Tag: seafarers

New Stella Maris chaplain appointed for UK Southern region ports

Stella Maris UK has appointed Luke Phillips as its Regional Port Chaplain for Southern Ports and Cruise Chaplaincy Coordinator.

Luke will be responsible for providing practical, pastoral, and spiritual support to seafarers in the ports of Southampton, Portsmouth, Shoreham, Fawley, Poole, Portland, Weymouth, Channel Islands, & Isle of Wight. In addition to his port chaplaincy duties, he will also take on national responsibility for coordinating Stella Maris’ cruise chaplaincy work, supporting chaplains at sea and helping ensure that Catholic crew members have access to the Sacraments while on board.

“I hope to bring a cheerful face, a listening ear, and a reliable source of support in the southern ports, providing as much help as is needed to seafarers and fishers practically, pastorally and spiritually,” says Luke.

“And as cruise chaplain coordinator, I will be building upon the network Stella Maris already has in place to support cruise chaplains at sea so that they can deliver appropriate practical and pastoral care to the crews on board. This is a crucial part of Stella Maris’ cruise ministry – not only do we provide pastoral care to the many hundreds of workers on these ships, we also deliver Mass and Sacrament’s during Easter and Christmas,” he adds.

Luke is an active parishioner of Sacred Heart, Bournemouth (Bournemouth Oratory in Formation). He serves in the sanctuary at Mass and is an active Brother of the Secular Oratory. His faith was a driving factor in his decision to join Stella Maris. His call to chaplaincy became clearer following a visit to the port of Southampton where he met with Deacon Nick O’Neill, Senior Area Port Chaplain for the South of England & Wales, and fellow chaplain, Gregory Hogan, Port Chaplain for Southern Ports.

“After praying for some time, I realised this is the work God has laid out for me and what I must do, where I could best serve seafarers and fishers and the Church.”

Before joining Stella Maris, Luke served as a Corporal in the Royal Marines for eight years. In 2009, he started a career in maritime security provision taking on key roles including Maritime Operations Officer, Anti-Piracy Team Leader, Security Manager, and Regional Operations Manager in complex global environments.

One of his job functions was to provide best management practice advice on vessel hardening measures and armed protection for commercial shipping encountering the threat of Somali Piracy.

The skills and qualifications Luke earned during his long-term career gives him a deep understanding of the challenges that seafarers face currently, given the heightened security and geopolitical tensions globally.

True to his nature of always being in service to others, Luke spends his free time with several fellowship and prayer groups. He leads a Catholic Men’s Group in Dorset and participates in pilgrimages. Last year, he joined the Latin Mass Society on pilgrimage from the Cathedral City of Ely to Walsingham National Shrine. He also participated in the Marian Franciscans pilgrimage from Canterbury to Ramsgate.

His other pursuits away from work include attending Holy Hours, spiritual reading, the outdoors and spending time with family.

Stella Maris UK CEO Tim Hill welcomed Luke’s appointment: “Luke brings not only professional expertise but also a deep personal commitment to the mission of Stella Maris. We are confident he will bring great strength to our chaplaincy team, offering meaningful support to the men and women who work at sea, and strengthening our cruise chaplaincy ministry.”

Seafarers should not have to choose between shore leave and rest

No One Should Have to Choose Between Shore Leave and Rest – Stella Maris UK Urges ILO Action.

As the International Labour Organization (ILO) meets to consider changes to the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) this week, leading maritime charity Stella Maris UK  is calling for urgent protections to stop seafarers being forced to choose between shore leave and adequate rest, a decision that no seafarer should have to make. 

“This should never be a choice,” said Tim Hill, CEO of Stella Maris UK. “But for many crew, it’s an unacceptable reality.  We regularly meet seafarers who are either denied shore leave on vague ‘operational’ grounds, or are too exhausted to go ashore even when permitted.” 

 A recent International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) report backs up what Stella Maris chaplains and ship visitors witness daily: shore leave is becoming harder to access, and many seafarers are sacrificing it out of necessity – not choice – due to relentless working hours. 

In one case, a crew was told not to leave the ship as they were needed to receive provisions – despite already working long hours.  In another, a crew on a detained vessel was denied shore leave for two weeks and told to keep working until repairs were complete.  When visited by a Stella Maris chaplain, they were visibly exhausted, demoralised and morale was very low. 

Elsewhere, crews showed signs of severe fatigue and deteriorating mental health.  One seafarer resigned due to stress, while others were considering breaking their contracts just to get home. 

“There are many ship operators who do the right thing and put crew welfare first,” Hill added. “But the erosion of shore leave and disregard for meaningful rest are having a clear and dangerous impact on crew wellbeing.  Without stronger safeguards and consistent enforcement, unsafe working conditions risk becoming the norm.  Adequate rest and access to shore leave must be treated as operational essentials, not optional extras. 

Stella Maris UK is calling on the ILO to  strengthen protections and tighten enforcement to ensure that seafarers don’t have to choose between rest and their right to shore leave.