AOS chaplains, pastoral workers and volunteers offer welcome and friendship to People of the Sea around the world.
Seafarers’ centres give visiting seafarers the chance to relax in a friendly and safe environment. Centres offer a meeting point and a source of information. Visiting seafarers are encouraged to communicate with their families by post, telephone or Internet, depending on what is available locally. Other services might include: exercise and leisure facilities; shops selling toiletries, phone cards and souvenirs; books and clothing available free or at a small charge; and a bar, restaurant or cafeteria.
Wherever possible, arrangements are made for Catholic seafarers to receive the sacraments from the chaplain or local parish priest. Many seafarers’ centres have their own chapel or prayer room.
Personal care, being able to wash, have clean clothes and a smart haircut, is very important for self esteem. |
In many countries seafarers’ centres also offer services to local seafarers and to family and community groups. These include orientation courses for new graduates of maritime schools and skills training for seafarers’ wives.
Centres run by AOS are traditionally called Stella Maris Centres. In many ports around the world, AOS now works from ecumenical seafarers’ centres in partnership with other ICMA members.
click here to read about a special visit of some Indian seafarers to the Stella Maris Centre in Kaszuby, Poland
click here to read about the Stella Maris Dormitory in Manila
Traditionally Stella Maris Centres offerred affordable accommodation to visiting seafarers. Many centres around the world still do. However, the pressure to move ships in and out of port as quickly as possible means that some seafarers have very little time ashore. So if the seafarers cannot come to the Stella Maris Centre, the Centre must go to the seafarers.
AOS uses temporary buildings, caravans, even disused containers in the docks themselves in order to provide information and access to telephones or Internet. These facilities enable seafarers to communicate with their families even if their time in port is extremely limited. Facilities are often accessible 24 hours a day.
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AOS chaplains and pastoral workers visit crews onboard ships in port. For seafarers it is a sign of our interest in them. AOS ship visitors report that, with very few exceptions, they are warmly welcomed on board, and their visits are highly appreciated. Ship visitors listen to seafarers. If seafarers have problems, ship visitors offer any assistance possible.
Ship visitors may give other practical help, for example: distributing maps of local services; offerring books, videos and DVDs to the crew; selling international phonecards at the best rate available; and providing transport to shops or seafarers’ centres.
For ships which have groups of Catholics among the crew, ship visitors can arrange for Holy Mass or Eucharistic liturgy to be celebrated onboard.
click here to read about the experiences of two AOS ship visitors in Rio de Janeiro
click here to read about the first AOS woman ship visitor in Kuwait
If seafarers are committed to hospital in foreign ports, their ships must usually leave without them. The representative of the ship’s agent in port is responsible for paying for medical care. Not all of them will take the trouble to visit a sick seafarer and attend to his or her emotional and spiritual needs.
Occasionally visiting seafarers are accused of crimes, arrested and imprisoned. In some parts of the world there are frequent instances of fishers being arrested for having entered the territorial waters of another country.
In all such cases, those involved may feel isolated and distressed. If they do not speak the local language, they may have problems communicating with doctors, police or judges. AOS pastoral workers visit seafarers in hospitals and prisons offerring friendship and practical care.
click here to read about hospital visiting in Santos, Brazil
click here to read how an AOS Port Chaplain in Italy cured a sick seafarer with kindness
One morning an Indian crew member asked me, “what can you get from doing all these things?” I said, “nothing, we just want to visit the crew and offer some services”. It is interesting to note that his next question was “are you a Christian?” He identified us as Christians not through preaching and not even through any form of prayer, but through our actions. True to the saying: actions speak louder than words.
Fr Lito G. Ocon of AOS Philippines on ship visiting in Hong Kong
Going on board of the vessel and offering our services to seafarers enables us to enter their world and assist them in any issues they have problems with, it can be just a lift to shops to begin with, but as they see our interest in them they will discuss their serious concerns with us as they trust us.
Snezhana Taylor, ship visitor, Port of Hull, Great Britain
Father Joachim Lelo of AOS Congo makes a ship visit in the port of Pointe Noir. Click the image to learn more about AOS in Congo.
The Cebu Stella Maris Centre in the Philippines. Click the image to read more about AOS in the Philippines.
The Stella Maris Centre in Sriracha, Thailand. Click on the image for contact details.
This seafarer is phoning his family from "Room 101" in