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Prayer Requests:
For the repose of the soul of Wilfred Gardner, a Catholic passenger who passed away while onboard a cruise ship on June 2. His wife Carol was truly appreciative of the presence of the Cruise Ship Priest onboard, Fr Al Winshman. Please keep the Gardner family in your prayers.
Prayer For Hurricane Season
Bishop Maurice Schexnayder (2nd Bishop of Lafayette, LA)
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 calmness; 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 of Mexico, like a provoked and angry giant, can awake from its sleep, overstep its conventional boundaries, 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 passing of time. O Virgin, Star of the Sea, Our Beloved Mother, we ask you to plead with your Son on 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 stormless eternity awaits us.
Amen.
For all seafarers who are just starting their careers, especially those who are struggling to find work in the current economic climate.
A Seafarers' Prayer
O God, I ask you to take me into your care and protection along with all those who sail ships. Make me alert and wise in my duties. Make me faithful in the time of routine, and prompt to decide and courageous to act in any time of crisis. Protect me in the dangers and perils of the sea; and even in the storm, grant that there may be peace and calm within my heart. When I am far from home and far from loved ones and far from the country that I know, help me to be quite sure that, wherever I am, I can never drift beyond your love and care. Take care of my loved ones in the days and weeks and months when I am separated from them, sometimes with half the world between them and me. Keep me true to them and keep them true to me, and every time that we have to part, bring us together in safety and in loyalty again. This I ask for your love's sake. -Amen-
AOS PRAYER
Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy upon all Seafarers.
(1 Our Father)
(Hail Mary)
Our Lady, Star of the Sea, pray for us.
St. Peter, pray for us.
St. Andrew, pray for us.
Lord save us,
or we perish.
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Join AOS USA Today!
To join AOS USA simply click on the following link:
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AOS/USCCB Website:
Some went down to the sea in ships, doing business on the great waters; they saw the deeds of the Lord, his wondrous works in the deep. (Psalm 107:23-24)
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Apostleship of the Sea
Under New Dicastery January 1st!
See News Below:
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APOSTOLIC LETTER
ISSUED MOTU PROPRIO BY THE SUPREME PONTIFF
FRANCIS instituting the Dicastery for promoting Integral Human Development In all her being and actions, the Church is called to promote the integral development of the human person in the light of the Gospel. This development takes place by attending to the inestimable goods of justice, peace, and the care of creation. The Successor of the Apostle Peter, in his work of affirming these values, is continuously adapting the institutions which collaborate with him, so that they may better meet the needs of the men and women whom they are called to serve.
So that the Holy See may be solicitous in these areas, as well as in those regarding health and charitable works, I institute the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. This Dicastery will be competent particularly in issues regarding migrants, those in need, the sick, the excluded and marginalized, the imprisoned and the unemployed, as well as victims of armed conflict, natural disasters, and all forms of slavery and torture. In the new Dicastery, governed by the Statutes that today I approve ad experimentum, the competences of the following Pontifical Councils will be merged, as of 1 January 2017: the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, the Pontifical Council Cor Unum, the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, and the Pontifical Council for Health Care Workers. On that date these four Dicasteries will cease exercising their functions and will be suppressed, and articles 142-153 of the Apostolic Constitution Pastor Bonus will be abrogated.
I decree that what has been set out in this Apostolic Letter issued Motu Proprio have the force of law, notwithstanding anything to the contrary, even if worthy of special mention, and that it be promulgated by publication in L'Osservatore Romano, therefore published in the Acta Apostolicae Sedis, entering into force on 1 January 2017.
Given in Rome, at Saint Peter's, on 17 August 2016, the Jubilee Year of Mercy, the Fourth Year of my Pontificate.
Francis
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Migrants and Refugees at the Heart of Pope's new 'Motu Proprio'
31 August 2016
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has created a new Dicastery to better minister to the needs of the men and women the Church is called to serve.
The new "Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development" was instituted in a Motu Proprio published on Wednesday in the Osservatore Romano.
The dicastery will come into effect as from 1 January 2017 and will be especially "competent in issues regarding migrants, those in need, the sick, the excluded and marginalized, the imprisoned and the unemployed, as well as victims of armed conflict, natural disasters, and all forms of slavery and torture".
On that same date, four Pontifical Councils dedicated to charity and to the promotion of human development will cease to exist and effectively be incorporated into the new institution.
The Pope has appointed Cardinal Peter Turkson as Prefect of the new dicastery. Turkson is the current President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace - one of those destined to be disbanded.
As Pope Francis highlights in the Motu Proprio: 'the Church is called to promote the integral development of the human person in the light of the Gospel', thus the Successor of Peter must 'continuously adapt the institutions which collaborate with him.'
One of the sections of the new dicastery is an expression of the Pope's particular concern for refugees and migrants and of his deep belief that in today's world integral human development cannot be promoted without special attention for the phenomenon of migration. For this reason, this particular section is placed ad tempus beneath the direct jurisdiction of the Pope. Click to see full article and listen to Audio File
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For more information on the Dicastery Change, see the following links
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Ministry to Seafarers Seeks Volunteers
Courtesy: Catholic San Francisco
12 July 2016 |
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Holy Child Sister Joanna Okereke pictured with her are students Michael and Marina Belfiore, great-grandchildren of an Italian immigrant fisherman who made his living for many years fishing out of San Francisco.
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The national Catholic ministry for people who work on the sea needs volunteers to serve in the Archdiocese of San Francisco - an ideal opportunity to step up to Pope Francis' Year of Mercy call to bring Christ to people on the margins.
That's the message of Sister Joanna Okereke, HHCJ, from the U.S. bishops' conference, who made stops in the archdiocese last month on a tour of maritime ministry services in West Coast port cities.
Sister Joanna is assistant director of the U.S. bishops' Secretariat for Cultural Diversity in the Church, Subcommittee on Pastoral Care of Migrants, Refugees and Travelers. She is the bishops' point person for the Apostleship of the Sea, the professional association of Catholic seafarers and maritime ministers, which provides chaplains at 53 ports in 26 states for mariners, fishermen and their families, and all who work or travel on the world's waterways.
Marine ministry on San Francisco Bay is based at the International Maritime Center at Port of Oakland, which is served by a priest and volunteers from the Diocese of Oakland. Catholic services include Masses, one-to-one ministry for containership crews far from home and family and transportation to and from marine terminals for shopping and other necessities.
"They want Mass," Sister Joanna said. "We get many young ones."
Sister Joanna said financial and volunteer support for the Oakland center is needed and welcome from the Archdiocese of San Francisco, where the Apostleship of the Sea on a Rincon Hill now studded with high-rise housing closed in 1995 after 63 years as a mariners' home away from home.
"We want people to be able to donate, to run the center (and) to show hospitality to a stranger by coming in to volunteer," Sister Joanna said.
Full- or part-time volunteers are needed and assistance will be provided to obtain the necessary security clearance to board ships.
Sister Joanna said half of the world's maritime crews are Catholic, and the Catholic Church is the largest provider of ministry services.
Pietro Parravano, a salmon and crab fisherman in Half Moon Bay and San Mateo County Harbor District Commissioner, said maritime ministry is in keeping with Pope Francis' focus on refugees and others on the margins. "We're a common home," he said.
The annual National Day of Prayer and Remembrance for Mariners and People of the Sea was celebrated May 23. The day is observed in conjunction with National Maritime Day in the United States, which has been celebrated since 1933, to recognize merchant mariners and others in the maritime industry.
"In this Jubilee Year of Mercy declared by Pope Francis, may we bring the opportunity of encountering the mercy of God to our brothers and sisters who are seafarers, fishermen, and those whose occupations require them to spend most of the year away from their families, in the high seas, and sometimes facing dangerous situations," Bishop J. Kevin Boland, retired bishop of Savannah, Georgia, and Apostleship of the Sea promoter, said in a U.S. bishops' news release. "They too are our brothers and sisters with spiritual needs, may we accompany them in their joys and trials in life, so they may also grow in faith and understanding of God's love."
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2017 Houston Maritime Ministry Training Program
Dear Friends,
The 2017 Houston Maritime Ministry Training Program will take place at the Houston International Seafarers' Center February 12 - 24, 2017.
We encourage Port Chaplains who have not attended yet, to consider doing so. The application is attached.
Please click the link below for the application.
Houston School Application 2017
Deacon Allan Frederiksen, Coordinator
Houston Maritime Ministry Training Program
Houston International Seafarers' Center
P.O. Box 9506
Houston, TX 77261-9506
Coordinator's Email: deaconallan@comcast.net
Coordinator's Cell Phone: 832.398.0679
Center Telephone: 713.672.0511 Center Fax: 713.672.2444
Center Website: www.houstonseafarers.com
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Invitation: Fr Capodanno Memorial Mass
Courtesy: Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA
5 August 2016 The Memorial Mass for Father Vincent R. Capodanno, MM, will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, September 6, 2016, in the Crypt Church of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, 400 Michigan Avenue, Northeast, Washington, D.C. His Excellency, the Most Reverend Timothy P. Broglio, J.C.D., Archbishop for the Military Services, USA will be the main celebrant.
This annual Mass is celebrated in memory of Father Capodanno, killed in Vietnam on September 4, 1967, as he aided embattled Marines. Father Capodanno posthumously received the Medal of Honor, and in May 2006 the Catholic Church officially proclaimed him a Servant of God, formally initiating his cause for beatification. All are invited to attend the Memorial Mass on the 49th anniversary of his death.
There will be open seating, so please plan to arrive early. If reserved parking is necessary for our disabled attendees, please email mpreece@milarch.org. Military members are encouraged to wear uniform of the day, and business attire is appropriate for civilians.
For more information, visit www.CapodannoGuild.org. The Father Vincent Capodanno Guild is the only official organization established to promote the cause for canonization of Father Capodanno.
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"Getting On" with Bereavement at Sea
Courtesy: AOS Great Britain
4 August 2016
In late May, crew members of a cargo ship, MV Moonray, were left shocked and saddened when an accident on board resulted in the death of their colleague.
The dead seafarer was a 26 year-old Filipino man, part of a close-knit crew, a 'family' at sea.
Not surprisingly the bereavement had a huge effect on the emotional and psychological wellbeing of the other crew members.
Thankfully, they received immediate support from Catholic seafarers' charity Apostleship of the Sea (AoS) in Mombasa, Kenya, where the ship had docked.
AoS Mombasa port chaplain George Sunguh went on board the ship to support the crew and organised Mass to be said on board. This proved a great comfort to the grieving seafarers.
Despite still being in a state of shock, the crew members had to carry on working and the MV Moonray continued its voyage regardless. Unlike shore-based workplaces, seafarers don't normally get time-off for bereavement or the necessary support; this is where AoS port chaplains are able to fill such gaps.
When the ship arrived in Durban port, South Africa, AoS port chaplain Fr Herman Giraldo attempted to board the ship after having tracked the vessel.
Unfortunately, this was not possible as the ship arrived at 2am and set sail again three hours later, spending only a few hours at the port with the crew working all out to get the ship turned around quickly.
Ships nowadays have to meet strict schedules - unnecessary delays mean additional costs.
This particular case illustrates the difficulties posed by short turnaround times when trying to provide support to crew.
In early August, the ship docked at Santos port in Brazil, and AoS port chaplain Fr Samuel Fonseca and his team visited the crew on board. They were reassured by AoS' continued prayers and support for them.
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NTSB Releases Outline of EL FARO Bridge Audio
Courtesy: Maritime Executive
24 August 2016
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced on Wednesday that it has recovered 26 hours of bridge audio, navigational data, radar images and wind data from the voyage data recorder of the lost con/ro El Faro, which went down during Hurricane Joaquin last October.
A salvage crew with a remotely operated submersible retrieved the VDR on August 8 and the data content was extracted August 15.
"Numerous events leading up to the loss of the El Faro are heard on the VDR's audio, recorded from microphones on the ship's bridge," the NTSB said. "The quality of audio contains high levels of background noise. There are times during the recording when the content of crew discussion is difficult to determine, at other times the content can be determined using advanced audio filtering."
The VDR data begins about eight hours after the ship's departure from Jacksonville and it runs up to roughly 0740 hours the morning of October 1.
Bridge audio from her final hours includes:
- discussion between the master and crew regarding flooding and the vessel's list.
- discussion of the loss of propulsion, mentioned in bridge audio at 0613 hours.
- the El Faro's master, Capt. Michael Davidson, discussing the vessel's predicament with shoreside personnel via satphone.
- the sounding of the bell for abandon ship at 0730 hours.
The chronology, and previously disclosed details, suggest the ship was flooding before it lost power, said maritime attorney Rod Sullivan, who represents the family of a deceased crew member and has been closely following the investigation.
The NTSB has convened a group of subject matter experts to analyze the full recording and create a transcript of as much of the audio as possible; the agency expects that background noise and the sheer length of the audio file will make the process time-consuming and it would not predict when it would be completed.
The NTSB is prohibited by federal law from publicly releasing any audio captured from a VDR. Even within the agency, and the team working on the investigation, there are strict limitations on who is able to listen to the audio.
The NTSB did not name the members of the voyage data recorder group tasked with creating the transcript, but it said earlier this month that it may consist of a member of each of the parties involved - the NTSB, U.S. Coast Guard, American Bureau of Shipping and TOTE Services.
The Coast Guard plans to convene a third round of hearings into the loss of the El Faro once all the VDR data is available for use.
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The Children of the Tides:
A Special Prayer from Catholic Relief Services
Courtesy: Catholic Relief Services
September2016 God of all wisdom, The tides of this world carry your children on many waves,
Truly, sometimes, waves of hope.
But also waves of migration, waves of war,
Waves of political upheaval, waves of natural disaster,
Currents that sometimes wash them beyond our reach. Lord, as we call to mind these youngest ones,
Tossed on the seas of fate,
We ask that you endow us all as educators.
Bless our schools,
Be they in buildings, in tents, or on a blanket under a tree,
That we may bless our children,
Bless our neighbor's children
Bless all the children of this world
With the tools of knowledge,
The paths to wisdom
And the keys to freedom. And when waves carry them beyond our horizons,
They are not beyond the reach of learning.
They are not beyond the reach of understanding.
And someday, they will help us conquer those same tides:
Together building peace,
Together building just societies,
With a place for all.
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Join AOS-USA in saying the AOS Prayer each day!
Please take the time to say this pray with us each day:
Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy upon all Seafarers
(1 Our Father)
(Hail Mary)
Our Lady, Star of the Sea, pray for us.
St. Peter, pray for us.
St. Andrew, pray for us.
Lord save us, or we perish!
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Important Upcoming Events for
AOS-USA Members
Novena of Our Lady Star of the Sea
September 21-29, 2016
Feast Day of Our Lady Star of the Sea
September 29, 2016
Houston Maritime Ministry Training Program @ Houston International Seafarers' Center
February 12 - 24, 2017
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