Stella Maris Mallorca opens its doors in the port of Palma
01/07/2024
The Balearic Islands Port Authority (APB) and the Diocese of Mallorca are launching Stella Maris Mallorca in the Port of Palma. This international Catholic Church organisation provides human and spiritual assistance to seafarers, as well as supporting their families.
The headquarters, lent by the APB, is located in the Contramoll-Mollet in the Port of Palma and hopes to become a centre to help seafarers during their stay on land. At this early stage, Stella Maris Mallorca is managed by the director of the secretariat, Nadal Bernat, and is staffed by a team of secular volunteers.
Stella Maris
Stella Maris provides comprehensive spiritual, social and work-related assistance to seafarers, regardless of race, nationality, gender, culture, religion or ideology, under the motto "A home away from home". Volunteers from Stella Maris visit ships arriving in port on a daily basis, offering their services and looking after the needs of the crew. When faced with any problem, they do their best to help them and always offer a warm and humane welcome.
On a spiritual level, the Apostleship of the Sea signifies a presence of the Church in the port. Seafarers are offered catechetical materials, bibles, rosaries, the opportunity to celebrate mass and the possibility of receiving the readings, prayers and reflections for each Sunday by e-mail. Ministers representing other Christian denominations, Islam and Judaism are also available.
History
By the end of the 19th century, a number of Catholic missions for seafarers operated under diverse auspices, serving the spiritual, social and material welfare of visiting crews in multiple ports around the world.
However, it was at the Port of Glasgow in 1920 that Fr Egger SJ laid the foundations of the future Apostleship of the Sea, under the auspices of the Society of the Apostleship of Prayer. Father Egger, together with Franciscan monk Peter Anson and layman Arthur Gannon, recognised the need for a specific apostolic work for seafarers. On 4 October that same year, the first meeting of Stella Maris - Apostleship of the Sea took place in Glasgow. At that time, the emblem of the Apostleship of the Sea was created, an insignia representing the Sacred Heart of Jesus on an ancient anchor.
In Spain, this international organisation has been present since 1923, when the Mallorcan bishop Mons. Josep Miralles encouraged its creation in the Port of Barcelona.
The Church has been working with seafarers for more than 100 years. They are currently present in 322 ports in 56 countries. In Spain, they are moored in 15 ports. In these ports, 126 pastoral agents, 10 priests, 3 deacons and 114 lay collaborators and volunteers await the crews who dock in the ports. Over 5,400 ships are visited in a year and more than 6,200 seafarers visited these centres. In total, some 40,000 merchant seafarers and fishermen benefit from their visits and facilities.
