National Day of Prayer and Remembrance for Mariners and People of the Sea, May 22
WASHINGTON—The National
Day of Prayer and Remembrance for Mariners and People of the Sea will be
celebrated on May 22. The day is observed in conjunction with National Maritime
Day in the United States of America, which has been celebrated since 1933 to
honor those who serve as merchant mariners and to recognize the benefits of the
maritime industry.
Most Reverend Brendan J. Cahill, S.T.D, Bishop of the Diocese of
Victoria, Texas, and Apostleship of the Sea (AOS)
promoter, is encouraging dioceses to mark the national day by remembering the
men and women of the sea in homilies and by including special petitions during
Mass. When Mass is celebrated on May 22, the text for the Votive Mass of the
Blessed Virgin Mary, Star of the Sea, is also encouraged.
Bishop Cahill will
celebrate a Mass in observance of Maritime Day on Saturday, May 19, at 12:10
p.m., in the Crypt Church at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the
Immaculate Conception in Washington DC. The Mass is sponsored by the AOS
national office and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB)
Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church.
Apostleship of the Sea (AOS), is a
worldwide Catholic maritime ministry that engages with seafarers, fishers, their
families, port personnel and all who work or travel on the high seas,
regardless of race, color or creed. The maritime ministry shows the Church’s
care and concern to seafarers who are often away from home for many months
because of the nature of their work and lifestyle. A network of AOS port
offices and Catholic chaplains provide spiritual and practical assistance that
accommodate a seafarer’s unique lifestyle and needs.
In the message addressed to chaplains,
volunteers, friends and supporters of the Apostleship of the Sea, on Sea Sunday
July 9, 2017, Cardinal Peter Appia Kodwo Turkson said, “In our daily lives, we
are surrounded by and use many objects and products that at some stage of their
journey towards us have been transported on vessels. It is difficult for us to
imagine behind these objects the faces of the many seafarers who have secured a
smooth sailing for the vessel to deliver these commodities to the port safely.
We are invited to recognize and express our gratitude to this force of more
than 1.5 million seafarers, who with their hard work and sacrifices are making
our life more comfortable by transporting, between nations and across the seven
seas, almost 90 per cent of the goods.”
In the United States, AOS is present in 53 maritime ports in 26 states and in
48 dioceses. Priest chaplains, deacons, religious and lay people extend
hospitality by providing a “home away from home” for seafarers. AOS has 10
Stella Maris centers, and over 100 chaplains and pastoral teams, including
priests, religious, deacons and lay ecclesial ministers providing many services
including: Mass, communion, confession and other sacraments, assistance to
seafarers in distress, ship visits, transportation to visit business centers, a
place to relax while on the port, computers with internet connection at the
center, cell phones and phone cards as well as facilitating seafarers’ access
to services that others provide.
As we work and serve to protect the rights
of those working at sea, let us join our prayers with that of Pope Francis,
entrusting sailors, fishermen, and all those in difficulty on the seas far away
from home, to the motherly protection of Mary, Star of the Sea.
More information is
available at: https://www.usccb.org/aos.
—
Keywords: U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, USCCB, Apostleship of the Sea,
AOS, Bishop Brendan J. Cahill, seafarers, fishers, port personnel, people
of the sea, merchant mariner, fisherman, maritime personnel, ministry, National
Maritime Day
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