Spiritual care and formation

Sustaining faith, nurturing spirituality and working for the dignity of all seafarers

All People of the Sea have spiritual needs whatever their cultural and religious background. AOS promotes the moral and cultural values inherited from home communities. Harsh living and working conditions sometimes challenge these values. And yet life at sea can be a spiritually enriching experience.

AOS is a founder member of ICMA, the International Christian Maritime Association. ICMA takes an holistic approach, treating seafarers as whole persons with needs in both body and soul. ICMA is committed to ecumenism and interreligious dialogue. However ICMA does not support churches or sects which have aggressive recruitment policies and wish to gain access to seafarers for conversion purposes.

Together with our ICMA partners, AOS works for unity, peace and tolerance. We respect and value other religious beliefs. Chaplains and ship visitors approach seafarers as friends offerring spiritual support on the seafarers’ own terms. Around the world, AOS assists visiting seafarers to fulfill their spiritual needs. Typically this includes: making contact with priests or ministers of religion; transport to places of worship; and distributing spiritual literature suitable for interreligious use.

Fr José Juan Cervantes celebrates the Eucharist onboard a petrol tanker in the port of Buenos Aires. The celebration was attended by Catholic and Orthodox members of the crew.

Catholic seafarers

Keeping the faith, living it on land and sea: this is the challenge in which AOS seeks to support Catholic seafarers. In living the faith, Catholic seafarers bear testimony to the Gospel which implies defending the dignity of every person in all circumstances. In a thoroughly globalised profession of fierce competition, reduced wages and a drive for ever greater productivity, threats to human dignity frequently arise.

AOS supports Catholic seafarers in their faith in a multitude of ways, for example: transport to Mass at seafarers’ centres or in local parishes; arranging Mass or eucharistic services onboard ship; distribution of literature and faith articles such as rosaries and icons.

Easter 2008: seafarers at the Stella Maris Centre in Barcelona with Easter cakes and traditional treats

click here to read about Mass onboard a car-carrier in Port of Tyne, England

Onboard Christian communities

Where Christians are present onboard ship, faith communities form. Groups of seafarers come together to express their Christian faith. This might mean prayer meetings, Bible study, saying the Rosary, or simply listening and talking to each other. AOS is committed to supporting these onboard Christian communities.

Where communities form, leaders emerge. These “onboard faith leaders” are not necessarily chosen for their rank and status or for theological training. Instead, they are people whose deep faith inspires others. They are accepted as leaders by their peers on account of their personal qualities, such as patience, kindness and sincerity. These qualities enable them to nurture the faith of their communities.

AOS believes that such onboard faith leaders deserve help and encouragement. We offer them resources such as texts for services and faith articles. Above all, onboard faith leaders can rely on the support of the international AOS network. Chaplains and ship visitors seek out onboard faith leaders and maintain contact after their ships leave port. AOS colleagues in destination ports are made aware of forthcoming visits. They prepare to welcome onboard faith leaders and to offer their services.

Christmas 2007: a group of Sea Scouts from Barcelona accompanies AOS in ship visiting. The Scouts bring Christmas cribs made in sea shells according to local custom.

click here to read letters from seafarers to chaplains of AOS Philippines