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Prayer Corner
For those in the path of Hurricane Irene. We ask for the intercession of Our Lady Star of the Sea for her protection over all.
For Chris Fogarty, AOS USA Mariner Member and Vice President, who is experiencing complications from diabetes. He asks for the prayers of his AOS USA family.
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.
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 What are you doing this weekend? How about joining us in prayer?
As we head into the weekend, we ask you to join us in prayer for many needs. First of course is Hurricane Irene which has captured our attention. We pray for the many people in her path. Those already affected by her in places like the Bahamas, and all those on the Eastern seaboard who are nervously watching as she decides her path. In a special way, we pray for those in her immediate path in North Carolina and Virginia, and for all of our members who are in her path.
Let us not forget to pray for those mariners who are at sea in this storm. Just today, the news reported on some of our Naval ships which were sent away from port in order to ride out the storm. We have many fishermen, merchant seafarers, cruise ships, and recreational boaters who will also be in her path. So when you hear people saying "Let's hope Irene will go back to sea where she can't hurt anyone." Remind them that there are lots of people out there too, and that it is best to pray that Christ will calm the waters as he had done before, and that all people in the path of Irene will be spared.
We also ask your prayers for the many fishermen who are working the Atalantic, Pacific, Gulf and inland waters, trying to make their living. This week, we received 2 phone calls from local Gulf Shrimpers who reported that they are having a hard time this season. When the Gulf season started they found large shrimp, but very little of it. Some of the larger vessels which can go into deeper waters have been more successful, but the smaller Mom and Pop boats can't risk the deep waters. Now, they're catching much smaller shrimp, and still very little at that. Today, a shrimper named Sinh related his plight, "It is very expensive to shrimp. I had to come home to dock my boat, because I cannot spend thousands of dollars on diesel fuel and get no shrimp."
Finally, we ask that all of you remember to pray for each other. As a Catholic Membership organization, this is something we can and should do for one another.
I have the unique opportunity to interact with each of you online and by phone, and I hear the pressures you're under. From the Port Chaplain who told me about nearly passing out while saying Mass onboard a ship in this summer's heat; to the Cruise Ship Priest who can't find another priest to replace him so that he can take a few days off; to the mariner whose health issues may mean the end of his seafaring career. Our lives are just plain stressful.
Many of you are Port Chaplains who know each other quite well, while many of you are Cruise Ship Priests or Mariners who have never met another member. Some of you are not Catholic, but share our Christian Faith and our commitment to the People of the Sea. Let's think about each other from time to time, and remember to say a prayer, not only for the people of the sea, but also for those who serve them. When your load is heavy,remember to ask God for assistance for you and all the members. You never know when someone else will be praying for you!
All the Best!
Doreen M. Badeaux
Secretary General
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Coast Guard initiates long-awaited inspection program for towing vessels
BrownWater News August 2011
(8/18/2011)
by Carlo Salzano
Seven years after winning congressional authority to proceed with an inspection program for towing vessels, the U.S. Coast Guard took its first formal steps with the publication of a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) that would give towboat operators two options - either adopt an audited towing safety management system (TSMS) or stand for annual Coast Guard inspections of their boats.
The proposed rules, published Aug. 11 on 75 pages of the Federal Register, also include procedures for obtaining certificates of inspection issued by the Coast Guard, and for Coast Guard oversight of any audit and survey processes involving third-party organizations.
The safety management system, which was recommended by the National Transportation Safety Board, would describe procedures for ensuring how vessels and employees would comply with all applicable requirements prescribed in the proposed rulemaking. Management would tailor its safety management system to take into consideration its size, organization structure and vessel types and services. TSMS compliance would be verified through audits and surveys conducted by third-party organizations approved by the Coast Guard and would be documented by the issuance of a TSMS certificate.
As proposed in the rulemaking, owners and managing operators who select the TSMS option would have two years to create their TSMS, have a third party approve it, and have a third party issue their TSMS certificate. They would have four years after receiving the certificate to bring all vessels under their ownership or management into the TSMS and obtain certificates of inspection.
The proposed rule would, among other things, exempt from coverage vessels less than 26 feet, unless moving a barge carrying dangerous or hazardous materials; vessels used for assistance towing; work boats operating exclusively within a work site; seagoing towing vessels over 300 grt subject to inspection; and vessels already under inspection requirements. The proposed rule also would preempt OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) jurisdiction over the safety and health of seamen on towing vessels, and defer consideration of required user fees for inspection until closer to publication of the final rule.
The Coast Guard said that while it was not making a specific proposal at this time, it's seeking information and public comment on potential requirements for hours of service or crew endurance management for mariners aboard towing vessels. The Coast Guard said it would later request public comment if it wants to implement such requirements.
Addressing the proposed rulemaking, Thomas Allegretti, president and CEO of the American Waterways Operators, said that member companies of AWO "have a well-deserved reputation as safety leaders and have spent years working to effect this change in order to raise the bar of safety for the entire industry. AWO looks forward to working with the Cost Guard to perfect and successfully implement this new safety program."
The Coast Guard prepared the proposal in cooperation with the Towing Vessel Safety Advisory Committee and pursuant to the authority granted by the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2004. Comments are due Dec. 9, either online or at the Docket Management Facility (M-30), Department of Transportation, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Ave., S.E., Washington, D.C. 20590-0001.
The Coast Guard plans to hold four public meetings at dates and locations still to be finalized. The meetings are tentatively scheduled to take place in Hampton Roads, Va., Oct. 18; St. Louis and Seattle in mid-November and in New Orleans on Nov. 30.
Meanwhile, Jennifer A. Carpenter, AWO's senior vice president for national advocacy, said the AWO planned to brief members on the content of the NPRM at the AWO Pacific Region meeting in Seattle Aug. 17-18 and the Midwest/Ohio Valley Region meeting in Pittsburgh Aug. 24-25.
In addition, Carpenter said, conference call briefings open to all AWO members will be held at 2 p.m., Eastern Time, Aug. 22 and Aug. 26. The call-in number is 866-502-8312 and the pass code is 103867. Members planning to participate should send their name, company, e-mail address and date of the conference call to Katelin Walker at kwalker@vesselalliance.com by Aug. 19.
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The New Roman Missal Comes into Effect November 27, 2011 - Be Prepared!
(Editors Note: For those Port Chaplains needing copies of the new Roman Missal for your Seafarers' Center Chapel or your Mass kit, please note that AOS USA can order these for you with their discount, if you are not already ordering through your Diocese. We recommend the smaller Chapel Edition for Mass Kits. If interested, please contact Doreen at aosusa@sbcglobal.net )
The Roman Missal, Third Edition, the ritual text containing prayers and instructions for the celebration of the Mass, is now being prepared for publication. In the United States, seven publishers (Catholic Book Publishing Corp., Liturgical Press, Liturgy Training Publications, Magnificat, Midwest Theological Forum, USCCB Communications, and World Library Publications) will publish ritual editions and are now advertising their plans and will soon accept pre-orders. The Roman Missal will be implemented in the United States of America on the First Sunday of Advent, November 27, 2011. The ritual editions should start arriving in parishes around October 1.
Pope John Paul II announced a revised version of the Missale Romanum during the Jubilee Year 2000. Among other things, the revised edition of the Missale Romanum contains prayers for the observances of recently canonized saints, additional prefaces for the Eucharistic Prayers, additional Votive Masses and Masses and Prayers for Various Needs and Occasions, and some updated and revised rubrics (instructions) for the celebration of the Mass. The English translation of the Roman Missal will also include updated translations of existing prayers, including some of the well-known responses and acclamations of the people.
The entire Church in the United States has been blessed with this opportunity to deepen its understanding of the Sacred Liturgy, and to appreciate its meaning and importance in our lives. Parishes should now be in the planning process for the implementation, with a goal toward executing that plan in the coming months. The parish's leadership and various sectors of the parish community should be catechized to receive the new translation. Musicians and parishioners alike should soon be learning the various new and revised musical settings of the Order of Mass.
This website has been prepared to serve as a reliable resource for all engaged in the formation process. Resources can be found here for the faithful, for the clergy, and for parish and diocesan leaders. As time draws closer for the implementation, more and more resources are being made available here. The proper texts for Advent and Christmas Time are provided so that Priest celebrants can review the text before the new Missals arrive in Fall 2011. In addition, the Order of Mass - both standalone and Scripturally annotated versions - can allow Priests and the faithful alike to be familiar with the change in translation as well as the cadence of the various prayers. There is still time for celebrants to undertake some supplemental reading that will enable them to proclaim the new texts with a deeper appreciation; resources are provided in the Further Reading section for this purpose.
Now is the time to seize the opportunity given to us for all Catholics in the United States to deepen, nurture, and celebrate our faith through the renewal of our worship and the celebration of the Sacred Liturgy.
Various resources are available from the Secretariat of Divine Worship as ongoing support for the implementation of the Roman Missal, Third Edition.
Most materials can be reproduced without permission and used for training and educational purposes.
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Inland training program for Coast Guard cadets makes progress
Pamela Glass
August 18, 2011
Courtesy Workboat.com
A year from now, cadets from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy will likely be returning to campus in New London, Conn., with a greater appreciation of the inland waterways.
They will have spent some time during the summer taking part in an innovative, new program that offers cadets the opportunity to work on inland towing vessels. The details are now being hammered out between the Coast Guard and the American Waterways Operators, whose members in the tug and barge industry will eventually host the cadets.
At a meeting of the Coast Guard-AWO Safety Partnership QSC held in Arlington, Va., last month, a small working group was formed that will develop the outlines of a training program. Rear Adm. Sandra Stosz, who heads up the Coast Guard Academy, discussed the concept with the group.
It was noted that materials and processes already developed through the Towing Vessel Bridging Program and the Industry Training Program for Coast Guard officers provide a solid foundation that can be adapted to the needs of cadets.
So, it looks like the framework is already in place to create an inland training program. With this encouraging news, Stosz's hoped-for summer of 2012 start date for the program might be right on schedule.
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AOS USA Co-Sponsors
US Observance of the IMO's
World Maritime Day
During the May Annual Meeting of AOS USA in Duluth, our membership voted to be a sponsoring organization for one of the two US observances of World Maritime Day. This will be taking place at the Port Arthur Internationals Seafarer Center on September 29, 2011. This is also the same day that the main observance will take place in at the IMO's headquarters in London.
The organizers have established a web site: www.seafarerissues.net. Here you can find the agenda, register for the event, pay the registration fee, and make a reservation at the dedicated hotel.
In addition you can CLICK HERE to get the WMD flyer and agenda.
Because of the generous underwriting BY many in the maritime industry, registration is only $25.00. You can register by CLICKING HERE, and you can pay by PayPal by CLICKING HERE. Finally, you can make reservations at the designated hotel, Hampton Inn - Port Arthur by CLICKING HERE.
Fr. Sinclair Oubre, J.C.L.
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Important Upcoming Events for
AOS USA Members
IMO World Maritime Day
Celebrated the week of Sept 26-30, 2011
Western Gulf World Maritime Day Observance
September 29, 2011
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Port Arthur International Seafarer Center
401 Houston Ave.
Port Arthur, TX 77640
www.seafarerissues.net
Houston Maritime Chaplaincy Training Program
Feb. 5-16, 2012
@ Houston International Seafarers' Center
Houston School Application
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