Sunday tribute to the ‘invisible’

“One visiting seafarer said to me: ‘People do not see us and because of our invisibility they think we are not human. They do not see what we do and forget that we too have needs’,” Fr Tony said. 

He said the experience of the COVID pandemic, when seafarers were unable to set foot on dry land for a year and a half, and now the war-torn seas of the Straits of Hormuz highlight the dangers.

“It is a lonely life and when away from family and friends this adds to the isolation they may experience,” Fr Tony said. “Enduring treacherous seas is a reality we can easily gloss over too.”

Stella Maris had its humble beginnings through the St Vincent de Paul Society more than 100 years ago in Scotland. Formerly known as the Apostleship of the Sea, the official maritime welfare agency of the Catholic Church operates in over 300 ports around the world. 

“Sea Sunday is a time when we reflect on the lives and the work of all the seafarers of our world,” Fr Tony said. “Through helping and supporting their spiritual and material needs, advocating for their dignity and human rights and also championing strengthened international relations, Stella Maris continues to serve our human family no matter the nationality, creed or background.”

Noting the Gospel reading for Sea Sunday, Fr Tony said Jesus spoke of seeds being sown generously. “The work of Stella Maris is like sowing seeds,” he said.

Donations can be made to The Apostleship of the Sea Current Account: https://stellamarisaustralia.org/

Image: Josephite Sister Mary Leahy talking with seafarers.

Story and second image courtesy Stella Maris Australia.

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