AOS USA 3 colored logo
AOS USA Maritime Updates 

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

 

June 28, 2011
In This Issue
Opportunities for Maritime Chaplaincy Training
AOS Attends National Harbor Safety Conference
Ted Richardson, AOS Australia honored!
Bicentennial Celebration of Star Spangled Banner
Instructions for AOS Donations
PrayingHands 

     Prayer Corner 
 
 

 

Fr. Richard Barclift, AOS USA Cruise Ship Priest member, asks for prayers as he undergoes a Cardiac

surgical procedure today. Please keep him in prayer.

 

  

  

For our mariner member, Jon Furukawa, during his deployment in Iraq.

For those held hostage by pirates throughout the world.

 

For all those in pirate infested waters that God will protect them.

  

  

For those suffering from floods, droughts, tornados, and other harsh weather conditions. May the Peace of Christ sustain them, as they work to rebuild their homes and their lives.

 

We ask the intercessions of Our Lady Star of the Sea, for a calm, uneventful hurricane season.

 


AOS USA 3 colored logo 
 
Join AOS USA Today!
 
To join AOS USA simply click on the following link:
 
Ministry Quicklinks
 
 
 
 
 
   AOS Streaming Video

 

Sea Sunday LogoCelebrate Sea Sunday!

July 10, 2011

 

Loneliness, danger and separation from loved ones are just some of the problems seafarers face. Around the world, night and day, Christian Seafarers' Centers provide help and support to those in need.


Sea Sunday is a day set aside in the Church's calendar to remember seafarers and to pray for them, their families and those that serve them. It began in 1975 when the three Christian maritime missionary societies - The Mission to Seafarers (Anglican), the Apostleship of the Sea (Roman Catholic) and the Sailors' Society (Free Church) decided there should be a day in which the contributions of seafarers to the country were recognized. Sea Sunday has gone on to become an international day with services, parades and ship blessings.

 

AOS USA encourages our members to celebrate Sea Sunday in your local port and/or church. Whether you are a Port Chaplain, Mariner, Seafarers' Center staff member, volunteer, or a Cruise Ship Priest, there is a way that you can call attention to the needs of seafarers and to the ministry to them, by helping to celebrate Sea Sunday.

 

We encourage you to do the following:

AOS USA Encourages Members to seek Maritime Chaplaincy Training

Dear Friends,

We are blessed in North America to have two very fine Maritime Chaplaincy Training Programs.

For many years now, the Houston International Seafarers' Center has hosted the Houston Maritime Chaplaincy Traing Program. The 2012 edition will take place Feb. 5-16, 2012.

AOS Canada is introducing the new AOS Maritime Chaplaincy Training Program, which will be held for the first time in Montreal  August 7-19, 2011.

We encourage as many of you as possible to take advantage of these trainings, to further your knowledge of the ministry, and to strengthen your network.  When you strengthen your network, you help to make the entire ministry to mariners stronger.

 

Invitation to Houston Maritime Chaplaincy School

Dear All,

We wish to invite each of you to the Houston Maritime Ministry Training Program, which will be held Feb. 5-16, 2012.

The Application is available at this link: 

 

Application for Houston School

 

Rev. Dr. Ben Stewart is the Coordinator for 2012.  His e-mail address is: [email protected]

Thanks for all your support throughout these years!

The Rev. Lacy Largent+

Houston International Seafarers' Center

National Harbor Safety Conference held in Houston, TX  

On June 7-9, AOS USA attended the Joint National Conference of the National Harbor Safety Committees and  Area Maritime Security Committees, which was held in Houston, TX.

 

In addition to attending and participating in seminars, especially those that dealt with shore leave access for seafarers, AOS USA also had a booth in the Exhibitor's Hall.

 

It was interesting to find that just as at the Cruise Conventions, and Workboat Shows, the most "coveted" items were the basics of our Catholic faith....Rosaries and metals. Not only that, but we again found that our ministry expanded to include the hotel staff, which were predominately Hispanic and African American.  Many of them asked for rosaries, and asked Fr. Sinclair to bless them.

 

Those in the maritime industry, likewise were happy to get blessed rosaries. One lady who was from the East Coast said that her daughter had just made her First Communion the Sunday before she left for the conference. She said her daughter couldn't understand why Mommy had to go to Houston without her. She picked out a beautiful hand made purple rosary for her daughter, and asked Father to bless it, along with a prayer card with directions for saying the rosary.  She said "Now, my daughter will at least know that I was thinking of her when I was here!"

 

On Wednesday of that week, there was a Break Out Session on Seafarer Access Issues. One of the participants was our dear friend and co-worker in Maritime Ministry, The Rev. James Von Dreele, of Seamen's Church Institute of Philadelphia.

 

Rev. Von Dreele spoke eloquently onbehalf of Seafarers, and those who serve them. We encourage you to listen to this session which can be found at the following link:

http://www.bethereglobal.com/content/501_trb_hsc_2011/bs5b.htm

 

Our own Fr Sinclair made a few eye opening and poinient remarks during the session, which actually led to 2 very productive meetings in Port Arthur last week, with 2 facilities which have been extremelly difficult to work with in providing seafarers access to shore leave. 

 

The conference was truly an excellent opportuntity for all players: ship agents, facilties, seafarers' centers, Coast Guard, Seafarers' Unions, shiping companies, etc, to hear each others concerns, frustrations and even best-practices, and finally work together to accomplish much needed change.

Ted RichardsonQueen's Birthday Honors for Apostle Ted 

Courtesy: The Catholic Leader

By: Robin Williams

June 19, 2011

Ministry recognised: Ted Richardson has been honoured for his work with the Stella Maris Apostleship of the Sea
Picture: Rene Marcel

STELLA Maris Apostleship of the Sea national director Ted Richardson has been recognised for his work, in the 2011 Queen's Birthday honours list.

Mr Richardson was one of several Queens-land Catholics awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for his service to mariners through the Stella Maris Apostleship of the Sea.

Mr Richardson has been the apostleship's national director since 1991 and was the first non-priest to hold the position.

He said the OAM had come as a complete surprise but was a good recognition for the organisation rather than him personally.

"It's good recognition for the Church as well," he said.

"I feel guilty because there are so many great people in the Church that it makes me very humble. People in areas such as psychiatric ministry and prison ministry, they are all out there doing great things so this is a good recognition of the Church and all it does."

Mr Richardson said to his knowledge it was the first time anyone from the Stella Maris Apostleship of the Sea had received such an award.

"I don't know of anyone else getting such an award although we did receive the Centenary Award that Paul Lucas put us up for in 2000."

In Brisbane, Mr Richardson heads the Apostleship of the Sea as a pastoral ministry of Centacare Brisbane to seafarers.

He was joined on the list by Presentation Sister Patricia Dent who received her award for service to the Catholic Church, and to children's music.

Although now living in Queensland, Sr Dent was a member and composer for the Lismore Congregation of the Presentation Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary since 1939.

Dalby resident Barry O'Shea, a member of St Joseph's Catholic Parish Council, and a delegate of the Toowoomba Diocesan Assembly received his OAM for service to local government, and to the community of Dalby.

Missionary Sister of the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (OLSH) Sister Rita Torpey, of Papua New Guinea, was recognised with an OAM for her service to education through the development and administration of educational institutions in Papua New Guinea.

The Queenslanders were among at least 20 Catholics around Australia to be recognised for their contribution to the Church through areas such as pastoral ministry, social justice, youth services and govern

U.S. Navy & OpSail will commemorate Bicentennial
of War of 1812 and Star Spangled Banner 

Washington, D.C., (June 22, 2011) - U.S. Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus and the chairman of Operation Sail, Inc., Jose Fuentes, today announced a twelve-port public/private partnership for the bicentennial commemoration of the War of 1812 and the writing of The Star-Spangled Banner.

"Beginning next year and continuing through 2015, the US Navy, Marine Corps , and Coast Guard - the United States maritime services along with Operation Sail and host of great partners will commemorate the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812 and America's symbol" Mabus said. 

Mabus and Fuentes said that week-long events, including parades of warships and sailing vessels, public visitation, spectacular air shows, international athletic competitions, and community relations activities will mark the occasions in New Orleans, New York City, Norfolk, Baltimore/Annapolis, Boston, New London, Milwaukee, Chicago, Toledo, Cleveland, Detroit, and Buffalo.  The Navy's four annual events on the West Coast will also be themed "Our Flag Was Still There" and include special shipboard exhibits: Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, and San Diego

They made the announcement in a ceremony at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, home of  "The Star-Spangled Banner," the actual flag that inspired Francis Scott Key during the battle of Baltimore in 1814.  Mabus declared that the unifying theme for the events is drawn from the anthem itself: 'Our Flag Was Still There'.

The Chief of Naval Operations has invited 120 countries to send appropriate combat ships as well as their national academy sail training tall ships to America, Mabus noted.

"Navy and Operation Sail have partnered in producing major patriotic events for more than 50 years, and we look forward to another majestic spectacle of tall ships and international navy ships next year," Fuentes said.

OpSail, the Congressionally chartered non-profit producer of tall ship events, has partnered with the Navy for previous American milestones such as the 1976 bicentennial of American independence, the 1986 State of Liberty centennial, and Millennium in 2000.

"Bringing the tall ships of the world back to U.S. waters for the commemoration of this glorious American milestone excites the imagination," Fuentes said.  "Throughout 2012-2015, millions of people will witness these graceful and majestic sailing ships as they parade in together, and celebrate brotherhood of the sea, and of our freedoms."

States, municipalities and civic organizations have formed host committees to organize the details of the week-long events in each port in concert with Navy officials and OpSail executives. 

In 2012, a number of the Navy ships will continue into the Great Lakes for a series of high-profile port visits in cities along the Canadian and U.S. shorelines, Mabus said.  Fleet Weeks, Navy Weeks and other annual events will use the commemoration as a teaching tool to impart important lessons about America's maritime heritage.  As the commemoration extends into 2013, 2014 and 2015, numerous conferences, seminars, teaching moments and observances will take place in venues that were crucial to the outcome of the conflict.
Fuentes noted the economic impact of the activities planned: "OpSail events contribute to the economy of participating port cities through increased hotel bookings, restaurant reservations, sales and new infrastructure," he said, "and they attract significant national and international media coverage."

Mabus closed his remarks by noting, "As we commemorate Old Glory and the War of 1812, we ought to remember the delicate weaving of history that has brought America to this place of great influence and greater responsibility." 

Key dates for the Navy / OpSail ship visits include:
New Orleans, Louisiana, April 17-23
New York, New York, May 23-30 (Memorial Day / Fleet Week NYC)
Norfolk, Virginia, June 1-12 (Harborfest Norfolk / USO Patriotic Festival VA  Beach)
Baltimore / Annapolis, Maryland, (Flag Day) June 13-19
Boston, Massachusetts,  (Fourth of July) June 30-July 6
New London, Connecticut, July 6- 8
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, August 8-13
Chicago, Illinois, August 15-20
Toledo, Ohio, August 22-27
Cleveland, Ohio, (Labor Day Weekend) August 27-September 4
Detroit, Michigan, September 5-10
Buffalo, New York, September 12-17 

 

Interesting Links: 

 

You tube video from AOS Great Britain: "No Crew, Just Cargo"   

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZWZa0muSXc

  

 

 

American Priest explains why the world should pay more attention to the plight of seafarers: 

US Justice Story

 

Instruction to remit donations for the

AOS special Fund for the victims of tsunami in Japan

 

In USA dollars

 

BANK:           JP MORGAN CHASE BANK

ADDRESS:    4 CHASE METRO TECK

                        7th Floor 11245 Brooklyn

                        New York

 

COD. SWIFT:     CHASUS33XXX            

ABA ROUTING NR: 021000021

 

ACCOUNT NUMBER:  001 - 1 - 975 000

 

BENIFICIARY:

ISTITUTO PER LE OPERE DI RELIGIONE

(Cod. Swift: IOPRVAVXXXX)

00120 CITTA' DEL VATICANO

 

Details of payment: Pontificio Consiglio Migranti -  account no. 22 52 70  14

 

*******************

 

In Euros

 

BANK:           JP MORGAN  - CHASE BANK

ADDRESS:      14, JUNGHOFSTRASSE

60311 FRANKFURT AM MAIN

BLZ 50110800

 

IBAN:             DE81501108006231606168

CODICE SWIFT: CHASDEFXXXX

 

BENEFICIARY:

ISTITUTO PER LE OPERE DI RELIGIONE (IOR)

00120 Citt� del Vaticano

 

Details of payment: Pontificio Consiglio Migranti - account no. 22 52 70 13

 

Important Upcoming Events for
AOS USA Members

  

             

 

Sea Sunday - July 10, 2011

visit:  http://www.seasunday.org

 

AOS Maritime Chaplaincy Training Program

Aug. 7-19, 2011

Montreal, Canada

 http://www.aos-canada.org/AOS-CanadaTraining.pdf

 

 IMO World Maritime Day

Celebrated the week of Sept 26-30, 2011

 

USA Celebration of World Maritime Day

September 29, 2011

@ Port Arthur International Seafarers' Center

 

Houston Maritime Chaplaincy Training Program

Feb. 5-16, 2012

@ Houston International Seafarers' Center

Houston School Application

 

 

 

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