Helping vulnerable seafarers

This coming Sunday is Sea Sunday when there will be a collection in parishes for the Apostleship of the Sea. They have greatly improved their publicity in recent years, without it being overwhelming and counter-productive. Today they sent me this story in advance of the Sunday appeal. It gives just one example of the kind of work they do:
Port chaplain comes to aid of injured seafarer

A port chaplain came to the aid of a Filipino seafarer after he was injured on board a ship in Ipswich.

The seafarer fell from a ladder in the hold of a ship after being put to work on it immediately following his arrival from Manila.

He was rushed to hospital and Sister Marian Davey, Apostleship of the Sea port chaplain in East Anglia, was called to visit him.

“The combination of jet lag and limited food on the plane meant he was weak for the demanding work onboard. Whilst working in the hold of the ship, he fell from the bottom of a ladder and injured himself.

“It remains a great concern that no consideration is given to a seafarer’s basic need for some recovery time when they make such long trips to join ships in Europe,” she said.

Sister Marian prayed with the seafarer and arranged for a priest to give him the sacrament of the sick. She also gave him a mobile phone so that he could contact his family back home.

She also contacted the International Transport Workers Federation to ensure that he would be paid when he returned to the Philippines.

This Sunday [July 8] is Sea Sunday when Catholics are asked to remember and pray for seafarers and those who support them.

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