'd finished her duties in the classroom. 
             Mary assists seafarers who arrive in the Port of Greenock both practically and spiritually. For someone whose only connection with the sea beforehand was enjoying a cruise abroad with her husband, Russell, she has thrown herself into this special ministry. 
             During the month of September when Stella Maris Masses are celebrated throughout Scotland, Mary reflects on her recent experiences which have surprised even herself. 
             "My life has changed being a ship-visitor," revealed Mary. 
             "I had no idea about anything which the Apostleship of the Sea did to help seafarers. 
             "It wasn't until I heard Joe O'Donnell – our Senior Regional Port Chaplain for Scotland – speaking in St Mungo's, Glasgow one Sunday about the mission that it made me think. 
             "I had just retired and thought that sounds good to me. I would liked to get involved. 
             "So I really went into it totally blind. Joe asked me would you like to do some ship-visiting? 
             "My first visit was with him in the Port of Grangemouth. It was a familiarisation exercise and it turned out it was a whole loads of guys he knew well and had built up a relationship with. 
             "Immediately, I thought I can do this and hopefully help these seafarers. It's been a great experience." 

             Mary has been helped along the way by AoS who've sponsored her to assist with efforts to support those who arrive in these very shores, often thousands of miles from their families. 
             A parishioner of St Michael's, Dumbarton, Mary has swapped the art of teaching in favour of a quiet presence to aid the average seafarer. 
             She explained: "The Apostleship of the Sea are sponsoring my Catechetics course – a theology course run by the Archdiocese. 
             "When I am commissioned next year, I will be commissioned to work with the Apostleship of the Sea – not with a parish as such. 
             "I have found the course very interesting. The purpose is to bring the parish to the seafarers in the Body of Christ. 
             "About six months ago, it donned on me. I'm a Eucharistic Minister so why am I not taking Communion to these guys? 
             "The first time I went on with the Eucharist, I thought this is not going to be a case of sitting down with a Crucifix and a pair of candles. 
             "There was one Filipino chap – the cook on a particular ship – and I asked him if he would like to receive the Eucharist, to which he replied yes. 
             "He put his ladle down and joined his hands over his soup and he just looked at me. So we did the Our Father as well as an act of contrition. He then picked up his ladle and went back on with his work. That was it." 
             
             While seafarers can face many difficulties and anxieties on being cut off from loved ones for nine months at a time, there needs to be someone capable of lifting their spirits at the other end.
             An easy-going individual by nature, Mary is an ideal fit and is taken by seafarers who happily share with her stories from back home. 
             "I do leave a ship with a sense of satisfaction," says Mary. "As most of these guys are normally in their mid-30's and early 40's, what I find is they love to tell me about their families and take out pictures. 
             "Maybe it's because I'm a woman, but I do think they find I have an easy way about me and a bright way. You can't go on there all dour-faced. 
             "Michael O'Connor, our other ship visitor in the Greenock area, is exactly the same. He's up for a bit of a laugh when the time's right and is light-hearted in his approach. 
             "As such an experienced ex-seafarer whose been ship-visiting for so many years, I've learnt so much from Michael. I've now got people in St Michael's, Dumbarton saying are you going ship-visiting today Mary?" 
             As well as her pastoral work, Mary is accomplished in giving appeals on Sea Sunday, and recently did so in her own parish in July. 
             She finds her efforts have fired the imagination of those nearby and is the first to admit even the closest person in her own life has been taken aback by the lengths she's prepared to go to bring seafarers' assistance. 
             She said: "People have come up to me after making an appeal in Mass on Sea Sunday, and asked is it dangerous being a ship-visitor going on and off the ship? 
             "I reassured them that it's not because you are always in pairs. The guys – who're mainly Filipino, Indonesian, or Eastern European, are just lovely. 
             "They're well-mannered, respectful and appreciative of what we're doing. The only time I had ever met another Filipino was on a Cruise Ship.
             "That was my solitary connection with the sea prior to my involvement with the AoS. I actually wouldn't go on a boat that wouldn't take my car. 
             "I took a picture once of the accommodation ladder and showed it to my husband, Russell. He'd never known me to scale that sort of height in my life but, of course, I explained I have to in order to get on the ship."

* The article can be found at http://www.sconews.co.uk/opinion/56492/helping-sailors-from-ship-to-shore/

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