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Prayer Requests:
For the repose of the Soul of Karin Burghart, wife of The Rev. Lloyd Burghart, former Executive Director of NAMMA. Our prayers are with Lloyd and his family during their time of loss. May her soul and the souls of the faithfully departed, rest in peace.
For the repose of the soul of Tyler Tusson, crew member of the tug that went over the Mississippi River Dam.
For the healing of Holland America/Seabourn Clergy Staffing person Ms. Deborah Meador who is experiencing severe difficulties with her back. Please keep our very young friend in your prayers for full healing.
For Deacon Sam Martinez AOS - San Diego. He has had 2 heart attacks, and blood clots in the brain. Deacon Jim Boyd requests that we please keep Deacon Sam in prayer for hearling.
For Capt. George McShea as he takes the helm of AOS-USA. May Our Lady Star of the Sea, and her Son grant him wisdom and guidance.
For Fr. Sinclair Oubre, as he ventures into a new phase of his Priesthood, that Our Lady Star of the Sea and her Son will guard and guide him as he continues to advocate and work for mariners, as well as those needing assistance with canonical cases.
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Join AOS USA Today!
To join AOS USA simply click on the following link:
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US Mariners: Making a Difference!
 Dear Friends, The summer certainly has been busy. Last week we reported on the change in Presidency for AOS-USA and we have received many kind notes of thanks for Fr. Sinclair's service, and many encouraging and welcoming notes for Capt. McShea as he takes the helm of AOS-USA. I'd like to share a couple of those with you today. You will find these at the end of this article. We also enjoyed participating in a nice humanitarian project thanks to one of our US Captains. Capt. Jeremy Allen of the MV Capt. Stephen L. Bennett. Capt. Allen made it a personal mission of his to bring clothing from this country to the impoverished areas of Bangladesh and Beira, Mozambique. When he found out that his ship was going into these areas, he contacted Fr. Sinclair to see if we could help organize a clothing drive and get the clothes to Galveston, where the ship would be arriving prior to going over-seas. We got together with the ships agent from Biehl and Company, who was more than ready to help, and AOS-USA Mariner Member Christopher Fogarty. Chris helped organize a clothes drive at Phillips 66 in Houston. Fr. Sinclair organized one here in the Diocese of Beaumont, and on July 17 we brought all the items to Texas City, where the Ship's Agent Donnie received them and brought them to the ship. Withing the next month clothes that were "extra" for people in our area, will be a beautiful blessing for people half way around the world.
What a beautiful thing this young American Merchant Marine Captain has done. In this case, it was a Mariner that came to AOS-USA to ask us to participate in ministry! Now that's a twist! But that's just the sort of thing that we hope to call our mariner members to do. Yes, the Church has an obligation to minister to mariners, but each Catholic mariner has an obligation to minister to those he meets along the way, as all Lay Catholics do.
Today we salute Capt. Jeremy Allen and his crew onboard the MV Capt. Stephen L. Bennett, the men and women of Phillips 66, and Biehl & Company Ship agency.
Well done good and faithful servants!
Doreen M. Badeaux
Secretary General
Dear Fr Sinclair
On behalf of AOS Dublin Ireland, we thank you for all the interest you have shown in the development and promotion of the AOS not only in the US but also in so many other countries as well. For all your goodwill and sharing of the many resources which so many benefited from - particularly your up-to-date knowledge of Seafarer Rights. We are delighted you will continue to be active within AOS-USA.
Meanwhile, we wish you every success with your new duties and trust the good Lord will guide you to make good and wholesome decisions.
We also greet the new AOS-USA president, Capt. George McShea and hope he will continue the grow the good work already in progress in the US. We wish you every success Capt. George as you undertake the huge responsibility and hope you will enjoy many happy years at the helm.
With very best wishes and kindest regards
Rose Kearney
AOS Dublin, Ireland
Dear Fr Sinclair and Doreen:
I wanted to wish you both every blessing with the changes occurring in AOS-USA. As you say, 'every transition is challenging' but also exciting, stimulating and full of possibilities. I'm sure that the good ship AOS-USA will hold her course steadily.
You should certainly both be proud of all that you have achieved with AOS-USA. I look forward to reading about even greater progress in the newsletters to come.
Best wishes from London
Michelle Homden
AOS-USA Foreign Correspondent
I thank Fr. Sinclair for the great work he has done in AOS-USA and welcome the new President Captain McShea, wishing that his plans will materialize for the good of all of us conected with AOS-USA and of those we are serving in different parts.
Fr. Jaime Diaz-Castaneda
AOS-USA Cruise Ship Priest
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Sea Sunday Message from AOS Vatican
"Sea Sunday" was celebrated on 14 July and to mark the occasion the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples released a message signed by the president of the dicastery, Cardinal Antonio Maria Veglio, and the secretary, Archbishop Joseph Kalathiparambil, published in full below:
"We should cooperate with the proper authorities in our respective ports so that shore leave be granted to all seafarers as soon as possible after a ship's arrival in port, for the benefit of their health and well-being.
"We should remind port states to promote the development of shore-based welfare facilities easily accessible to seafarers, irrespective of nationality, race, colour, sex, religion, political opinion, or social origin and of the flag state on which they are employed.
"We should assist the proper authorities in establishing national and local welfare boards that would serve as a channel for improving seafarer's welfare at ports, bringing together people from different types of organization under one identity.
"We should also encourage the port authorities to introduce, aside from other forms of financing, a port levy system to provide a reliable mechanism to support sustainable welfare services in the port.
"Our final responsibility is towards the seafarers. We should provide them information and education about theirs rights and the protection offered by this Convention, which is also considered the fourth and final pillar of the international maritime legislation, the other three being the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) 1973, the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), 1974, and the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) 1978. Effective implementation will be possible and real changes will happen only if the people of the sea are aware of the content of the MLC 2006.
"Let us ask Mary, the Star of the Sea, to enlighten and accompany our mission to support the work of the faithful who are called to witness to their Christian life in the maritime world."
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TMT to restart Ships
Courtesy of: Fairplay Daily News
23 July 2013
CREW PAY has finally been received on TMT-controlled A Whale, the seafarer charity Sailors Society said today.
A Whale has been stranded off Suez with no charterer since early 2013, but the ship is now expected to be part of a wider fleet restart that Nobu Su's embattled group is seeking to consummate after a critical reprieve last week in its Chapter 11 case in Houston.
TMT's attorney Evan Flaschen, of the law firm Bracewell & Giuliani, identified "getting all TMT ships earning again" as the group's top priority after the court reprieve - thus more pressing right now than even conjuring up a reorganisation.
Flaschen expressed hope that TMT's lenders would co-operate. Lenders had sought to have the Chapter 11 case thrown out on bad faith.
Atrorneys for the various banks were not immediately available to say whether they plan to challenge Bankruptcy Judge Marvin Isgur's decision favouring TMT.
TMT entered bankruptcy protection on 20 June with 17 identified ships, seven of which were under arrest in various parts of the world (one of these individual Chapter 11 cases was dismissed because the vessel was auctioned). A Whale, while not under arrest, was identified as an emergency case because crew members were unpaid and unfed.
Isgur's ruling relies on TMT adviser Alix Partners' projections of "available cash and likely cash to come in" on each vessel. By this yardstick, Isgur considers TMT ships to be in positive EBITDA territory (before bank debt servicing), and hence have liquidity that surpasses "restart costs".
Flaschen admitted these figures will become reality only when TMT starts trading the ships. A Whale's flag state, Liberia, is co-operating in bringing the vessel into port to prepare it for further trading, Flaschen said.
Sailors' Society CEO Stuart Rivers said after the A Whale crew confirmed receipt of back wages: "This has been a real learning experience about how the lives of seafarers can often be in the balance. It highlights just how complex the industry is from a business perspective, and how unintended consequences can often affect the most vulnerable."
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For Ladies Seafaring is a Better Option
Courtesy of: MaritimeProfessional.com
By: Joseph Fonseca
June 26, 2013
Call made on the Day of the Seafarer to girls to join the seafaring profession which is considered more advantageous
Britannia, please excuse! Ladies set to rule the waves!! Please don't take it as a warning, or a threat of any kind nor is it a declaration. But Ms Anuradha Jha who will be taking command of a vessel of the Shipping Corporation of India next week spoke highly about seafaring career for girls and made a passionate call on the 'Day of Seafarer 2013' to all young ladies looking for a satisfying career. She attested that seafaring is a better profession for ladies and that serving on board ladies were at a distinct advantage in many ways.
The appeal made by Ms Jha turned out to be one of the remarkable presentations that were made during the celebration of the 'Day of the Seafarer 2013' held on 25th June 2013. The event brought together a large number of people from various sectors of the maritime industry most of them being cadets and mariners both sailing and those who have left the sea. Ms Jha explained that women seafarers too have made immense contribution to seafaring and explained that the life for ladies at sea can be interesting and gratifying.
Ms Jha gave a candid appraisal of the life at sea and the exciting work environment as well as the good response she always received from the floating staff all of which served as a morale booster thus making her days at sea stimulating. When she first set sail she was wary about the work environment and what it would all turn out to be. But surprisingly it was better than she expected.
"During my past 10 years at sea, I found male seafarers typically are gentle and humble and have lot of respect for women," she said. "Compared to other working environments lady officers at sea do not have to struggle as much. In fact I was overwhelmed by the respect I got at sea. I enjoyed a sense of belonging - belonging to the seafaring community.
"One may be curious how a lady officer performs on board", she said. "I can say confidently that ladies are respected and are capable. Capable of accomplishing their task quickly, which made me feel very special and proud. As chief officer I always received maximum cooperation from the ship staff and on several occasions they went out of the way to see that all went well. So what do I have to say to the girl cadets?"
She said that a career for ladies at sea is peaceful and safe and offers good opportunities to grow. The sea offers an extremely challenging environment but it is a safe environment and satisfying.
Another interesting presentation was made by Chirag Bahri, Regional Director, India/South Asia, Maritime Piracy Humanitarian Response Program (MPHRP) on the successes they had achieved in rehabilitating many seafarers who had been victims of piracy and made to undergo severe torture and tormentation resulting in many suffering a break-down. Nearly all cases MPHRP had succeeded to get over the trauma and go back to sea.
Other speakers included Capt Harish Khatri, Dy. D.G. (Technical) DGS who explained in details what the Maritime Labor Convention meant to the seafarers. R. Bajpaee, CEO of Brenhard Schulte Shipmanagement, A.PV.N. Sarma, former Shipping Secretary to the government of India, the guest of honor, Capt P.V.K. Mohan, Chairman of National Shipping Board, the Chief guest and Gautam Chatterjee, Director General of Shipping, government of India spoke on the occasion highlighting some of the developments that would benefit seafarers.
The Celebration committee honored 28 Indian seafarers who were victims of piracy and had put up a brave front. They were presented with bravery awards. They were sailing on m.v. Iceberg 1 and m.v. Royal Grace and other vessels that were hijacked and some of the unfortunate victims were kept in captivity by the Somalian pirates for more than 1000 days especially those on m.v. Iceberg 1.
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Stena Oil accuses S�o Tom�
Courtesy: Fairplay Daily News
11 July 2013
STENA Oil has accused S�o Tom� e Pr�ncipe in West Africa of government-sponsored "de facto piracy".
The allegation grew out of a prolonged spat in which two of the Swedish oil carrier's vessels and their crews have been detained for four months. The dispute began on 15 March, but Stena has made it public only now.
The company said it had been "patiently" negotiating with authorities since two ships chartered by it were "transferring some equipment and cargo off the coast of S�o Tom� between themselves" on 15 March.
The crews decided to move into territorial waters because of worsening sea conditions, "simply a matter of safety for the vessels, crew and environment", Stena said.
However, both ships and crew passports were seized. The two masters were charged with "smuggling" and sentenced to three years in prison each after a "show trial", it said.
A fine of €5M ($6.41M) was levied against Stena, which maintained that the court refused to allow it to present evidence and that S�o Tom� now is said to be ready to repatriate the crew, but wants to keep the ships.
"The consequences of a fully loaded petroleum tanker caught close to shore in bad weather with less than a minimum safety crew may very well prove to become a major ecological disaster," Stena pointed out.
The sentences were "so abusive and grossly disproportionate that we can only surmise that there are strong ulterior political motives which have prejudiced the local justice system", the company added.
"In a region where international shipping is suffering daily from the threat of piracy, S�o Tom� has now introduced a new threat: de facto piracy by a sovereign state in the form of illegal confiscation of ships and cargo."
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The Economic Cost of Piracy
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IMO Adopts Additional Safety Measures from Global Cruise Industry:
All 10 Policies From Global Cruise Industry Operational Safety Review Agreed To By IMO
Courtesy: Maritime Executive
Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) announced that the IMO has implemented three additional safety-related policies from the 2012 Global Cruise Industry Operational Safety Review at the recently completed IMO Maritime Safety Committee meeting. All ten policies from the Review have now been included in formal IMO standards specific to Passenger Ship Safety.
"As a result of our relentless focus on passenger safety and comfort and our ongoing mission of continuous improvement in shipboard operations, cruising remains one of the safest vacation experiences available today," said Christine Duffy, president and CEO of CLIA. "We look forward to working closely with the IMO, its Secretary-General, the Maritime Safety Committee and the 170 IMO Member States around the world to make a safe industry even safer for the over 20 million global passengers that cruise each year."
The global cruise industry launched the Review, a comprehensive assessment of the critical human factors and operational aspects of maritime safety as part of its longstanding efforts to continuously raise the bar on safety matters. The global cruise industry introduced ten new safety policies during the Review and each policy exceeded current international regulatory requirements upon their announcement. All policies have been adopted by members of CLIA. Throughout the Review, CLIA and its members received input from an independent Panel of Experts with extensive experience in maritime, regulatory and accident investigation fields. This Panel continues to assist the industry in providing ideas, guidance and impartial analysis and is actively engaged through CLIA's many Technical and Regulatory Committees.
A full list of the policies adopted during the Review and an executive summary of the Review is online at:
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Celebrating the Virgin of Carmen
Courtesy: Los Angeles Times
Malaga, Spain:
Penitents take part in the Virgin of Carmen Brotherhood Procession during celebrations in Southern Spain. Every year an image of the Virgin of Carmen, the patron saint of Seafarers' is placed on a boat, which then sails down the coast.
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Many Seafarers Continue to be Denied U.S. Shore Leave
Courtesy: MaritimeProfessional.com
(Editors' note: AOS-USA wishes to thank all the AOS Port Chaplains who participated in the shore leave survey, in addition to our friends in maritime ministry of other Faiths. Working together on these surveys helps to put a spotlight on this injustice, and gives us a tool to help others understand the issues.)
Far from a luxury, shore leave significantly contributes to a mariners' health and the safe and efficient operation of a vessel. The Seamen's Church Institute (SCI) took the pulse of seafarers' access to shore leave for the twelfth year in a row as part of its annual Seafarer Shore Leave Survey, asking port welfare workers in 30 ports across the United States to monitor arriving vessels. Results show the vast majority of recorded shore leave denials stemmed from seafarers lacking visas. Seafarers face several barriers to obtaining shore leave, mostly-according to results of SCI's Survey-involving the constraints of "red tape." While a United States Coast Guard October 2009 directive to Captains of the Port has improved seafarers' ability "to board and depart the vessel through the facility in a timely manner at no cost to the individual," other bureaucratic restrictions limit seafarers-even where seafarer welfare and labor organizations operate-from leaving vessels while in port. The United States-unlike most other countries in the world-requires foreign crewmembers to have a visa to go ashore. Foreign seafarers wishing to apply for shore leave in the United States must first obtain a D-1 crewmember visa at a US Consulate before arriving in a US port, paying a visa application fee of $160. Seafarers without visas-although often only yards away from terminal gates when they arrive in port-cannot step off their ships to access local stores, telephones or Internet connections. To gain access to areas outside of the port, many seafarers must rely on transport from local sources. Seafarer welfare organizations like SCI provide free-of-charge escorted transportation. At times, however, when either restricted by a terminal operator or when other resources are unavailable, seafarers must pay a private company to escort them through the terminal. The results of SCI's Shore Leave Survey document terminal policies that affect chaplains' or seafarers' access and other restrictions preventing shore leave. The Report also offers observations on how to alleviate some of the issues. |
Tug Boat goes over Mississippi River Dam
Courtesy: Fox 9 News
On July 3, a tugboat lost power, went over a dam and capsized on the Mississippi River near Dresbach, Minn. Tyler Tusson, a 22-year-old deckhand, was killed in the accident. video link
AOS-USA asks for prayers for the deceased deck hand and his family. |
Ministry is a Life Preserver for Seafarers
Courtesy: The Catholic Miscellany: The Official Newspaper of the Diocese of Charleston,SC
Written By: Christina Lee Knauss
(Editor's note: AOS-USA applaudes the good work of AOS-USA Members Fr Bob Higgins and Mr. Paul Rosenblum for their good work for mariners in the port of Charleston.)
To read the story, click here: Ministry is life preserver for seafarers |
Costa Concordia Crew Convictions Courtesy: Workboat.com By: Bruce Buls Last weekend, five crewmembers were convicted of manslaughter and other charges stemming from the grounding in Italian waters of the infamous cruise ship Costa Concordia in January 2012. The captain, Francesco Schettino, is being tried separately. Thirty-two people died the night the ship hit the rocks next to Giglio Island, and another 150 were injured, some very seriously. Two of the dead have never been found. Three of those convicted were on the bridge during the accident, the fourth was the hotel director on board and the fifth was the cruise company's emergency manager in Geneva. All received sentences of less than three years, which is insufficient in the minds of many who lost loved ones that night. The guilty may not even have to serve any time at all. Schettino could be sentenced for a much longer prison term if convicted. You'll remember that he was the one who allegedly left the ship before the evacuation was completed and who was told by the local coast guard to get back on the ship. Meanwhile, the salvage work continues, although it's behind schedule because of last winter's weather and other difficult conditions. The ship is also compressing and crushing under its own weight. Caissons are being attached to the exposed side of the ship and will be filled with water to help right the vessel and stabilize it on a steel platform installed beneath it. Then matching caissons will be welded to the other side and both sides will be filled with air and used for flotation as the wreck is towed away this fall. U.S.-owned Titan Salvage is one of the prime contractors on the job. That's the plan, anyway. Stay tuned. (For a fascinating look at the ship during salvage operations, check out this video, which was made without official permission by a group called Team Black Sheep. If you look at the video, you'll see it's done by a small drone, which is being followed by another small unmanned aerial vehicle. The activities of the drones are as fascinating at the wrecked ship itself.) |
Cruise Figures Surge in New Orleans
Courtesy: The Advocate
The Port of New Orleans saw a 32 percent increase in cruise passengers, which it says resulted in gains in employment and cruise spending in Louisiana. The port cited a report released this week by Cruise Lines International Association that found cruise industry spending last year in Louisiana grew 42.5 percent to $399 million, generating 7,548 jobs, compared to 5,512 jobs in 2011. Those jobs resulted in $294 million in income, up 39 percent compared to the same period one year ago. Port of New Orleans cruise terminals handled a record 977,703 passengers in 2012, up 32 percent compared to 2011's former record of 736,908, the port said. CLIA's figures also rank New Orleans as the sixth-largest cruise port in the United States, up from the ninth position in 2011. |
The Port of Galveston ranks as the fourth busiest cruise port in the U.S.Courtesy: GuidryNews.com
GALVESTON, Texas - The Port of Galveston ranks as the fourth busiest cruise port in the U.S. based upon embarkation according to a recent study prepared by Business Research and Economic Advisors (BREA) for the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). In 2012, the Port of Galveston, Texas' only major cruise port, welcomed 863,000 passenger and crew, which is 4 percent of all passenger and crew visits at U.S. ports.
With over $1.2 billion in direct spending and almost 20,000 jobs paying nearly $1.1 billion in total income, Texas accounted for 6.3 percent of the industry's overall spending nationwide. The state ranking rose from fourth to third. The Port of Galveston embarked approximately 604,000 passengers and was the second fastest growing cruise port in 2012.
Next year will prove to be even better for Galveston's cruise business, with the addition of Royal Caribbean International's Navigator of the Seas year round operation offering Texas vacationers roundtrip seven-night Western Caribbean itineraries throughout the year and the continued year round operations of Carnival Cruise Line's Carnival Magic and Carnival Triumph .
"The Port of Galveston is committed to remaining in the top 20 cruise home-ports worldwide. We are dedicated to strengthening our existing relationship with the cruise industry and increasing the economic impact to the local and regional communities." said Mike Mierzwa, Port of Galveston Port Director.
The Port of Galveston, Texas' Star Cruise Port serves as the primary point of embarkation for cruises to the western Caribbean and the Bahamas and handles over 1.2 million cruise passengers annually. Three cruise lines, Carnival Cruise Lines, Disney Cruise Line, and Royal Caribbean International, sail from Texas' premiere cruise port.
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Important Upcoming Events for
AOS USA Members
World Maritime Day - September 26, 2013 Theme: Sustainable Development: IMO's Contribution beyone Rio+20
Link to IMO website
World Fisheries Day - November 21, 2013
Houston Maritime Ministry Training School
Feb 9-21, 2014
Houston, TX
http://www.venturecd.net/SeafarersCenter.org/Application.htm
National Maritime Day
May 22, 2014
National Day of Remembrance and Prayer for Mariners
May 24, 2014
12:10 pm Mass
Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
Crypt Church
400 Michigan Ave. N.E.
Washington, DC 20017-1566
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