SEA Sunday, celebrated on July 12, takes on an extraordinary significance this year because of the isolation experienced by seafarers unable to come ashore due to the worldwide pandemic. In Brisbane, as in ports everywhere, ships coming in to dock, carrying most of the world’s trade, have been restricted in allowing crews to step down the gang way and come ... Read More »
Tag Archives: seafarers
Grieving crew consoled by members of Stella Maris mission
BRISBANE’S Stella Maris seafarers mission has provided prayers and pastoral support for a grieving ship’s crew after their captain died suddenly at sea. The cargo carrier Sofrana Tourville 2 docked in Brisbane on June 16, and its 18-member Filipino crew requested the services of a priest after the vessel’s captain’s death en route from Noumea. Members of Centacare’s Stella Maris ... Read More »
Generosity extends across the seas to needy seafarers visiting city’s port
BRISBANE’S Apostleship of the Sea is appealing for help to increase the number of care packs offered to needy seafarers visiting the city’s port during the COVID-19 pandemic. Apostleship of the Sea, under the umbrella of Centacare Pastoral Ministries, operates from the Stella Maris Mission to Seafarers Centre at Wynnum, on Brisbane’s southern bayside, to welcome and support visiting crews ... Read More »
Seafarer pastoral workers are reaching out to crews stuck on board ships amid COVID-19
BARRY Guest places a handful of care packages at the foot of the gangplank, waves to the crew on board and retreats across the dock. It’s a new way of outreach that Mr Guest, a seafarer pastoral worker, can offer to crews stuck on board ships and unable to come ashore because of coronavirus restrictions. Mr Guest works for Brisbane’s ... Read More »
New seafarers’ ministry director Roslyn Rajasingam ready to bridge troubled waters
THE new national director of the Catholic Church’s ministry to seafarers admits getting seasick the first time she boarded a ferry to make a short trip on a calm day across the English Channel. “I was crossing from France to England and even before the ferry moved I was already seasick,” Roslyn Rajasingam said. The experience, more than 20 years ... Read More »
Brisbane apostolate offers crucial support for seafarers
AS cargo ships dock at the Port of Brisbane a Seafarers’ Mission minibus arrives to pick up crews for a few hours ashore and respite from their gruelling jobs. The Stella Maris Mission to Seafarers is a part of the worldwide Catholic Apostleship of the Sea Ministry, supported in Brisbane by Centacare Pastoral Ministries. The crew members are Filipino, Polish, ... Read More »