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
In last year’s Annual Report, we featured news of the creation of a Refugee Sanctuary Hub at St Peter’s Church, Winchester. The Hub was born out of parishioner response to [...]
Walking outdoors has proven long-term improvements for emotional and mental health, as well as bringing about a reduced risk of depression and higher levels of happiness and self-esteem. Coinciding with [...]
Across the Philippine archipelago, a tradition known as Flores de Mayo, a daily offering of flowers to Mary is observed throughout the month of May. Typically, the celebration culminates with [...]
Last year Pope Francis announced Friday that the Catholic Church will celebrate its first World Day of Children in May 2024. Speaking in his Angelus address on Dec. 8 to [...]
