STELLA Maris Apostleship of the Sea national director Ted Richardson has been recognised for his work, in the 2011 Queen’s Birthday honours list.
Mr Richardson was one of several Queens-land Catholics awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for his service to mariners through the Stella Maris Apostleship of the Sea.
Mr Richardson has been the apostleship’s national director since 1991 and was the first non-priest to hold the position.
He said the OAM had come as a complete surprise but was a good recognition for the organisation rather than him personally.
“It’s good recognition for the Church as well,” he said.
“I feel guilty because there are so many great people in the Church that it makes me very humble. People in areas such as psychiatric ministry and prison ministry, they are all out there doing great things so this is a good recognition of the Church and all it does.”
Mr Richardson said to his knowledge it was the first time anyone from the Stella Maris Apostleship of the Sea had received such an award.
“I don’t know of anyone else getting such an award although we did receive the Centenary Award that Paul Lucas put us up for in 2000.”
In Brisbane, Mr Richardson heads the Apostleship of the Sea as a pastoral ministry of Centacare Brisbane to seafarers.
He was joined on the list by Presentation Sister Patricia Dent who received her award for service to the Catholic Church, and to children’s music.
Although now living in Queensland, Sr Dent was a member and composer for the Lismore Congregation of the Presentation Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary since 1939.
Dalby resident Barry O’Shea, a member of St Joseph’s Catholic Parish Council, and a delegate of the Toowoomba Diocesan Assembly received his OAM for service to local government, and to the community of Dalby.
Missionary Sister of the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (OLSH) Sister Rita Torpey, of Papua New Guinea, was recognised with an OAM for her service to education through the development and administration of educational institutions in Papua New Guinea.
The Queenslanders were among at least 20 Catholics around Australia to be recognised for their contribution to the Church through areas such as pastoral ministry, social justice, youth services and governance.
