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Prayer Requests:
Please keep the following AOS-USA Members in your prayer:
A prayer of thanksgiving for the healing of a bad staph infection for Fr John R. Olsavsky, Cruise Ship Priest Member.
For the repose of the soul of Fr. James F. Barry, AOS-USA Cruise Ship Priest, who passed suddenly
Fr. Tim Brian - Cruise Ship Priest member, who is facing heart problems.
Fr. Marvin Klemmer - Cruise Ship Priest member facing illness.
Fr. Donald Koch - Cruise Ship Priest member facing illness.
For those recovering in the wake of Hurricane Isaac
For all Workers this Labor Day weekend, especially all Maritime Workers. May they have good jobs, with fair wages and safe working conditions.
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Join AOS USA Today!
To join AOS USA simply click on the following link:
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AOS-USA Website down over Holiday Weekend
Dear Friends,
The AOS-USA Website will be down temporarily this weekend. We are making the switch to the new website, which can take up to 72 hours.
The website address will remain the same, www.aos-usa.org
we simply have to give the DNS time to find the new site.
We hope you'll find the new site more useful!
Here in the US, we are celebrating the Labor Day holiday. The office will be closed on Monday.
Please join us in praying for all workers, especially those in the maritime community. We pray especially for good jobs with fair wages, and safe working conditions for all.
Wishing each of you a blessed & relaxing holiday!
Doreen M. Badeaux
Secretary General
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Testimonials on Cruise Ministry from AOS-USA Cruise Ship Priests
Editors' Note: We sent a note to our Cruise Ship Priests earlier in the week, which highlighted some of the difficulties a non-Catholic chaplain experiencd onboard a Cruise Ship some years ago. We received some very insightful responses from many of our priests, and we decided to share some of those insights with you. It is heartening to know how serious our AOS-USA Cruise Ship Priests take the ministry onboard!
Dear Doreen,
Every cruise brings new experiences. I want to say that I have never had the kind of experience that Rev. xxxx writes about.
I love to minister on board the cruise ships. I feel so blessed by God to travel the waters and I am enthralled by the beauty of creation; and by the history and peoples of the places we are able to visit.
The stars in the darkness of night speak to me as well of the presence of God. Most of all I find the presence of God in the friendships that are formed among the people on the cruise.
On my last cruise a family received news of the death of a relative back home. They were appreciative to have on board a priest to talk to and a faith community to celebrate Mass with and receive the sympathy and support of prayers from strangers who became family to them in their need.
Most of all I find the presence of God mediated to me by the hard working cruise staff. It is a small sacrifice to celebrate Mass with them at 11:30 or midnight, but they show to me deep faith and love of God while being away from home and family for long stretches of time. I believe that God is both watching over and on board every cruise, for the ship is filled with God's people, and yes we are all having a memorable time.
Often for me a cruise is like a retreat, spending time with God and feeling extremely blessed.
Father William Fickel, sss
AOS-USA Cruise Ship Priest
Dear Doreen,
I feel sorry for the priest who found himself far from God on a cruise. My experience has been just the opposite. Daily Mass usually is followed by several passengers asking some very important questions. Usually I hear 8 to 10 confessions on a cruise and many are of the 20 to 30 year variety. You have plenty of time to meditate and pray in between your ministry services. Each cruise has been a blessing. God bless, Fr Daniel Fraser
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Mississippi Closed as Storm Passes
Courtesy Workboat Magazine
August 30, 2012
NEW ORLEANS - The AP and Coast Guard both reported overnight that the Mississippi River remained closed as Hurricane Isaac hit New Orleans, but that as of yet there was only one report of a loose cargo ship, which forced the closure of the interstate 310 bridge at Luling, and three loose barges that threatened a bridge at Southwest Pass. The Coast Guard reported that the river remained closed to shipping, but may open again as early as today.
Roughly 10 ships, the Coast Guard said, are waiting to enter the river about 100 miles south of New Orleans. One cruise liner was among them.
As for rescue operations, an MH-65C Dolphin helicopter crew hoisted a family and their two dogs from a home in LaPlace as storm surge poured into their neighborhood. The Coast Guard received a call for help from local authorities shortly after midnight.
"The husband and wife and their two dogs were in an area where a lot of houses washed away," said Lt. Cmdr. Jorge Porto, in a statement. "They used a flashlight inside the house as a signaling device, which made all the difference in locating them effectively."
WorkBoat will continue to report on how Isaac is affecting the maritime industry.
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Pirated Tanker Found of Nigeria Coast: 24-Member Crew Reported Safe
Courtesy: ShippingTribune.com
August 30, 2012
An oil tanker hijacked in the Gulf of Guinea has been spotted off the coast of Nigeria and the 24 Russian crew members on board are believed to be safe.
The vessel's Greek-based operator, Golden Energy Management, said Wednesday that pirates still have control of the tanker.
The hijackers seized the Greek-owned Energy Centurion off the coast of Togo on Tuesday. It was anchored about 27 kilometers from the capital, Lome, when the pirates attacked.
A Togo naval ship responded to a distress call and exchanged fire with the pirates, but the attackers managed to gain control of the tanker and set sail.
The operator said it is in contact with what it called "relevant authorities" and believes the pirates' goal is to steal the oil cargo.
Piracy has become a growing problem in the Gulf of Guinea, though not of the same proportions as it was for several years off the coast of Somalia.
The International Maritime Bureau says pirates in the Gulf of Guinea usually release hostages after seizing cargo. By contrast, Somali pirates typically hold hostages for ransom.
Source: Voice of America
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| Prayer for Hurricane Season
O God, Master of this passing world, hear the humble voices of your children. The Sea of Galilee obeyed your order and returned to its former quietude; you are still the Master of land and sea. We live in the shadow of a danger over which we have no control. The Gulf, like a provoked and angry giant, can awake from its seeming lethargy, overstep its conventional boundaries, and invade our land and spread chaos and disaster. During this hurricane season, we turn to You, O loving Father. Spare us from past tragedies whose memories are still so vivid and whose wounds seem to refuse to heal with the passing of time. O Virgin, Star of the Sea, Our Beloved Mother, we ask you to plead with your Son in our behalf, so that spared from the calamities common to this area and animated with a true spirit of gratitude, we will walk in the footsteps of your Divine Son to reach the heavenly Jerusalem where a storm-less eternity awaits us.
Amen.
Originally dedicated to the victims of Hurricane Audrey in 1957. - Fr. Al Volpe, Cameron Parish, LA
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Important Upcoming Events for
AOS USA Members
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