When you think about Christmas, you may not think first of Seafarers. They are often away from their families and friends for long periods, so their celebrations will be much less than the average person’s if they happen. However, thanks to the generosity of parishioners at Sacred Heart, Waterlooville, led by Parishioner Patrick Binks, a Stella Maris volunteer, Christmas gifts were distributed to crews of merchant ships that called into Portsmouth over the festive period.
The ships bring bananas into the UK from the Caribbean. The sailors on all the ships were mainly Filipino, and the officers were of mixed nationalities – a single Master was from the Netherlands, and the Master in the group was Russian.
One Master said, “Our special thanks go to Stella Maris for the Christmas gifts we received on board. Our crew very much appreciated this gesture.”
Stella Maris is the largest ship-visiting network in the world and seeks to improve the lives of seafarers and fishers through a network of local chaplains and seafarer centres, expert information, advocacy, and spiritual support. For more on the charity visit https://www.stellamaris.org.uk
Recent Posts
Each and every one of us is made in the image and likeness of Christ. Yet each of us has been given a special role to play in our lives [...]
Jenny LeLean, Head of Charity, Caritas Portsmouth reminds us that The Season of Creation will soon be upon us once again… The Season of Creation runs from 1st September to [...]
Migration is very topical at the moment as we hear daily in the news about boats crossing the Channel, the illegal migration bill or about the barge in Portland. This [...]
For the first time since the Pandemic, St. Bernard’s Catholic Grammar School previously Convent school, in Slough is hosting a reunion on Saturday September 2nd at 6:30pm for all past [...]
