The Portal November 2016 | Page 13

THE P RTAL November 2016 The Apostleship of the Sea deserves support from Catholics and uses every penny received wisely. Some volunteers knit woolly hats which are much appreciated by Filipinos and Indians when they are experiencing our northern climates in winter. Scandinavia in winter is very different from what they are used to at home. Every year Apostleship of the Sea chaplains and volunteers visit about 10,000 ships and assist around 200,000 seafarers in many ways. Imagine - if a family member has died at home in the Philippines or India there is no possibility of attending the funeral of someone as close as a mother or father, or even a wife or child. Access to a priest who can celebrate Mass for the deceased is a great support and comfort in these circumstances. Help with establishing contact with home is one of the most useful aids the Apostleship of the Sea can give. Phone and SIM cards are often requested and supplied. Sometimes ships are arrested and impounded because the owners have run into financial difficulties. A ship was recently detained in our waters for 13 months. The crew got no pay, of course, and were almost literally stranded on our shores. The Apostleship of the Sea provided a lifeline for seafarers in this desperate situation, combining practical help with acts of human warmth and kindness. The port chaplain at Southampton, a Catholic deacon, always describes his work as ‘the best job in the world’. Apostleship of the Sea chaplains celebrate Mass and the other sacraments for seafarers and volunteers pray with them. Seafarers often cannot attend Mass for months on end. ‘When did you last have Mass on board?’ I asked some Filippinos on a Christmas cruise. ‘When you were last on board before Easter’ came the reply. Page 13 Sea Sunday focuses annually on the valuable ministry of the Apostleship of the Sea and asks supporters to be generous to its work as often as they can. The need is great. The work is important and sometimes a matter of life and death. Hospitality to strangers, travellers and visitors was a sacred duty in the ancient world generally. Jesus raised this duty to a higher level still when he said that service to the stranger was service to him. But back to the cruise ships and to Sir Francis Drake. Most cruises are ‘holidays of a lifetime’ for the passengers, who return again and again, year after year. Many come to agree wholeheartedly with Sir Francis Drake who said memorably: ‘It isn’t that life ashore is distasteful to me. But life at sea is better.’ I wonder if he was in the Ship Inn in St Martin’s Lane in Exeter at the time? Forms of words for Making a Bequest in favour of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham in your Will I GIVE to the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, 24 Golden Square, London W1F 9JR, the sum of ______ pounds (£ ) and I DIRECT that the receipt of the Treasurer or other proper officer of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham shall be good and sufficient discharge to my Executor. or I GIVE the residue of my estate to the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, 24 Golden Square, London W1F 9JR, and I DIRECT that the receipt of the Treasurer or other proper officer of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham shall be good and sufficient discharge to my Executor.