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AOS USA Maritime Updates 

The Professional Association of Catholic Mariners and the Official Catholic Organization for Cruise Ship Priests and Catholic Maritime Ministers.


December 4, 2010
In This Issue
AOS USA at International Workboat Show
Catholics Express Appreciation
Encountering fallen away Catholics
Outreach to Staff of Convention Center
Real Presence
PrayingHands 

     Prayer Corner 
 

 

 

 

 For all Mariners at sea or otherwise away from home, family and loved ones during the Advent & Christmas Seasons. May they feel the presence of Christ with them, and may they experience the true meaning of Christmas through the interactions of those shipmates, port chaplains, and even total strangers that they encounter throughout the season.  May they also remember to be Christ-bearers & witnesses of the Good News to their shipmates.
 
 
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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Fr Sinclair Oubre photoAOS USA at the International Workboat Show
 

The International Workboat Show was held in New Orleans, Louisiana Dec 1-3. This is a major event for the workboat industry.  AOS USA usually attends the show, but this year, for the first time, we had a booth at the event.  This would not have been possible without the generosity of the organizers, who graciously notified us on Wednesday that space had become available.

 
Workboat Show Booth
Doreen Badeaux, Fr. Sinclair Oubre, Deacon Wayne Lobell & Deacon Jim Venturella staff AOS USA Booth at International Workboat Show
Deacon Wayne Lobell with AOS New Orleans was of tremdous help. He volunteered to help staff the both for a portion of the show, and brought another Deacon from the Archdiocese of New Orleans, Deacon Jim Venturella along.  Both Deacons were heavily involved in reaching out to the fishing community in the wake of the BP Oil Spill, as part of the AOS Gulf Task Force.  Their presence at the Workboat Show was appreciated by many.
 

I greatly appreciated Deacons Lobell and Venturella's assistance, which enabled Doreen and I to visit some of the 1,000 + vendors at the show.

It was great to see another of our members, Capt. Joy Manthey at the event. Joy sails with Kirby Inland Marine as Captain, but also serves as their Industrial Chaplain. She really understands the importance of being at these industry events & is a wonderful gift to the maritime industry & to AOS USA.

The entire event was a very successful and rewarding experience. We were able to tell hundreds of people about the Catholic ministry to the People of the Sea.  For most, this was the first time they had ever heard about the Apostleship of the Sea.

We passed out hundreds of prayer cards, rosaries, Star of the Sea medals, AOS USA brochures, etc. Two of the items most appreciated were a special prayer for those affected by the BP Oil Spill, and bumper stickers supporting our Gulf Fishermen which encourages people to enjoy Gulf Seafood.  These special prayer cards and bumper stickers can be purchased from the AOS USA office by contacting Doreen at [email protected]  We encourage you to purchase them for distribution in your own communities.

The following articles spotlight some of our experiences from this event.

Yours in Christ Jesus,

Fr. Sinclair Oubre, JCL

President

 

 Catholics Express Surprise and Deep Appreciation for AOS USA's Presence  

 

One of the most rewarding comments that we heard during the Workboat Show was on the first morning when 3 ladies from Louisiana stopped at our booth. One of them immediately said, "This is so cool! As a Catholic, I love this.  Ya'll need to be in the front of the show!"  They stayed for about 15 minutes wanting to know about the Apostleship of the Sea, and left with hands full of prayer cards.

3 ladies
Catholic women in the Maritime Industry ask to have their Rosaries blessed 

 

 

We quickly came to realize that this was one of the most important reasons for being present at this show.  Many Catholics who are deeply committed to their Faith still need affirmation from their Church, especially in their work a day world in a frightening economy.

 

Several people came by and said "I just wanted to thank you for being here. I'm Catholic and this really means alot to me."

 

One lady who was not Catholic said that she wanted to pick up a rosary and prayer card for her work partner and his wife who were devout Catholics. She said that she was familiar with Seamen's Missions and knew that they would appreciate the fact that the Catholic Ministry to Mariners was present. She too thanked us for being there and for the work that AOS does cooperatively with other Maritime Ministries.

 

On the second day, a young Catholic woman from Nigeria was thrilled to see us. She told a friend on her cell phone: "You'll never believe where I am. I'm at a Christian station. The Catholic Church has a booth here. It is so amazing!"  As we got to know her, we learned that she had traveled to the U.S. alone, for the Workboat Show. Finding her Church here and ready to greet her, made her feel welcome. 

New Friends
Fr Sinclair & Toochukwu Akwari

She ended up taking several rosaries and asked Fr Sinclair to bless them for her family back home, and for her brother, a priest, who is working in Germany. She hugged us before leaving and said she was no longer alone in the United States.

 

 

 

It Wasn't Just Catholics from the Gulf States 

 

The majority of Catholics who visited our booth were from the States along the Gulf Coast. However, Catholics from as far away as Alaska came by. In addition we met Catholics from Honduras, Canada, Mexico, Bazil, Italy, the Philippines, and Nigeria.  What a beautiful expression of the universality of the Church.

 

 

Encountering fallen away Catholics

 

Not all Catholics who visited the AOS USA booth shared feelings of excitement about our Faith.  Fr. Sinclair noted his feelings of awkwardness as non-practicing Catholics told him of leaving the Church, as if this testimony was good news.  One gentleman shared his personal story of a "life-less" Catholicism and professed to find a personal relationship with Jesus Christ in his new spiritual home. 

 

Fr. Sinclair could not help but wonder if these Catholics truly understood the Faith which they left behind.

 

However, these experiences raise difficult and challenging questions for all practicing Catholics, as to how well we manifest our personal relationship with Jesus Christ. In a recent book on Saint Paul, by Pope Benedict XVI, the Holy Father constantly speaks of our need for a personal relationship with Jesus. 

 

We must also ask ourselves how effectively we have passed on the deposit of Faith that was entrusted to us by Jesus Christ.

 

If we have not taught the Faith to our fellow Catholics, then how can they hold to it?  We all have a great responsibility to impart our Faith to others and to help them sustain that Faith.

 

Just like on a Cruise Ship...

 

AOS USA had a two-part message at the Workboat Show.  First, to tell members of the offshore maritime industry that there is a Catholic ministry to seafarers.  Second, AOS USA wanted to help our Gulf Fishermen  by reminding people that Gulf Seafood is healthy and safe and that our Gulf Fishermen continue to need their support.

 

However, just like on a Cruise Ship, our ministry was not limited to the Conference attendees and vendors.  Much of our time was spent talking with the Convention Crew.  African American Catholics from New Orleans, Catholic immigrants from Mexico and Honduras, and non-Catholic Christians came to the booth selected rosaries, prayer cards and medals, and asked that the clergy bless them.

 

Ministering to Staff
Convention Center Staff take advantage of AOS USA's presence at the Workboat Show

 

One of the security staff was an African American woman from New Orleans.  She asked for rosaries for her and for each of her children.  She picked out a special rosary for her son who has post-traumatic stress syndrome from Hurricane Katrina.  She said her family has been rebuilding since the Hurricane.  They finally have electricity in their home again, but they cannot afford light fixtures yet.  So there are lamps plugged in here and there in the home, and they are still without most furniture and sit on the floor. However, she professed a great Faith because she still has her home and family and is no longer living in a shelter. She thanked us for the rosaries and asked for continued prayers for her family.

 

 

Real Presence

 

In reflecting upon all the experiences of the 2010 International Workboat Show, the greatest experience was being a real presence of Christ to hurting mariners. 

 

First, there was a family who owned a lift boat.  The wife saw our booth and was immediately drawn to it, while her husband staid back.  She was drawn by the beauty of some of the hand crafted rosaries that we had. However, when Doreen told her about the Apostleship of the Sea and that this was the Catholic Church's out-reach to mariners, she was further drawn in. When she saw the prayer card for those affected by the BP Oil Spill she called her husband over.

 

He read the prayer card and his stoic appearance seemed to fade.  He said "I was affected by the oil spill.  I have a lift boat and just yesterday I lost my contract.  I was told that the company I had contracted with was cutting back due to the effects of the BP oil spill on the entire marine economy."  This gentleman, his wife and son then got into animated conversation with Fr Sinclair, ending with their request for a blessing upon the rosaries they had picked up and a plea for continued prayers.  They thanked AOS USA for remembering to pray for them and for being present to support them in their time of need.

  

A second family came to the booth. The wife asked if she could get a special rosary for her nephew/God son, who lost his 3 year old son "Bobby" to cancer three weeks ago.  She then shared the story of  "Bobby" who seemed to be a perfectly healthy 3 year old. Several weeks ago, he began to look yellow, and the doctors believed he had a kidney problem. By time the doctors knew it was cancer they rushed "Bobby" to a special hospital by helicopter, but before they arrived at the hospital, cancer had already taken his life. The young family was devastated, as they had only begun to notice his yellowing skin 10 days before, and had barely had time to learn that he had cancer, before he was gone.

 

Last week, "Bobby's" Mother found out that SHE was the carrier for the rare childhood cancer gene that took her son's life.

 

The woman at our booth pleaded ernestly for prayers for this young Mother who felt a horrible guilt and responsibility for being a "carrier" of this gene.  And yet, she then told us, "Bobby's Mom will be ok, because she has lots of family and we have lots of Faith." She then showed us her hand which was crippled. She told us that when she was 12 she became paralyzed on one side of her body and the doctors said she would never walk again or have children. "Well," she said, "You see me walking this Convention Center, and that tall young man over there is my son.  We know that prayer can heal!" 

 

 

Important Upcoming Events for
AOS USA Members!

  1. Houston Maritime Ministry Training Program: February 20-March 4, 2011. Download application at:
    http://aos-usa.org/files/Houston%20School%20Application%202011.pdf
  2. National Maritime Day: May 22, 2011.

May God Bless you with Smooth Sailing throughout your day!

Contact Info
Doreen M. Badeaux
Secretary General
Apostleship of the Sea of the United States of America
1500 Jefferson Drive
Port Arthur, TX  77642-0646
PH:  409-985-4545
FAX:  409-985-5945