Archbishop of Westminster Cardinal Vincent Nichols paid tribute to the work of seafarers’ Catholic charity Apostleship of the Sea (AoS) ahead of Sea Sunday, which falls on July 8 this year.
Cardinal Nichols recalled his visit to Tilbury Docks in June 2015, and said: “I went on board and got a feel of the confined quarters in which seafarers lived and all the dangerous edges they negotiate all the time.”
He added: “It was wonderful to get the sense of how Apostleship of the Sea responds to the needs of seafarers, and I really do want to thank them.”
The AoS supports and assists seafarers coming from abroad. Its stated mission is to “welcome seafarers to our shore…and provide them with pastoral and practical assistance”.
Cardinal Nichols also spoke against cases “of seafarers and fishermen being effectively imprisoned on their ships, not paid their wages and held in a modern-day form of press-ganging and slavery”.
The Cardinal is also President of the Santa Marta Group, whose aim is to combat modern-day slavery.
Santa Marta group joined forces with AoS to launch a series of workshops, to be delivered in key ports around the world, to educate and inform AoS chaplains, volunteers, port officials and police about slavery at sea and how to avoid it.
The first workshop took place in Tilbury earlier this year, followed by Santos, Brazil, in May and will be rolled-out at ports globally.
This year’s Sea Sunday will see people from more than 200 countries gather in their local communities to give thanks and praise for seafarers worldwide.
As Sea Sunday approaches, the Cardinal urged continued support for AoS and its ministry. He paid tribute to all those who work for AoS and those who kindly give their time and support volunteering with the organisation.
In a separate initiative Canon Andrew Wright, Secretary-General of the Anglican charity, Mission to Seafarers, said: “Sea Sunday is a wonderful tradition which has allowed seafaring to be the centre of praise, thanks and thought. It has always received such amazing support from all over the world. Wherever you may be this Sunday please spare a thought for a seafarer who has undoubtedly touched your life .”
Sea Sunday usually takes place on the second Sunday on July to offer thought and prayer to seafarers, and to thank them for their service to their communities and global trade. Sea Sunday has recently been a chance for the non-maritime community to understand and hear first-hand accounts of seafarer and the work they do.
Loading ...
