THE P RTAL
March 2015
Page 23
with shopping. It seems that we are a taxi service on to scatter ashes at certain points on the river.
some days. We even had to assist in the purchase of
an industrial size grill for one ship! Of course, we also
“By the nature of the job of seafarer, accidents will
help with security. The common language is English.
happen. When a seafarer is injured and has to go to
hospital, his ship still sails. He is left here in hospital.
“Pastoral help is also offered. As a lay person, I offer We visit and help all we can. Often he feels abandoned.
what help I can. There is a priest who comes twice If there is a sinking, it may be that other seafarers know
a week to say mass either here in the Centre, or on the people involved. This can cause great distress, so
board. Most container vessels stay for eight hours we visit if there is a disaster.
while unloading and then they are gone. Sometimes
a vessel will stay longer, perhaps a week. Then we can
“The officers work for three or four months before
have mass.
having two months off. The rest work for nine months
before having two months off. Often they request an
“We are often asked for prayers and Holy Communion extra month at work for the money.
may be possible. Some want their vessel blessed and
the crew may want to pray with us. This happens quite
“Every third seafarer is a Filipino. They have long
often. It is not unusual for a big, tough looking seafarer contracts and low pay. 80% of their pay is sent to their
to break down and cry. Things may have gone wrong family back home.
and he does not wish to show this in front of his fellow
seafarers. But he shows us.
“When things go wrong, we liaise between the
various parties. A ship may be badly run, or the crew
“On Ash Wednesday we have an early mass and not paid for some time. They come to us for help and
distribute ashes to whoever wants them. We do this we know how to deal with such problems. It does
for the whole week because many of them will be at sea happen and we have had a vessel arrested here.
on the actual day.
“Stella Maris is supported by charity donations
“At Christmas - from November - we hand out and some companies in the shipping industry. The
presents. They are nicely presented and the parcel Bishops’ Conference, the port authorities and Trinity
will contain toiletries and a woolly hat or balaclava, House also help. A major part of our cash comes from
together with a Christmas card. Our woolly hats are Sea Sunday in July. This is a big chunk of our income.
very popular. Seafarers from the Philippines or Ghana
find European weather very cold. They tell us, they
Wojciech took us to the Port Office for our visitors’
love our woolly hats!
passes, high-viz jackets and hard hats and we were set
for a visit on board.
“There was a tragedy some time ago when thirty-five
migrants were discovered inside a container. One had
Vantage sails under the Netherlands flag. She comes
died. The seafarers, especially the Catholics, were very to Tilbury twice a week to load with London’s rubbish,
upset by the incident. They needed their work-place which is taken to the Netherlands and turned into
cleansed. Some were scared of what had happened. We energy. She has a crew of eight and carries up to seventyarranged for a mass to be said where the container had eight containers of rubbish. We were entertained in
been found and a blessing was given - holy water and the mess room before being taken to the bridge. She
everything. The Filipinos were especially distressed by would sail on the tide that evening.
the whole affair.
Then we went aboard Moonlight, a ship out of Valletta.
“Of course we stock a large supply of rosaries and She carried grain from the UK to Saudi Arabia and
prayer cards. The ones with pictures are very popular. Africa. Moonlight arrived at Tilbury on 8th February
There are a few women working as seafarers, both but had trouble loading the grain as this is impossible
officers and ordinary seamen. There is one couple if it rains. She hoped to sail on the tide on the day of
where he is a cook on one ship and his wife a cook on our visit. However, rain delayed this again.
another! They have two children who are cared for by
grandparents. From time to time, wives will travel with
What a day we had! Wojciech and his colleagues are
their seafarer husband, but they do so as passengers, doing really valuable work. If you would like to support
not workers.
him and the other chaplains, just go to the Apostleship
of the Sea web site - www.apostleshipofthesea.org.
“Just like any other community, we may have a death uk Alternatively, get knitting some woolly hats and
aboard. We have a mass and we also have permission balaclavas for their Christmas parcels 2015.
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