Apostleship of the Sea
Apostleship of the Sea (also: Stella Maris , Star of the Sea , abbr .: AoS ) is an aid organization of the Catholic Church . The plant was founded in Glasgow , Scotland at the end of the 19th century and under the patronage of Mary (Virgin Mary) in the form of the Stella maris (Our Lady, Star of the Sea), it offers pastoral services to seafarers through chaplaincies in ports on all continents.
history
The movement grew out of several independent initiatives in the 1890s. In 1891 the Apostolate of Prayer first distributed religious tracts and books from Wimbledon College to twelve ships and began accepting seafarers into the community. Two years later the Society of St. Vincent de Paul started sailors in the ports of Bristol , Sunderland and Tyneside . In the same year a Catholic Seafarers' Center was opened in Montreal .
Today's Apostleship of the Sea Port Ministry was founded in Glasgow in 1920. At that time, Great Britain had one of the largest merchant fleets in the world, employing thousands of British seafarers. The Apostleship of the Sea maintained large seafarers ' hostels in all major ports, where seafarers could live as long as their ships were in port, which could sometimes take several weeks. Hundreds of volunteers from the local parishes were involved in providing hospitality and entertainment for the seafarers. Over time, due to the technological changes, the crews shrank and also spent less time in the ports. Today, the main contact is through ship visits and the drop-in center . In 1969 the Apostleship became a founding member of the International Christian Maritime Association . This network also includes Sailors' Society , Finnish Seamen's Mission (Lutheran), International Seafarers' Welfare and Assistance Network , Mission to Seafarers (Anglican), The Marine Society (Seafarers' Charity), The Royal National Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen (UK ), Sailortown .
organization
.jpg)
In each major country, a bishop acts as the episcopal promoter of the AOS and oversees the work of the National Director. The director coordinates the chaplains' operations and supports them in their services. Each country holds an annual conference. The overall organization is provided by the Pontifical Council for Pastoral Care for Migrants and People on the Move . Because the "parishioners" of the Apostleship of the Sea travel around the world, it is necessary that their pastors are in mutual exchange. The World Congress , which is organized every five years by the Apostolatus Maris Office , ensures this connection between the countries and serves to disseminate the guidelines of the Pontifical Council .
services
AoS provides practical and pastoral assistance to all seafarers regardless of their nationality, creed or race. The international network has offices in 311 ports in more than 30 countries, which are served by 216 Port Chaplains .
When a ship calls at a port, national port authority inspectors may arrest the crews due to health or safety concerns. The ship is then not allowed to leave port until the situation has been resolved. In such circumstances it often happens that the shipowners reject responsibility and give up their ships, leaving the crew unpaid and without funds so that they cannot even return home. AOS is one of the organizations that offers support including food donations in such cases, sometimes over several months.
AOS-USA operates a Cruise Ship Priest Program for the pastoral care of passengers and crew of cruise ships , with the aim of ensuring that only priests with a good reputation and the permission of their bishops / provincials are used as chaplains on the voyages.
A large part of the mission is carried out by missionaries from the Congregatio Scalabriniana , which specializes in seafarers and migrants.
AOS also works with the Santa Marta Group , which works to help seafarers and fishermen who have been kidnapped, enslaved and otherwise exploited.
Every year on the second Sunday in July, the Catholic Church intercedes for seafarers, their families and their supporters. Sea Sunday is the main festival and fundraising and public relations event.
activities
In 2018 the Apostleship of the Sea in the UK had 20 Port Chaplains and 115 volunteers. They visited 10,048 ships and assisted 221,056 seafarers and fishermen. 83 masses were celebrated on ships . Life assistance was provided on 6,200 ships.
In Germany, the Stella Maris Catholic Seamen's Mission acts as an arm of the AoS.
Individual evidence
- ^ "History", AOS Australia .
- ↑ a b “Our History”, AOS-UK .
- ^ AOS-USA .