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Prayer Requests:
For the repose of the soul of the Father of Fr. Matt Mauriello, AOS-USA Cruise Ship Priest Program. We pray that God will give the family the comfort and understanding that they need at this time.
For Miss Mary Cadotte, step-daughter of Jim McGee, with the Seafarers' International Union in Houston. Mary was just diagnosed with Hodgekin's Disease, and is undergoing testing at MD Anderson.
For Deacon Bill Wanca & Deacon Jack Rhine - AOS Port Canaveral who have both had to retire due to illness.
For the continued healing of Mrs. Anite Badeaux, Grandmother of Doreen Badeaux. Anite had a stroke 3 months ago at the age of 101.
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Join AOS USA Today!
To join AOS USA simply click on the following link:
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Celebrate Sea Sunday!
Dear Friends,
As we celebrate Sea Sunday this weekend, we encourage everyone to share the message from the Pontifical Council. Share it from the pulpit or in your bulletins. If you're a mariner, or a volunteer or Staff member at your local Seafarers' Center, share it with your friends and colleagues. Or just click the Facebook or Twitter logos above this e-news, and share the entire newsletter with your friends and family.
Let's get the word out and celebrate Sea Sunday!
Doreen M. Badeaux
Secretary General
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PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR THE PASTORAL
CARE FOR MIGRANTS AND ITINERANT PEOPLE
Sea Sunday Message
13 July 2014
Throughout the history of mankind, the sea was the place where routes of explorers and adventurers intersected, and where battles determined the rise and fall of many nations. But it is, above all, a privileged place for exchange of goods and global trade. Actually, over 90% of merchandises worldwide are transported by nearly 100,000 ships, that unrelenting, are sailing from one end of the world to the other, run by a workforce of approximately 1.2 million seafarers of all races, nationalities and religions.
During this Sea Sunday, we are invited to become aware of the hardships and difficulties that seafarers face daily and of the valuable service provided by the Apostleship of the Sea in being Church who bears witness of the Lord's mercy and tenderness in order to preach the Gospel in the ports of the whole world.
Due to a number of factors related to their profession, seafarers are invisible to us and to our society. As we celebrate Sea Sunday, I wish to invite every Christian to look around and realize how many of the objects we use in our daily lives have come to us through the hard and laborious work of seafarers.
If we observe their lives carefully, we immediately realize that they are certainly not as romantic and adventurous as sometimes is shown in films and novels.
The life of seafarers is difficult and dangerous. In addition to having to face the rage and power of nature, that often prevails even upon the most modern and technologically advanced ships (according to the International Maritime Organization [IMO] in 2012, more than 1,000 seafarers have died as a result of shipwrecks, maritime collisions, etc.), we should not forget the risk of piracy, which is never defeated it but is transformed in new and different ways and is manifested in many maritime routes, and also the danger of criminalization and abandonment without wages, food and protection in foreign ports.
The sea, the ship and the port are the universe of life of seafarers. A ship is economically viable only when sailing and, therefore, must continually sail from one port to another. The mechanization of cargo-handling operations has reduced the time of berthing and the free time of crew members, while security measures have restricted the opportunities to go ashore.
Seafarers do not choose their companions of journey. Each crew is a microcosm of people from different nationalities, cultures and religions, forced to live together in the limited area of a ship for the duration of the contract, without any interest in common, communicating with an idiom that often is not theirs.
For seafarers loneliness and isolation are traveling companions. By its nature, the work of seafarers bring them to be away, even for long periods, from their family environment. For the crews is not always easy to have access to the numerous technologies (telephone, wi-fi, etc.) for contacting family and friends. In most cases, children are born and grow up without their presence, thus increasing the sense of loneliness and isolation that accompanies their life.
The Church, in her maternal concern, for over ninety years has been providing her pastoral care to the people of the sea throughout the Work of the Apostleship of the Sea. Every year thousands of seafarers are welcomed in ports, at the Stella Maris Centres, distinctive places where seafarers are warmly received, can relax away from the ship and contact family members using different means of communication made available to them. The volunteers daily visit seafarers on ships, in hospitals and those who are abandoned in foreign ports, ensuring a word of consolation but also concrete support when needed. The chaplains are always available to offer spiritual assistance (celebration of the Eucharist, ecumenical prayers, etc.) to seafarers of all nationalities who are in need, especially in times of difficulty and crisis.
Finally, the Apostleship of the Sea gives voice to those who often have no voice, denouncing abuses and injustices, defending the rights of the people of the sea and asking to the maritime industry and to the individual governments to respect international Conventions.
While, during this Sea Sunday, we express our gratitude to all those who work in the maritime industry, with a trusting heart we ask Mary, Star of the Sea to guide, enlighten and protect the sailing of the whole people of the sea and support the members of the Apostleship of the Sea in their pastoral ministry.
Antonio Maria Cardinal Vegliņ
President
Joseph Kalathiparambil
Secretary
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Vatican asks prayers, support for seafarers on Sea Sunday
Courtesy: Catholic News Service
10 July 2014
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Catholics around the world are asked to remember in their prayers the 1.2 million seafarers around the world working in risky conditions far from their families to bring them goods they consume each day.
The Pontifical Council for Migrants and Travelers, the Apostleship of the Sea and Stella Maris Centers in ports around the globe celebrate Sea Sunday July 13.
The life of a seafarer is "certainly not as romantic and adventurous as sometimes is shown in films and novels," Cardinal Antonio Maria Veglio, council president, said in a message marking Sea Sunday 2014.
"The life of seafarers is difficult and dangerous," he said, not only because of storms, but also because of the ongoing risk of piracy and too many instances of crews being abandoned without wages, food or protection in foreign ports.
Even in the best weather and with the best working conditions, the cardinal said, long hours and homesickness are a seafarer's constant companions.
"A ship is economically viable only when sailing and, therefore, must continually sail from one port to another. The mechanization of cargo-handling operations has reduced the time of berthing and the free time of crew members, while security measures have restricted the opportunities to go ashore," he said.
Most seafarers have only occasional, limited access to telephones, email and other means of instant communication with family and friends, he said. "In most cases, children are born and grow up without their presence, thus increasing the sense of loneliness and isolation that accompanies their life."
The Stella Maris Centers and other Catholic or ecumenical outreach programs for seafarers offer the workers a warm reception, a relaxing atmosphere, phones or computers for checking in with their families, as well as Mass and spiritual assistance.
The Apostleship of the Sea, Cardinal Veglio said, also engages in advocacy work, "denouncing abuses and injustices, defending the rights of the people of the sea and asking the maritime industry and individual governments to respect international conventions."
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Courtesy: CatholicExtension.Org
Lake Charles, Louisiana, is a busy shipping port, with tankers and transport ships loading and unloading all types of cargo around the clock. In the midst of the daily imports and exports, the port seems an unlikely place for the Catholic Church to be present. But for thousands who travel by sea year round, transporting goods essential for our way of life, the church is there to greet them, providing a place of refuge and safe haven at the Stella Maris Seafarers' Center.
Open seven days a week, the center is part of the Diocese of Lake Charles Apostleship of the Sea, the only ministry of its kind that serves a unique group of parishioners - seafarers from countries all over the world looking for a welcoming place of peace and comfort. "They represent all different nationalities and religions," said Rev. Deacon Patrick LaPoint, "and we have a responsibility to greet these strangers, some of whom have spent weeks or months at sea."
In the 10 years that Deacon LaPoint has served as director of the Stella Maris Seafarers' Center, the need for its services has increased significantly as more and more people seek assistance.
With the help of a grant from Catholic Extension donors, the center is able to provide a range of services to meet its visitors' spiritual, emotional and physical needs.
Three paid staff and three volunteers serve 8,000-10,000 visitors a year. In some cases, visitors to the center need moral support; in others, they rely on the volunteers to advocate for them, whether it be to locate a missing paycheck or resolve other international immigration issues. In short, they provide much-needed assistance to workers from around the world with nowhere else to turn.
Mass is celebrated weekly by Father Rommel Tolentino, and Deacon LaPoint is available to assist with any pastoral or sacramental needs that may arise. "My ministry as a maritime deacon is about serving God's people," said LaPoint, "regardless of their particular religious beliefs or how they believe in God. In fact, my role parallels the diaconate, which is a ministry of service."
Show your support for ministries that bring the steady hand of the Church to unexpected places.
To read the complete article and view the photos click here:
http://www.catholicextension.org/how-we-help/stories-faith/home-away-home
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Courtesy: AOS Great Britain
Nathaniel Xavier
Sea Sunday is a day when churches around the world remember and pray for seafarers, their families and all who support them.
In Great Britain, proceeds from a second collection at all Masses that weekend go to support the work of Apostleship of the Sea - Great Britain.
This year's Sea Sunday will be celebrated on 13th July . It's an opportunity to thank the seafarers who work tirelessly throughout the year bringing us goods we often take for granted. AoS GB has produced a brand new pack for parishes that includes a resource book, poster and Liturgy for children to help parishioners understand and celebrate this special day.
To download a copy please go to:
http://www.apostleshipofthesea.org.uk/resources-parishes
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The Holy Eucharist is the Strength for the Seafarers
By: Fr. Edward Pracz
AOS Regional Coordinator for Europe
Dear Friends,
We will soon celebrate the Sea Sunday July 13th, 2014.
It is a great opportunity to indicate the presence of our Apostleship of the Sea all over the world.
We will express our gratitude to the People of the Sea in our churches but also on board the ships we visit.
Celebrating the Eucharist on board the ships is, no doubt, a great treasure for the seafarers. It also very good opportunity to talk about the Sea Sunday celebrations.
I am impressed by the celebration of the Mass in which Philippino seafarers participated in the port of Gdynia on board the vessel m/v "Golden Brilliant" on July 3rd, 2014. Before the Mass the seafarers wemt to the confession and then they listened to the Word of the Lord and strenghtened themselves with the Body of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
During the Eucharist I underlined the mission carried by the Apostleship of the Sea, Stella Maris, all over the world.
Undoubtedly, it is worth referring to their families and asking them to inform them of being united with them by the Eucharist.
Let then, Eucharist to be the strength to those who are on the move as well as to those who wait for their return home.
On board we distributed the Holy Rosaries. The captain after the Mass put them on the neck of every crew memeber.
I attach the translation of the Sea Sunday Message in Polish.
With prayer,
Fr. Edward Pracz
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Guardian Investigation Uncovers Graphic Evidence of Torture at Sea
Courtesy: GCaptain.com
By: Rob Almeida
5 July 2014
The Guardian conducted a 6-month investigation into the supply chain that harvests shrimp (prawns) from offshore Thailand and delivers them to major food retailers globally. What they found is highly disturbing evidence of human trafficking, slavery, torture and murder at the hand of Thai fishing boat captains, brokers and police.
Consider this video the next time you purchase frozen shrimp from the supermarket:
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Passing of Msgr. Johannes Bieler: AOS Bremen
Dear AOS Members,
I am sorry to inform you that Msgr. Johannes Bieler died in a car accident on Friday July 4th, 2014.
His funeral will be held on the coming Friday, July 11th.
From 1977 to 2004 Msgr. Bieler was the AOS chaplain in the port of Bremen and visited the seafarers on board their ships. His ministry lasted many years, so many seaferers from different countries must have benefitted from it.
He was a devoted priest and published many materials to encourage the seafarers in leading spiritual life and following Jesus Christ, Our Redeemer. Among others he prepared the prayer book entitled "Lord is my Pilot" especially for Phillippino crew in which he included many prayers bringing seafarers comfort in various life situations.
Let us remember Msgr. Johannes Biehler in our prayers and may God Himself be his reward.
Fr. Edward Pracz
AOS Regional Coordinator for Europe
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Ready Reserve Force M/V CAPE RAY the last stop for Syrian chemical weapons
Courtesy: US Department of Transportation
Posted by Paul "Chip" Jaenichen
30 June 2014
As I write, the M/V CAPE RAY, a 648-foot roll-on/roll-off Ready Reserve Force ship is steaming under orders towards Gioia Tauro, Italy, to load hundreds of tons of Syrian Government chemical weapon agents and precursor chemicals, before neutralizing them at sea.
With innovative safe-destruction technology welded to its decks, theCAPE RAY is the United States' key contribution to the joint Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) / United Nations international effort to eliminate the Syrian stockpile of chemical weapons, and it provides the latest reminder of the important role America's merchant mariners play in supporting our national security as well as our economy.
The M/V CAPE RAY is one of 46 vessels in stand-by status in our Nation's Ready Reserve Force (RRF), a fleet managed by the Maritime Administration (MARAD), to provide for rapid mass movement of Department of Defense (DOD) equipment and supplies to support our Armed Forces and respond to national and humanitarian emergencies. Each vessel in the fleet is maintained to remain in a state of readiness so that a full activation can be achieved quickly and the ship certified as mission ready. In nearly every case, MARAD completes RRF vessel activation in five days or less.
This level of readiness was the reason the CAPE RAY, the assigned ship manager, Keystone Shipping Services, Inc., and the all-volunteer U.S. Merchant Marine crew were able to prepare for this historic mission in a very short time.
Converting a sealift vessel into an OPCW-verified chemical weapons destruction facility was no easy task, given the scope of the mission, the number of government agencies and commercial companies involved, and the extensive vessel modifications required. Without question, this was a first of its kind project for the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The unique mission required the team to make significant modifications, including installation of additional berthing, office, and messing spaces; a medical unit; reverse osmosis water purification units; a commercial-grade helicopter landing deck for emergencies; an environmental enclosure with carbon filtration; separate filtered air handling systems; and two Field Deployable Hydrolysis Systems to neutralize and convert chemical agent materials into liquid compounds not usable as weapons. During this activation stage, maritime labor from Marine Engineers Beneficial Association and Seafarers International Union rapidly assembled a top-notch crew of 36 U.S. civilian mariners who now operate the vessel and maintain the necessary onboard support--including berthing and food--to allow the military, inspectors, technical experts, and personnel from the U.S. Army's Edgewood Chemical Biological Center to perform their vital mission.
Once modifications were completed, extensive in-port and at-sea testing were conducted. A diverse team from more than 20 different organizations worked tirelessly to test and improve the vessel's capabilities to ensure that chemical weapons could be handled and neutralized safely. Measures were also put in place to ensure there would be no impact on the environment or harmful effects on human life when the CAPE RAY returns stateside.
The rapid preparation and deployment of the CAPE RAY make it perfectly clear that the RRF is a valuable national asset that is ready when needed -even for missions we never thought necessary. Through fiscal responsibility, diligent hard work, and continuous maintenance, the RRF vessels and the U.S. Merchant Marine continue their well-established and proud tradition of serving when called upon.
For them, "In Peace and War Since 1775" is more than just a tagline; it's a fact.
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The Life of a Cruise Ship Priest
By: Fr. Adaly Rosado, AOS-USA Cruise Ship Priest
FatherRosado.com
I heard about the opportunity to serve God onboard cruise ships through a retired priest who visited our parish here in Goshen, NY. "The Apostolate of the Sea was founded in 1921 in Glasgow, Scotland and it was recognized as the official Catholic ministry to the people of the sea by Pope Pius XI in 1922."
(http://www.aos-usa.org/Cruise_Manual_2008_Final.pdf)
Here in the United States the Apostolate of the Seas United States of America (AOS-USA) handles the task of placing an American Catholic Priest in good standing with the Catholic Church on cruise ships around the world. Other branches of AOS exist such as AOS-Canada. After sending a few e-mails to AOS-USA I decided I was interested in ministering to the People of the Sea.
In order to do so a priest must ask his bishop for permission and a letter of good standing must be sent to AOS-USA. Once my letter of Good Standing was accepted I paid the $100 fee to become an AOS-USA cruise ship priest member. This fee helps to pay all the costs associated with the operation of the ministry such as the light bills. Once I became a member I began to get lists of cruise ships that needed priests onboard. As of the writing of this blog post only Holland America puts a Catholic Priest on every cruise ship. Some others put a priest onboard only for Easter and Christmas. Unfortunately some cruise ships attempt to place priests onboard outside of AOS-USA and these priests are not always in Good Standing with the Catholic Church.
I applied for and was accepted as a cruise ship chaplain onboard Holland America's MS Eurodam for the Eastern Caribbean cruise that took place November 17th -24th of this year. Cruise ship chaplains are usually responsible for their own transportation to and from the ship. On the 17th I flew down to Fort Lauderdale with much anxiety about this new ministry. When I arrived at the ships' terminal I was told that I had to use the staff entrance behind the building. When I got there the staff was very friendly and helpful. I explained that I had never been on a cruise ship before. They assured me everything would be ok and they had me wait until the ship was cleared. Once this was done I was allowed onto the ship and I showed them the slip of paper that identified me as the official cruise ship priest.
The instructions I had from AOS-USA said that the first thing I had to do was to speak with the Cruise Director, Chris. Luckily for me he was one of the first persons I saw when I boarded the ship. He was very nice and friendly. He introduced me to Margo who was in charge of entertainment onboard and informed me that I would be working directly with her. Margo has a very friendly personality and she quickly reassured me that everything would be ok. At this point with the size of the ship I was wondering what I had gotten myself into since cruise ship priests are the chaplains for all onboard. I thought the ministry would be very difficult since here at Saint John's in Goshen, NY we have three priests for a parish that has about 2,500 registered families. Onboard, however, I was the chaplain for all approximately 2,000 people. Margo informed me that my first Mass with the guests onboard would be at 5pm. The Mass for the staff took place at 11:15pm. She also gave me the room number for two of my parishioners, Al and Loretta, who booked their rooms on this cruise after they were informed that I was assigned to it. With my parishioners onboard the Masses felt similar to the Masses I celebrate at my home parish.
Before every Mass a Holland America employee, in this case Bill, set up for the Mass. Unfortunately on this cruise some liturgical items were missing. Fortunately however, I brought some of my own and every Mass was validly celebrated. If you are a priest who is reading this and considering this wonderful ministry to the People at Sea I suggest you bring everything you need to celebrate Mass just in case something is missing. One of the responsibilities of the cruise ship priest is to take note of what liturgical items are onboard. I made a list of what the ship had and what they needed and gave it to Margo who informed me they would order the missing liturgical items.
The Liturgy onboard was new and delightful. I asked and received volunteers to serve as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, Lectors and Cantors. The Masses were very enjoyable. For the Mass intentions I adopted the Caribbean and South American custom of having Masses for multiple intentions. I took intentions from my friends online and many of the guests wrote their intentions in a Mass Intention book I brought with me. The guests and I had a small parish community on the ship. Every day about 40 people would attend the Mass and we had 80 for the Saturday Evening Vigil Mass.
Celebrating Mass is the most important thing a cruise ship priest does. However, I discovered that there are some interesting challenges at sea. At some points of the cruise the ships movement was felt considerably more than at other times. At Mass I would invite people who did not wish to stand up to remain seated and raise their hands so that communion could be brought to them at their seats. I also would make sure that I myself had my feet placed on the floor in such a manner that I would not fall while celebrating Mass. Another interesting challenge is that there is no tabernacle onboard. I discovered the most convenient method of deciding how many hosts to consecrate was to make an announcement about who could receive communion (not all who come to Mass are Catholic), count and place enough hosts in the ciborium for that Mass.
In addition, to celebrating Mass the cruise ship priest has other duties and so he should make himself available to the people. I printed an extra 1,000 business cards for people to take and connected my computer to the internet. Unfortunately I received zero e-mails from people onboard and I was told that many people did not sign up for onboard internet because of the cost. I also informed people that they could call the Front Office and ask for me. Here, I learned an important lesson. It is much more difficult to be contacted at Sea than at your parish. Here at my parish my cell phone works and when someone stops at the office looking for me our wonderful employees call me. Unfortunately, onboard cell phones do not work in open waters or foreign ports and if they do the roaming charges are amazing. Employees make every effort to contact the priest but I did get one message onboard a day late. I found the oldest form of communication, word of mouth, was best on board. For example, while Mass was celebrated every day and Mass times with locations were printed in the daily program some people did not realize I was onboard until later in the cruise. I gave mass times and locations to people verbally.
While onboard I found that the ministry was not too demanding and I had plenty of down time. During this trip we had one medical emergency, a blessing of a 70 year old on her 70th birthday, a walk to support victims of the Typhoon in the Philippines, led an ecumenical service and had a renewal of vows of a couple on the occasion of their 25th anniversary. The phone in my room only rang a few times and all but one call were from my parishioner Al. Most of the time during this ministry I was involved in the ministry of hanging out. This means I was available to the people, speaking to them about God and the Church. Some people had questions about the Church and I answered them. I had many enjoyable conversations with the people both staff and guests. Unless I was off the ship or in the pool I was always in uniform.
While I found this ministry was not too difficult and very enjoyable it is very important. For many of the staff the cruise ship priest is the only priest they see onboard as they spend anywhere from six weeks to ten months on the ship. That late night staff Mass on Sundays is very important as it gives the staff an opportunity to go to Mass. Many People thanked me many times for celebrating Mass for them. At the end of the cruise Margo asked me if I would go on another cruise ship and I let her know that I definitely would. I got to see parts of the world I had never seen before for at a low cost (the cruise itself is free for the priest.) The only place on the itinerary that I had been to before was San Juan, Puerto Rico. For the first time ever I got to see Grand Turk, Saint Thomas and Half Moon Cay, Bahamas. I would recommend this wonderful ministry to any priest. It is an enjoyable and necessary ministry. In addition you do not need to be a priest to be a member of AOS-USA. You can visit their website and join by clicking here:
http://www.aos-usa.org/Membership.html
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Announcing the 2015 Houston Maritime Ministry Training Program!
The Houston International Seafarers' Center would like to announce the next Houston Maritime Ministry Training Program, which will be held Feb. 1 - 13, 2015. This is a 2 week program designed to assist those who are new to Port Chaplaincy and Maritime Ministry about the full scope of the work. If you are interested in attending, please fill out the application and mail, email (wells6652@msn.com) or fax (713.672.2444) as soon as possible to Rev. David Wells, Coordinator (application deadline is December 1, 2014): Click here to download the application:
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Important Upcoming Events for
AOS USA Members
Sea Sunday
July 13, 2014
Houston Maritime Ministry Training School
Feb. 1 - 13, 2015
Houston International Seafarers' Center
Click below for the application:
Houston School Application 2015
National Maritime Day
May 22, 2015
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