Petroleum Problems

 

Diocesan Priest serves Cruise Ship Passengers and Crew while on Vacation

Courtesy: Western New York Catholic 

Diocese of Buffalo, NY

            However, with the rise of air travel, and the decline of passenger ships, the role of the passenger ship chaplain ceased being a separate work of the Church, and became part of the ministry of the Apostleship of the Sea. Pope John Paul II reaffirmed this combined ministry in 1997, when he promulgated the motu proprio Stella Maris. There he states that AOS is to minister to seafarers. He then defines seafarers as "those actually on board merchant ships or fishing vessels, and all who for whatever reason have undertaken a voyage by ship."

            For more than ten years, the cruise industry has been one of the fastest growing segment of the maritime industry. Every year, new and larger vessels are launched and put into service. With the growth of the industry, the Church has grown in its awareness of its need to offer pastoral care to the growing number of Catholics who are cruise line passengers and seafarers.

            Participation by priests in the AOS is voluntary, with the required permission of his bishop.  In our own diocese, Father Mike Burzynski, Pastor of Saint Mary of the Cataract parish in Niagara Falls, has been part of this organization for more than 10 years, and has served on Holland America cruise liners traveling to such places as Alaska, Mexico, South America, Europe and Asia.  Father Burzynski does not pretend that serving with the AOL is not a vacation, in fact, the time he spends aboard ship is time he deducts from his parish vacation weeks.  He usually travels two weeks per year aboard ship.  Nonetheless it is a working vacation, where he engages in a regular priestly ministry.  His last cruise was from Amsterdam to Athens, including stops in France, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, and Turkey.  During this cruise he celebrated daily Mass for between 20 and 30 people per day.  Three weekend Masses included more than 200 passengers and crew.  In addition, he was available for confessions, and visited the sick in the ship's infirmary, with no serious cases developing on this voyage.  Nonetheless, there have been serious cases on other voyages, which required the administration of the last rites.  This particular voyage included stops at numerous holy places including Rome, Lisieux, Fatima, and the Blessed Mother's house in Ephesis, Turkey.  As the floating expert in these cases, the cruise priest is called upon to give sage advice about these places, and the bless numerous religious objects which the passengers (and crew!) have gathered.  This also opens the door to evangelization when people of other faiths inquire about Catholic belief and practice, as elicited by their viewing of Catholic holy sites; a visit to the Vatican always leads to questions about the Catholic faith. On this particular voyage, there was no Protestant chaplain aboard.  This required Father Burzynski to conduct an ecumenical service, as well as the Catholic Mass each weekend; with this being the first time many of the protestant people aboard had met a Catholic priest. 

            Overall, the Apostolate of the Sea provides for an opportunity for Catholic priests to literally proclaim the Gospel to the ends of the earth, and an opportunity for Catholic to remain connected with their faith even while traveling.