The Apostleship of the Sea

Teesport South

Hands across the sea

In February 2008, Teesport chaplain Tony McAvoy and his wife Lynne took a well-deserved holiday in Australia. There they visited our Antipodean colleagues at the seafarers' centre in Sydney and the Melbourne Stella Maris Centre.

AOS GB is part of the international network of the Apostleship of the Sea. As seafarers leave British ports, they can be assured of a warm welcome from our international colleagues in ports around the world.

Sydney

Sr Mary Leahy (centre) is a port pastoral worker for AOS in Sydney where she is an active ship visitor. She is pictured here with Tony and staff at the ITF-run Sydney Seafarers' Centre.

Melbourne

AOS Melbourne with Tony and Lynn Lay chaplain John Kewa (left) and Stella Maris Centre Manager Rom Kucera show off their "AOS North East England" mugs, presents from Tony and Lynne

click here for contact details of AOS in Australia on the AOS international website

Ash Wednesday

Port chaplain Tony McAvoy distributes ashes to seafarers. Tony performed this office onboard three ships including a roro ferry, a deep-sea support vessel, and a vessel used to build wind farms at sea.

January 2008

Anne McLaren, recently appointed AOS port chaplain in Hull, paid a visit to colleague Tony McAvoy in Teesport. Together they visited the freight ferry Norstream. For one member of the crew, it was an anxious time as he was due to take leave but his relief was delayed in arriving. Fortunately Tony is able to report that the seafarer is now back home in the Philippines with his wife and two daughters. The arrival of a third daughter is imminent.

Norstream crew
Anne McLaren with officers and crew of the Norstream, left to right (standing) Jeffrey, Joe, Reynante, Romeo, Albert, Arnel, Ronald, Joel, & Elizer (crouching)

Christmas 2007

Christmas in Teesport
Left to right: AOS port chaplain Tony McAvoy and volunteer John Wordsworth with volunteers Don Readman (dressed as Santa) and Les Laviolette from our ecumenical partners Mission to Seafarers. Over the Christmas period, the team distributed 1000 shoe-box sized presents which had been donated by parishes of all demoninations.