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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Novena to Our Lady Star of the Sea Starts Tomorrow Dear Friends,
Just a friendly reminder that the Novena of Our Lady Star of the Sea begins tomorrow! It is a nine day Novena which ends on the Feast of Our Lady Star of the Sea, which falls on September 29 this year. That is also World Maritime Day.
We will send out a notice each day, with the prayers included. We hope you will join us for this special Novena, as we ask Our Lady to protect all Maritime Workers, and to strengthen the work of the Apostleship of the Sea and all Maritime Ministries throughout the United States and throughout the world.
All the Best! Doreen M. Badeaux Secretary General
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Mass to Avert Storms
Courtesy: Diocese of Lake Charles
Morris LeBleu
Recently, AOS Diocese of Lake Charles held their Annual Mass to Avert Storms. It was held at Our Lady Star of the Sea Historic Shrine and Church in Cameron, Louisiana. Deacon Patrick LaPoint, assisted at the Mass which was Celebrated by Bishop Glen Provost.
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Letters from Sea
(Editor's note: Sometimes people wonder if the ministry onboard Cruise Ships is really work, or really important. We'll let the notes from our Cruise Ship Priests onboard speak for themselves!
I am on the Zuiderdam going to New York. Tomorrow we will arrive in St. John's. We departed from Copenhagen. On the second day the medical center called me to the bedside of a priest, who had died. Father Bob. It means we priests die also. I've just wanted to say you hello! God bless you! Fr. Zbigniew Tomczyk AOS-USA Cruise Ship Priest I'm glad that I'm here! I feel like a priest. More confessions than ever before! Thank you for sending me!- Fr Carl Spishak AOS-USA Cruise Ship Priest
A crew member died during my last (transatlantic) cruise on the Zuiderdam in April. I was asked to meet with the Captain, the Cruise Director, the Event Manager and his co-workers. After that I conducted a memorial service open to the entire crew. I also met with the grief counselor at her request.
- Fr Salvatore Sciurba, OCD AOS-USA Cruise Ship Priest
Pax Christi. Here's a report on the cruise (Prisendam HAL 5/17-6/2) where I served as chaplain. The cruise went well. At Sunday Vigil Mass we had approximately 80 people; at Sunday day Mass, 30; Midnight crew Mass, approximately 8. Passengers quickly volunteered to serve as lectors. Thanks to the Protestant chaplain aboard, we had an ecumenical hymn-sing (60 People), a great success with large Catholic turnout. Both of us also participated in a memorial service on memorial Day in the large theater. We had happened to be in Normandy near the D-Day beaches that day, so it was very moving and well-attended. Kudos to Kelley, our event director, for helping to arrange the hymn-sing and memorial service. A pleasure! Rev. John J. Conley, SJ AOS-USA Cruise Ship Priest

I just returned from a wonderful experience on the Holland America Koningsdam in Norway. The crew and the guests were wonderful. We had about 50 for daily mass and close to 100 on Sunday and the following Saturday Vigil Mass.
I want to THANK you for setting things up for me. As I said, it was a wonderful experience and I hope I can do it again before too long. I'm sending a few photos from Mass onboard, and the On Deck for a Cause walk!
Fr. Warren Hall AOS-USA Cruise Ship Priest 
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"Christ offered salvation, and not an easy life":
How do port chaplains make sense of providing
welfare for seafarers? An idiographic,
phenomenological approach analysis
Courtesy: International Maritime Health Journal By: Tiffany Palmer, Esther Murray London Metropolitan University, UK
Dear Friends, Please see the link below for an excellent study on Port Chaplains in the United Kingdom. Full Article
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News from Sailors' Snug Harbor regarding Assistance for Mariners!
Courtesy: Sailors' Snug Harbor
14 July 2016
To Whom It May Concern, We are one of the oldest secular charities in the country, assisting mariners around the country. We know there are many eligible mariners who are unaware of our possible financial assistance and we are clearly aware that there are many who meet all of the eligibility requirements, including financial need. Attached please find some information about The Trustees of the Sailors' Snug Harbor. More information is provided on our website listed below. If you are already aware of SSH, please note we have added inland mariners to our eligibility criteria. SSH no longer owns or operates a retirement facility for mariners in Sea Level, NC, Staten Island, NY, or anywhere else. Today, we assist mariners in their home communities where they are more likely to be near family and friends. Please help us reach out to those retired mariners who may be in need of assistance. Distribute the attached description to mariners in your community or add to a publication you provide. If you need more information or the information in another form, please let us know. Thank you for your assistance. Best regards, Rae Linefsky Executive Director
History The Trustees of the Sailors' Snug Harbor (SSH) was incorporated in 1806 as the result of a bequest made by Captain Robert Richard Randall, a wealthy New York merchant. It was Captain Randall's desire to have his estate utilized to assist 'aged, decrepit and worn-out seamen...'.
Who We Are SSH is a non-profit organization whose mission is to financially aid retired career mariners with a proven need of assistance. SSH no longer owns or operates a retirement facility for mariners in Sea Level, NC, Staten Island, NY or anywhere else. Today, we assist mariners in their home communities.
Whom we assist We offer support to career mariners who can demonstrate they have a need for financial assistance and meet the following requirements: - 2555 days of deep sea time, at least 5 years on U.S. flagged ships or 14 years working on inland waters - 65 years of age or older or on disability (Some exceptions may be made) - Proven need for financial assistance - An individual with at least $50,000 in assets will not be eligible (primary residence excluded) - All public benefits available to a mariner must be accessed (if eligible) before any subsidy from SSH is approved. For example, VA benefits, Medicaid, food stamps etc.
More than 16,500 mariners have been assisted since its inception in the early nineteenth century.
Each interested Mariner must complete an application that requires detailed information about present living arrangements, financial history etc.
Contact Sailors' Snug Harbor If you have any questions or are in need of assistance, please call our Mariner Counselor at 1-888-257-5456. The web site www.thesailorssnugharbor.org includes our application. If you do not have access to a computer, please call and we will send you one. We look forward to hearing from you.
40 Exchange Place, Suite 1701 New York, New York 10005 Tel: 646-465-8585 1-888-257-5456 Fax: 212-513-0243 Website: www.thesailorssnugharbor.org Email: info@thesailorssnugharbor.org
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Funding for Oyster Industry and Strengthening Texas Ports (including Port of Brownsville)
Sen. Cruz Praises Passage of Water Resources Development Act
Courtesy: Office of Senator Ted Cruz
15 September 2016
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) today issued the following statement upon Senate passage of the bipartisan Water Resources Development Act:
"When I was elected to the Senate, I pledged that my top priority would be to help create good-paying jobs for Texans in every corner of our great state. And job creation remains my top priority today.
"In keeping with that commitment, I am pleased to join with my colleagues today to pass the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2016, which continues the modest reforms started in 2014. This legislation will provide integral support for our nation's infrastructure, and it also strengthens key projects to ports across the state, which are critical to the creation of more, good paying jobs for Texans. These projects include: deepening the ship channel at the Port of Brownsville, continuing efforts to further expand the Corpus Christi Ship Channel, and addressing navigation issues that arise on the waterway at the Port of Houston.
"Last month, I had the opportunity to visit the ports of Beaumont, Houston, and Corpus Christi, and I was able to see first-hand the positive economic impact they have on their local communities. I'm looking forward to continuing to work with Texas port communities and employers to ensure they remain strong job creators for our state and for our nation."
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Human Rights at Sea Collaborates to Produce Guidance Document
on Caring for Seafarer Mental Welfare
Courtesy: Human Rights at Sea
12 September 2016
Authored by Professor Neil Greenberg, Managing Director of March on Stress and Professor of Defence Mental Health at King's College London on behalf of Human Rights at Sea, the new publication, "Managing Traumatic Stress - Guidance for Maritime Organisations" aims to provide a top-level guidance to senior management to help improve the mental health of seafarers by providing education and evidence-based approaches within the maritime industry.
"Better mental health support for maritime not only provides moral benefits, there are also legal and financial benefits to organisations who focus on supporting their most important asset - their people" states Professor Greenberg.
Published by The Nautical Institute in partnership with Human Rights at Sea, the new publication explains about post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and provides direction about how it can be addressed within the maritime environment for crews, as well as educating the commercial management structures.
"Seafarers operating in areas at risk of piracy face the effects of trauma if caught up in an incident as well as the trauma faced by the perceived threat of becoming involved in an incident" explained Gavin Rogers, Operations Director, March on Stress.
Professor Neil Greenberg, commented that: "I'm delighted to have worked with Human Rights at Sea on this important publication. While only about 3% of the UK population are likely to suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), personnel working in high-risk or trauma exposed organisations experience much higher rates of PTSD. There is however very good evidence that the risk of developing PTSD or other mental health conditions can be substantially diminished if organisations put in place evidence based measures that can prevent and detect issues at an early stage."
David Hammond, CEO, Human Rights at Sea, added: "Our charity is delighted to have been able to work with the subject matter expertise provided by Professor Greenberg in this new mental health publication to benefit all working in the maritime environment. Mental health is a very important matter for those operating both at sea and throughout the maritime supply chain, but it is often overlooked and misunderstood. This new and well-articulated voluntary guidance is therefore provided as an educational and awareness tool in order to support resilience at sea.
Human Rights at Sea is additionally very pleased to be closely supported in the collation, design and delivery of this publication by The Nautical Institute and the charity looks forward to future collaboration and the delivery of more innovative maritime publications."
The close collaboration shows the industry's determination to highlight this important issue within the maritime sector.
Bridget Hogan, Director of Publishing and Marketing, The Nautical Institute commented: "As the international representative body for maritime professionals involved in the control of seagoing ships, The Nautical Institute is pleased to be involved with the publication of Human Rights at Sea's timely guidance on managing mental health issues at sea. Professor Greenberg's work complements the Institute's recent publications and other initiatives on the human element and particularly human performance and limitation.
It is hoped that this guide will lead to more open discussion, both within companies and within the industry, about mental health at sea, ending some of the stigma that attaches to the subject. It provides practical guidance for ship managers, ship operators, human resources departments and all involved with the welfare of seafarers around the world."
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Marlins & Human Rights at Sea Launch New Diversity & Inclusivity Training for Seafarers
Courtesy: Human Rights at Sea
12 September 2016
It's no secret to those in the industry that the maritime sector is one of the most diverse in the world. Seafarers hail from a wide range of cultures, nationalities and beliefs, as well as representing the full spectrum of gender and sexual orientation. This diverse environment makes the industry an exciting and interesting place to work, however it can lead to misunderstanding and in some cases, conflict or bullying.
Continuing their successful collaboration, Marlins and Human Rights at Sea are proud to announce their newest jointly-produced eLearning course on "Diversity & Inclusion at Sea". Marlins previously worked with Human Rights at Sea in the production of a course on "Humanitarian Response", dealing with the rescue of migrants and refugees at sea.
Designed to increase awareness of diversity and create an environment of respect and inclusion between seafarers, this innovative new course has been researched in depth and prepared with the assistance of experts from across the welfare and diversity fields, including the UK Naval Service's "Compass" network. Learners are encouraged to reflect on individual differences and consider how to interact and cooperate effectively, regardless of cultural, faith or gender differences.
Importantly, the course supports and complements the recent guidance developed by the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) and the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) on Eliminating Shipboard Harassment and Bullying. That guidance was adopted at the second meeting of the Special Tripartite Committee established under the MLC, 2006 on 10th February, 2016.
Tineke Bosma, Training Development Specialist and former seafarer at Marlins, explained, "Crew typically spend a long time away from home, separated from their family and loved ones, with reduced communication. Being excluded from the group on board may lead to further loneliness and even depression. We hope this course will encourage seafarers to seek to understand each other better."
David Hammond, CEO of Human Rights at Sea, said, "The support to Human Rights at Sea from the Marlins team has been instrumental in developing this valuable course and making it widely available to the whole maritime community. I would further like to thank the Apostleship of the Sea and the Royal Navy Diversity team for their review of materials".
At launch, the course is being made available for free for all individual users to access, for a limited time only. The course will also be included in the next subscriber update of the Marlins eLearning Suite for Seafarers.
David continues, "I am delighted that we are able to present this new educational tool to both the international community, as well as to the delegates attending the inaugural International Maritime Human Rights conference this week."
"Meaningful diversity awareness training for all staff, which includes gender identity and sexual orientation, is critical in creating a positive working environment and inclusive culture where difference is accepted, respected and valued. Only then will people be confident and comfortable in bringing their 'whole selves' to the workplace and contribute fully." commented Chris Wood, Lieutenant Commander, Royal Navy, Co-Chair of the Compass Network.
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El Faro Recorder Data to be Examined at Third Coast Guard Hearing
Courtesy: Maritime Executive By: Kirk Moore 8 September 2016
Data retrieved from the sunken El Faro's voyage data recorder will be examined in a third round of hearings before a Coast Guard marine board of investigation this winter, as the fact-finding continues into the loss of the 790' ro/ro containership ship and all 33 crew in Hurricane Joaquin last year.
"This final hearing session is anticipated to conclude the fact-finding phase of the investigation. Once the Coast Guard's fact finding is completed, the MBI will shift to the analysis phase and work independently from the National Transportation Safety Board's concurrent investigation," according to a statement from the Coast Guard Thursday.
The hearing likely will be scheduled for this winter, the Coast Guard said. Once the board completes its report, it will be submitted to the Coast Guard commandant for review, final determinations on safety recommendations, and public release.
Three search efforts over 10 months after the Oct. 1 sinking finally yielded the voyage data recorder. A team on the 226'x42'x15' Navy fleet tug Apache maneuvered the CURV-21, a deep ocean remotely operated underwater vehicle, 15,000 feet down to recover the VDR, using specialized tools to remove the VDR from the ship's bridge mast structure.
Like flight data recorders on commercial aircraft, VDRs can record navigational data, voice communications on the bridge, and other data to assist in reconstructing accidents. The El Faro VDR has been undergoing analysis by the National Transportation Safety Board. Audio from the recorder will not be publicly released, and a transcript account will be prepared to tell the VDR's story, Brian Curtis of the NTSB Office of Marine Safety said in August.
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CHIRP Video: Poor Communication & Safe Berthing
Courtesy: Maritime Executive 22 August 2016
The latest issue of U.K. charitable trust CHIRP's Maritime Broadcast discusses a superyacht with a fouled anchor, power loss and poor communication on a car carrier and the issue of mooring snapback zones.
The Confidential Hazardous Incident Reporting Programme (CHIRP) aims to seek out root causes for near misses, without blame, identify the lessons learned and to consider how best this information can be used to prevent reoccurrence elsewhere in the maritime industry.
Confidentially submit dangerous occurrence reports to CHIRP
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Remembering the Merchant Marine & Fishing Fleets' Contribution to WWII
Courtesy: Shipwrecked Mariners 9 June 2016 The Shipwrecked Mariners' Society has marked the 100th anniversary of the Royal Navy's largest and bloodiest naval engagement in WW1, the Battle of Jutland, by releasing a short video recognising the forgotten contribution and losses faced by merchant seafarers and fishermen during the 1914-18 conflict.
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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
World Maritime Day September 29, 2016 Houston Maritime Ministry Training Program @ Houston International Seafarers' Center February 12 - 24, 2017
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