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Prayer Corner
During the month of November we ask you to submit names of AOS Chaplains, Volunteers, Mariners and Cruise Ship Priests who served the People of the Sea and have now gone to their Heavenly Home. Let us give thanks for the gifts they shared & pray for their souls:
Brother Jim Horan
Fr. Charlie McTague
Fr. James P Keating
Msgr. Vincent Patrizi
Capt. Gary Strahl
Bob Mulkay
Beverly Picton
Carl Sanders
Bob Tucker
B.J. Stelly
Doris Strahan
Jeff Riley
Many of our Members have asked for prayers from their AOS Family. Please keep the following in prayer:
For our Gulf Fishers, Shrimpers, Crabbers and Oystermen, that God will bless them with a fruitful harvest this year. For all those in pirate infested waters that God will protect them. For those who have fallen into piracy, that they will find better, honest ways of sustaining their families, and turn away from a life of crime. |
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 AOS San Diego Reaches out to Crew of Carnival Splendor
As most of you know from the National News, the Carnival Splendor suffered damage at sea and was left adrift at sea last Monday, without electricity, which led to limited lighting, a need for emergency food supplies, no working toilets, etc.
We knew that this situation was going to be difficult for the passengers, but we also recognized that the Staff and Crew had a gruelling task before them, as they worked to keep passengers mildly happy and to keep from creating huge health, and morale issues onboard. This situation had the potential to be a very dangerous situation in many ways.
AOS USA contacted Carnival's clergy section earlier in the week to offer assistance once in port from Port Chaplains and Cruise Ship Priests in the San Diego area. We had not received a response from Carnival yet, when we received word from Fr Jim Boyd , AOS Port Chaplain in San Diego.
He inititally offered assistance to the Carnival Splendor by contacting the Ship Agent. The agent initially declined assistance, but soon afterward Carnival contacted him and asked him to meet the crew at 10:00 p.m. Thursday night.
Fr. Boyd and our dear friend, The Rev. Bob Crafts who is an Episcopalian Port Chaplain in San Diego, went together to care for the crew.
Fr. Boyd sent the following updates:
Thursday, Nov. 11
Father Bob Crafts, the Episcopal priest at our Stella Maris Seafarers Center,and I, visited the Carnival ship this evening and talked with the director of operations.One third of the crew has to stay aboard. The rest are being sent to hotels.It may take three weeks to repair the ship.The ship has serious damage. The immediate plan is to begin with Sunday Mass aboard for the crew.I will keep you posted about what is going on.
Sunday, Nov. 14
I celebrated Mass aboard the Carnival Splendor today,Sunday. Seventeen attended. Next Sunday Mass is scheduled for 1000.Today the Mass was at 0930.
Tomorrow, Monday,all the crew will be aboard to learn about the future. Some crewmembers will be assigned to other ships and others will be furloughed. Inspections are going on now but it is not certain how long it will take to repair the ship.
The crewmembers at the Mass took all the religious articles that I brought-holy cards,religious books,pamphlets,and religious pictures. Next week I will bring a lot more.
The director of operations will call Father Crafts and myself if any need arises. If Father Oubre has any suggestions as to other actions we could take, please ask him to let me know.
Father Jim Boyd
Please keep the crew and staff of the Carnival Splendor, Fr Boyd and Fr Crafts in your prayers. If you are a Cruise Ship Priest in the San Diego area, please let us know if you are available to offer additional assistance to Fr Boyd if needed.
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 Fr. Tony Haycock Honored for his Work for the People of the Sea in Seattle
Courtesy: The Rev. Roald Kverndal
Editors note: Recently Fr. Tony Haycock with AOS Seattle, received special recognition from the Church Council of Greater Seattle. Of course Fr. Tony would not blow his own horn and share this good news with us. However, our dear friend, The Rev. Roald Kverndal was happy to share this with us! Please see below for a special note of congratulations to Fr Tony.
To: The Church Council of Greater Seattle September 21st, 2010
Attention: Ann Erickson
2701 First Ave., Ste 240, Seattle, WA 98121
Dear Ann:
Please read or deliver the following to Father Tony Haycock at your September 30th.
Award dinner for him. Many thanks! Roald.
Dear Father Tony:
Your Savior and mine once said: "I have many sheep that are not of this flock. I must bring them also!" (John 10: 16).
Thank you for portraying so faithfully that vision among those most marginalized of fellow human beings - the People of the Sea.
As one who has for so long had the privilege of cooperating with you in this ministry, I join in saluting you on your well-deserved honor. You have indeed shown, in the words of that cherished hymn:
"There's a wideness in God's mercy
Like the wideness of the sea!"
Bless you, brother, now and always! Roald
Roald Kverndal ThD, President Emeritus
International Association for the Study of Maritime Mission
9102 Fortuna Drive, Mercer Island, Seattle, WA 98040
PS: Thank you not least for carrying on so untiringly the mission of that prophetic founder of Catholic Seafarers' Ministry in Seattle, Father Hans Ansgar Reinhold (pages 89-93 in my recent book "The Way of the Sea").
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Election Falloutfor the Waterways
Courtesy: Workboat Magazine
Pamela Glass
I'm still hearing a lot about the fallout from the November midterm elections. While reporting on a story this week for the next issue of WorkBoat, I was surprised to hear how concerned waterways leaders are about how the shakeup in Congress might play out for waterways issues.
They fear a divided Congress will lead to gridlock and deep cuts in programs important to the inland barge industry. These could include much smaller budgets for the Coast Guard and for the Army Corps of Engineers, which oversees lock-and-dam modernization and maintenance on the inland waterways. Waterways officials are also concerned about losing several key friends in Congress who were defeated last week - friends who have championed waterway issues over the years.
In addition, the power shift could muddy the waters for congressional approval of the inland waterways capital development plan - which makes much-needed and significant changes in how waterway projects are evaluated and funded. This is because the proposal includes a tax increase on diesel fuel that is paid by the barge industry to fund its share of infrastructure improvements. This tax hike will likely run counter to Republican promises of no tax increases.
Also troubling, according to waterways officials, would be the imposition of across-the-board spending cuts.
Already the Corps' Mississippi Valley Division has advised that as a consequence of inadequate dredging funds in it's operations and maintenance budget and an inability to rely on supplemental appropriations or reprogramming of funds in the fiscal 2011 budget, it may be forced to restrict navigation along the Lower Mississippi River.
If dredging is suspended or slowed, traffic on the river could be restricted to one way. The economic consequences would be devastating, especially to the Port of New Orleans, and would jeopardize President Obama's goal to double exports over the next five years. |
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Industry leaders tell UK to sign labour convention now: Delay until 2011 will lead to more UK flag ship detentions
Courtesy: Lloyds List
David Osler - Wednesday 6 October 2010
BRITISH flag ships may be detained more frequently if the UK continues todelay ratification of the Maritime Labour Convention, three leadingindustry figures have warned shipping minister Mike Penning. According to industry sources, Britain is unlikely to sign up to theInternational Labour Organisation tripartite deal on seafarer rights until2011 at the earliest, a full five years after it was agreed in 2006.
TheNetherlands, by contrast, is expected to implement the measure in domesticlaw by the end of this year. It has already passed the hurdle of needing ratification from statesrepresenting 33% of world gross tonnage. But it can only come into force 12months after it has been ratified by 30 ILO member states, and only 10 haveso far done so. Now a letter to Mr Penning signed by Chamber of Shipping director generalMark Brownrigg and union leaders Mark Dickinson of Nautilus Internationaland Bob Crow of RMT spells out what they fear could happen if Britain isnot a signatory by the time the convention is up and running.
The trio point out that the MLC contains a 'no more favourable treatment'clause, which ensures that ships flagged in non-signatory states will notbe treated more favourably than those registered with signatories. "UK-registered ships will face vigorous inspection by port states inaccordance with the standards laid down in the convention, without thebenefit of any of the flexibilities or derogations it permits," theymaintain. "Such inspections could be highly disruptive to the business of UK shippingand could even result in detentions of ships." Moreover, there is a moral case for early ratification, which would send asignal to the rest of the world that the UK is a leading advocate of decentliving and working conditions for all seafarers and that it will ensurethat all ships calling in UK ports respect MLC standards "Ratification is therefore essential if the UK - along with the otherregisters forming the Red Ensign Group - is to be acknowledged as aguardian of quality shipping."
The signatories end by asking for a meeting with Mr Penn or his officialsto explain their concerns. Mr Brownrigg told Lloyd's List: "It would be a pity if the UK was not inthe first tranche of countries which will bring this important conventioninto force, having been so closely involved in its creation. "If not, there is an added danger that UK-registered ships could be exposedto rigid control measures in other countries which do not take account ofthe practical way in which the convention is being applied in this country." A Department for Transport spokesperson said: "This is an important issueand it is encouraging to see the continued commitment from the industry. Weare currently modelling the impact of the MLC, the results of which willhelp inform our consideration on UK ratification."
The Maritime Labour Convention sets down rights and standards governingworking conditions for 1.2m seafarers worldwide. Essentially aconsolidation exercise, it replaces more than 65 international labourstandards related to seafarers adopted over the last 80 years.
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