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Stella Maris (formerly the Apostleship of the Sea) is the largest ship-visiting network in the world. It improves the lives of seafarers and fishers through its network of local chaplains and seafarer centres, expert information, advocacy, and spiritual support. As we begin Advent, Charles Stuart, the Stella Maris Regional Port Chaplain covering Southampton, Portsmouth and other ports on the south coast explains that seafarers find different ways to celebrate Christmas:

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“I've seen Christmas trees made out of plastic water bottles. The cook will prepare a special meal and the shipping company may give an extra allowance for this. People of all faiths will come together to celebrate a feast day.  Some who have time and can afford it will buy festive food and wine from the supermarket when in port.  

“I wish you could see the smiles on seafarers’ faces as I arrive on board with a sack full of presents. Sometimes I even dress up as Father Christmas and bring a volunteer as my elf! Seafarers might be strong, hardy people, but their eyes shine as we hand out gifts. For many, it’s their only Christmas present.

“Our gifts will add sparkle to the table and offer a link to the world from which they are so often isolated, and they will remember us for this.  One ship’s master told me that we seem to be the only ones who care. I also heard from a master of a tanker who told me his company offered only a small chocolate bar for each member of the crew. He said he had them in his cabin, but he was too embarrassed to give them out because he felt this reward was too paltry.”

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In the coming weeks, hundreds of vessels will stop in UK ports. Stella Maris chaplains around the UK will go on board to share Christmas joy with seafarers and provide gifts to them.

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“The ports are at their peak in the run-up to Christmas with the operation side handling double the amount of freight. This can mean even longer working hours for seafarers and shoreside workers,” says Deacon Joe O’Donnell. Joe works for Catholic maritime charity Stella Maris (formerly known as Apostleship of the Sea) as their Senior Area Port Chaplain for Scotland and Northern Ireland.

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Christmas is a boom time for the supermarkets and shops in the high street. However, the tills would not be ringing as much were it not for the men, and occasionally, women, who spend the best part of a year away from their families back home. People are often unaware that about 90% of goods that arrive in the UK do so by sea. That’s everything from cars to computers and from fruit to clothes.

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“The nature of seafarers working at sea is rarely recognised. This is due to most people not having access to port operations and not really understanding how much their daily life depends on seafarers keeping global supply chains moving,” says Joe. “I would suggest that only during the pandemic were seafarers acknowledged as key workers.”

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Seafarers find it hard not being with their loved ones at this very special time of year. Many seafarers come from the Philippines, Russia, Ukraine, or India.

It is not uncommon to hear from a seafarer that he has not spent a Christmas at home for many years. This is why Stella Maris Port Chaplains and volunteer ship visitors try to make Christmas in port as special as possible for seafarers arriving here.

Joe explains that often seafarers would like to attend a church service while anchored in port over Christmas, but this is not always possible. “Although there are no daily operations in port on Christmas Day, the crew still have watch duties and carry out maintenance work on board. Obviously, these can coincide with times of services.”

Anne McLaren, Stella Maris’ Senior Area Port Chaplain for the North of England, explains that local parishes and schools also play an important part in making Christmas special for seafarers:

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“We have run a woolly hat appeal with primary schools for a number of years. We visit schools in November and in the assembly, we tell them all about the importance of seafarers and the goods that they bring to us an island nation. We explain how, especially at Christmas time, we should remember seafarers in our thoughts and prayers.

“A list of items is given to the school for the children to collect and then we return in early December to pack everything with the woolly hats with the children. We include a Christmas card from them or a label identifying the school which is attached to the hats.

“Then we deliver the hats to the seafarers on board their vessels. We tell them about the children who have prepared the hats and that they will be praying for them over the Christmas period.

“We let the schools know what vessel their hats are on, so they can track the vessel on a marine traffic app. That way the children can see where the seafarers will be in the world on Christmas Day when they open their presents from them.”

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To find out more about Stella Maris' work, or to make a donation to its Christmas Appeal for seafarers, visit the Stella Maris website.