AFTER two years of depravation, living for months at a time on board ships with nowhere in the world to step ashore due to COVID-19, restrictions have finally eased on seafarers.
Stella Maris Seafarer Centre, co-located with Mission to Seafarers at the Port of Brisbane, has been at the forefront of a resurgence of welcoming seafarers ashore over recent weeks.
Supported by Centacare for more than three decades, Stella Maris cares for seafarers and fishers, providing information, advocacy, and spiritual and pastoral and material support.
Stella Maris general assistant Wilmer Prada said seafarers were essential to Australia as an island nation, bringing in many vital goods from overseas.
“More than 8 million containers of merchandise travel through Australia Ports each year accounting for over 90% of traded goods worldwide,” Mr Prada said.
“It’s easy for us, as beneficiaries of this merchandise to make our lives comfortable, to forget that on every ship there are 20-25 souls behind the safe delivery of our goods.”
Mr Prada said this Sunday 10 July – Sea Sunday – was a good time to say a prayer for the more than 300,000 seafarers who contributed to the country often at a personal cost. Parishes have been invited to include special Prayers of Intercession for seafarers.
“Being a seafarer is a tough, lonely and dangerous existence,” Mr Prada said.
“Courageous men and women from some of the poorest countries in the world are sourced as labour for this industry. On board for lengthy eight to 10 month contracts, they do this job as a means of making a living and providing for their families back home.”
Over the last three years, since the beginning of the pandemic, Mr Prada and Stella Maris have delivered care packages, sim cards and essential goods to seafarers on board their ships, provided local currency exchange and transportation for seafarers to shops.
An ordained Chaplain is on call for Catholic ritual at the request of ship captains, particularly when tragedy has befallen a ship on a recent voyage.
“One of our main priorities during this resurgence is to ensure eligible seafarers can receive COVID-19 vaccinations while in port, and have shore leave facilitated in a timely way,” Mr Prada said.
Last year for Sea Sunday, Pope Francis addressed the growing issue of plastic in the ocean.
He said he is praying for seafarers and he exhorted everyone to take care of the oceans and of the seas.
“Take care of the health of the sea: no plastic in the sea,” he said.
To find out more about Sea Sunday, visit https://stellamarisaustralia.org/
