The following comes from a July 12 Catholic San Francisco article:
The national Catholic ministry for people who work on the sea needs volunteers to serve in the Archdiocese of San Francisco – an ideal opportunity to step up to Pope Francis’ Year of Mercy call to bring Christ to people on the margins.
That’s the message of Sister Joanna Okereke, HHCJ, from the U.S. bishops’ conference, who made stops in the archdiocese last month on a tour of maritime ministry services in West Coast port cities.
Marine ministry on San Francisco Bay is based at the International Maritime Center at Port of Oakland, which is served by a priest and volunteers from the Diocese of Oakland. Catholic services include Masses, one-to-one ministry for containership crews far from home and family and transportation to and from marine terminals for shopping and other necessities.
“They want Mass,” Sister Joanna said. “We get many young ones.”
“We want people to be able to donate, to run the center (and) to show hospitality to a stranger by coming in to volunteer,” Sister Joanna said.
Sister Joanna said half of the world’s maritime crews are Catholic, and the Catholic Church is the largest provider of ministry services.
This looks like an interesting opportunity – to both do good, as well as get hung out to dry.
Having sailed the big pond (Pacific) and lesser ones for many years, I can attest that going to Sea can be fascinating (at times) and broadens ones horizons (at times).
I can also attest that – at other times – it presents all of the charms of prison, with the added possibility of drowning.
Whether this is a Ministry or shuttle bus service or somewhere in between is something I shall have to research – before Volunteering. What the Cost is will be a factor, as the need can be deeper than many pockets – and as wide as the Oceans. Ahem.
As a change of pace from my usual prose – I think this an appropriate article to share my Award Winning ($10 prize) Beach Poem.
For the uninitiated – a Beach Poem is one written in the sand as the tide goes out, which must be finished before it returns to was the slate clean
SURF
Crash & Tumble, the Waves Roll in
Murmur Mumble, back out again
Sprung from where the Strong Winds Roam
Bound for Glory, Froth & Foam