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Stella Maris | Organisation Good News
A few weeks ago, Stella Maris’ Port Chaplain for Tilbury Docks, Wojciech Holub, helped organise and prepare an evening Mass for seafarers on board the Helle CO2 tanker.
The Mass was a beautiful celebration of faith and community, with seafarers and parishioners alike coming together whilst the tanker was docked. Wojciech was joined by Fr Krzysztof and some of his parishioners, who had previously welcomed Wojciech for Sea Sunday. The Mass brought together Captain Daniel and his crew, as well as crew members from the neighbouring vessel Vesper.
However, Wojciech’s ministry goes far beyond organising Mass. For 13 years he has been a Stella Maris Chaplain, now covering Tilbury and the London Gateway ports along the River Thames. Wojciech often visits ships and meets with seafarers, offering practical, spiritual and pastoral care on behalf of the Catholic Church and its community.
He explains that he must keep his eyes and ears open ‘to spot and hear what doesn’t necessarily come across as a straight message in terms of seafarers’ need’. Instead, he has to recognise signs of hardship and struggle, then find appropriate ways to help.
Some ship visits are just spent chatting with crews – particularly those with good work contracts and working conditions. Other times, Wojciech can notice any workplace difficulties and is able to directly contact relevant authorities to get help where needed. On one occasion, due to poor company management, a crew was left short of provisions. Wojciech immediate bought two sacks of rice for the crew and then pressed for action until the seafarers had enough food for their voyage to continue.
Wojciech also noted that, as part of his role, he also visits seafarers in hospital as well. He gave us one example of when he visited the same crewmember every day for 53 days after he had lost his hand due to poor workplace safety – then Wojciech assisted him to the airport so he could be flown back home. Stella Maris has also helped put this seafarer in touch with a lawyer, and Wojciech continues to speak with him at least once a month.
Numerous times Tilbury’s Port Chaplain has help seafarers with financial support from Stella Maris’ Centenary Emergency Fund. In three cases this money was used to support the medical treatment for seafarers’ loved ones – one in Peru and two in the Philippines.
For a number of seafarers, Wojciech is good friend in the port. He explains that he can ‘take them to the seafarers’ centre, assist with grocery shopping, or take for a joy ride’; recently he spent a whole day with a crew, taking them to Beaulieu in New Forest – ‘I am already told that was their best trip so far!’ He explained. For the last six years, he has spent Christmas and New Year’s onboard the ships with crew members as well.
Wojciech asks us to continue to pray for and support the work he and Stella Maris does for the people of the sea and their loved ones. He reminded us that, as an island nation, we are very dependent on the ‘heavy labour of seafarers, bringing everything we have, consume and use in our daily lives.’
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