Whilst religious services are unable to take place as they usually would, we’ve been getting creative so that we can continue to support you with much needed spiritual support. Whether you are a regular worshipper or someone new to faith, we’re recommending a variety of apps and materials and uploading daily Catholic mass to all ship’s Crew TV channel. We are also working closely with our friends at Apostleship of the Sea to support you with your needs by arranging video content and live broadcasts on faith services from around the world.
Here’s more about Apostleship of the Sea and how they can give you comfort, guidance and support during this time.
Who are Apostleship of the Sea?
Apostleship of the Sea is a Catholic charity for anybody that works at sea, anywhere in the world. They’re part of a wider international network called Stella Maris.
When they started in 1920, they ran large hostels in major port towns, where people could stay while their ships were in port; often for weeks at a time. These days, people at sea are often only in port for a few hours, so instead, they now offer a pro-active welfare, guidance and advice service.
The mission of Apostleship of the Sea is to provide spiritual, pastoral, and practical support to all seafarers and cruise ship workers everywhere in the world.
What do they do?
Apostleship of the Sea are here to give you advice, practical help, care and friendship; it doesn’t matter what your faith is or what you believe in.
In the UK, their team of chaplains and volunteers usually visit hundreds of ships each year, supporting with anything from offering advice and practical support, to celebrating mass and leading prayers on board. And while they can’t come on board right now, their chaplains and volunteers are still here for you.
You may want to reach out to them if:
- You need some spiritual support, guidance or prayer
- You need some practical advice
- You’re feeling worried about being away from your family at this time
- You simply want someone to talk to.
How can I get in touch?
If you would like a face-to-face video call with a port chaplain, you can contact Father John Lavers (John.Lavers@stellamarismail.org) directly, and he can make arrangements with his team to contact you to find a suitable time and facilitate this.
You can reach out to any of their chaplains which you can find on their website: Contact details are available here.
On the website, you’ll also find links to online mass, prayers, spiritual resources and other faith materials to help you during this time.
Recommended apps and resources for all faiths (all available on app store on your personal device):
Lectio 365 (Christianity)
A daily devotional resource that helps you practice christianity by reading the bible every day. Written by leaders from the 24-7 Prayer movement this resource helps you engage with Scripture to inspire prayer and shape your life.
Sikh World (Sikhism)
Created to increase awareness of Sikhism and educate on Sikhism Teachings.
Also available: Gurbani 365 (Sikhism)
Access the largest collection of Gurbani Kirtan! Over 35,000 Gurbani audio tracks from over 1000 artists, streamed to you from SikhNet.com.
OM (Hinduism)
OM is the sacred sound and a spiritual symbol that signifies the essence of consciousness. Access a large collection of meditation resources via OM.
Also available: Spiritual workout (Hinduism)
Designed primarily for Hindus or those who consider themselves spiritual but not religious, who would like to maintain a daily spiritual practice. The app has four main areas: worship, introspection, affirmation and study.
Sefaria (Judaism)
Sefaria delivers 3,000 years of Jewish texts in Hebrew and English translation (Torah, Tanakh, Mishnah, Talmud, and more) to your iPhone or iPad.
Also available: Aish.com (Judaism)
Get easy access to Jewish wisdom for living from one of the web’s largest and most trusted Jewish sources. Daily updates include themes of spirituality, dating, marriage, Israel, Jewish holidays and more. Includes 24-hour live webcam from the Western Wall and Inspiring, entertaining viral videos.
Muslim Pro (Islam)
Recognized by more than 80 million Muslims around the world as the most accurate prayer time & azan application, Muslim Pro also features the full Quran with Arabic scripts, phonetics, translations and audio recitations.
Dalai Lama (Buddhism)
Dalai Lama, the official app from the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, lets you stay up to date with what His Holiness is doing, his travels, and his teachings.