APOSTOLATE OF THE SEA. - A complex of Catholic initiatives for the religious, moral and social assistance of seafarers throughout the world. The nature, purpose and organization of this work arise from the special condition of seafaring people, who because of the exceptional character of their work are often for long periods far from the practices of Christian life, from the domestic hearth and from the joys of civil life, remaining abandoned to themselves and exposed to many dangers. Catholic seafarers are reckoned at about 800,000, that is, more than half of all seafaring people, to whom must be added the male and female ship's clerks and other categories of navigators, fishermen, and lighthouse personnel.
I. History
Before the "Reformation" of the 16th century, the sailors of the coastal countries of Europe, who supplied the world with most of its navigators, were guaranteed religious and professional assistance through every kind of confraternity and association. Following the industrial revolution of the 19th century and the impetus received by commerce by sea, a greater number of men became engaged in this profession. There then arose, through English, Swedish, Norwegian and especially American initiative, many Protestant philanthropic associations for their assistance, which founded clubs and assigned chaplains in the various ports, not excluding those of predominantly Catholic countries such as Belgium, France, Portugal, Italy, Ireland and Spain.
On the Catholic side the first attempts to assist sailors who were fellow believers were made toward the end of the 19th century, mainly through the merit of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and of the Jesuit fathers, who within the Apostleship of Prayer established a special section for sailors called the A. d. m. The first beginnings of the present international movement were in Glasgow, when in 1920, at a meeting of zealots, Peter Anson, a convert from Anglicanism, put forward the idea that alongside religious action there should be begun a work of moral and social assistance for seafarers, an idea that was given concrete form in statutes presented in 1922 by the Archbishop of Glasgow, Msgr. MacIntosh, President of the "Apostleship of the Sea," to Pope Pius XI and approved by him. In that year there existed in the world no more than twelve centers of assistance for seafarers, located in six countries and not connected with one another. The Pope, in approving the A. d. m., gave it the charge to extend itself ever more throughout the maritime zones of the two hemispheres. Gradually, with the help of the sailors themselves, the A. d. m. became known in the various ports and several committees for assistance were formed. In 1924 the Capuchins of Rotterdam published the first newspaper for seafarers, Recht door Zee, which, thanks to its articles written in various languages, became the principal means of international propaganda. Later, following the lead of that publication, the Apostolatus Maris Magazine saw the light. All the centers, old and new, joined the Glasgow Council, which, thus strengthened, held in 1927 at Port-en-Bessin (Normandy) the first International Congress of the A. d. m.
At the second International Congress held in London in 1931 under the presidency of Cardinal Bourne, the A.M.I.C. (Apostolatus Maris internationale Concilium) was constituted. This international Council, made up of representatives of the various nations and of all the organizations that within the Catholic Church take care of the spiritual, moral and social welfare of seafarers, with its seat, secretariat and quarterly periodical (Quarterly) in London, became the center of liaison and direction of the Work.
At the Congresses that followed one another until the outbreak of the war, at Hamburg (1934), Sables d'Olonne (1936), Antwerp
(1937), Glasgow (1938), the definitive text of the constitutions of the A.M.I.C. was settled, the autonomy of each unit of the A. d. m. was clarified, placed under diocesan control, in international liaison and cooperation; directives were created for Catholic action among seafarers; the problem of women's collaboration in the meeting-places of the A. d. m. was resolved, admitting it by common accord as essential; and a confraternity of seafarers was constituted under the protection of Stella Maris.
Besides these common international directives, the various countries have given the A. d. m. their own national character. France has developed a highly organized apostolate among fishermen and among the sailors of the merchant and military navies on the foundations of Catholic Action. In Spain particular development has been given to spiritual retreats for sailors and to courses of Christian doctrine. In Holland family circles have been fostered. In Italy a special assistance service has been constituted for the women who work on the great passenger lines, a method that was also adopted by other countries. In the Anglo-Saxon countries, the United States, Canada, England, Australia and New Zealand, clubs with a complete assistance apparatus have been established. In Belgium numerous libraries operate, supplying departing ships with books, which are exchanged on their return. In Germany impetus had been given to religious and liturgical instruction.
The fully equipped clubs of the A. d. m. today (1948) number about seventy (the German ones and some French ones destroyed in the war not yet having been reconstituted) and are found in Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, India, England, Italy, Ireland, New Zealand, Portugal, Holland, Spain, the United States, South Africa, Uruguay and the West Indies. The service centers of the A. d. m., with lay promoters and chaplains, are at present 260 and carry on their action not only in the centers indicated above but in various mission localities, including Africa and Scandinavia; they are rapidly increasing and are transformed as soon as they can into clubs. A host of priests devotes itself to the work in the major ports of the various countries. Three hundred other priests actively collaborate there as honorary chaplains, together with several thousand lay cooperators. After the war the A. d. m. received new impetus from His Holiness Pius XII, who placed the work under the supreme direction of the Sacred Consistorial Congregation. The maritime world thus today has its center in Rome.
II. The A. d. m. in Italy
In Italy the A. d. m. had its beginning in Genoa in 1925 through the care of Father Lucchetti S. J., chaplain of the garaventini, later assisted by the Rev. Chute and by Miss Buckley. The work, however, arose fully only in 1932, when Cardinal Minoretti entrusted the A. d. m. to a special Conference of St. Vincent de Paul, Stella Maris, which by means of chaplains and laymen assisted seafarers in two separate meeting-places for sailors of the military and merchant navies on via del Molo, founded by Count Giuliano Gambaro.
The very flourishing work attends to visits on board and to patients in hospitals, especially on Sundays and holy days, provides for the celebration of Holy Mass for sailors with a suitable short sermon, organizes entertainments at its seat for their honest recreation, attends to catechetical instruction, short spiritual retreats, the diffusion of wholesome and Catholic press, especially the sailor's manual, and also great religious demonstrations on ships and in the city. The fine and welcoming seat has a chapel, reading rooms, games rooms, music rooms and other rooms for administration and the related offices.
All the various initiatives are directed by the chaplain, while the functioning of the various activities is carried out through the two sections, elders and young people, of Stella Maris. The first attends to the direction, the administration and the collection of the members' dues for the financing of the Work; the second carries out the activity of visits and entertainments, apostolate and membership enrollment. A committee of patronesses and of members and sympathizers supports the whole work with spontaneous offerings.
During the war period the A. d. m. of Genoa carried out continuous work of capillary penetration among seafarers to overcome absenteeism and religious indifference; it procured religious assistance for warships in port and for all cargo ships departing; and in the postwar period, in addition to its usual activity, it provided free meals to many sailors awaiting embarkation. In the year 1947 alone, the enrolled seafarers numbered 7,300, the annual attendances at the headquarters 82,000, the ships visited 1,650, the sick visited and assisted 125, and the free meal rations 75,000.
To promote the spread of the A. d. m. in Italy, which in fact exists and functions with all its initiatives only in Genoa, and partially in Savona, Venice, Bari, Spezia, Naples, and Chioggia, there is a national Consulta under the authority of the Sacred Congregation Consistorial, whose president is Msgr. M. Mimmi, archbishop of Bari, and whose director general is Msgr. G. Siri, archbishop of Genoa. Four lay consultors are members of this Consulta. Its seat is in Genoa.
Bibliography4 works
Arnaldo M. Lana