The NZ Apostleship of the Sea (AoS), the Catholic organisation serving visiting seafarers and fishers in NZ ports, held its AGM at the Pa Maria Retreat and Spirituality Centre in Wellington at the weekend.
The organisation is reported to be “ship-shape” with sound management and financial reports as well as a boost to volunteer numbers.
Father Jeff Drane SM of Wellington will take the organisation forward as new National Director, assisted by the new Deputy, Deacon Sid Wells of Tauranga.
Father Jeff acknowledged the special place that Catholic seafarers have in the place of NZ’s maritime history during the AGM’s group visit to the Mount Street Cemetery. “Unless we know our past, we don’t have a future”, said Father Jeff, as a commemorative plaque, funded by AoS, was unveiled in honour of the early Catholic pioneers who sailed to settle in NZ in the 1840s.
Many of these pioneers died “the New Zealand Death” — drowning — in one of the many coastal shipwrecks not uncommon in the era, or in the harbour.
A key priority at the AGM was to continue to develop strategies to future-proof the AoS.
Given the growth in shipping and trade, seafarer numbers can be expected to keep increasing. The challenge is in dealing with the increased demand for AoS services with an ageing volunteer base and replacement volunteers not being easy to find.
Father Jeff is delighted to welcome 21 new volunteers to help strengthen the AoS following a dedicated AoS awareness-raising drive. The new volunteers were commissioned during Mass at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart on Saturday evening.
A 2020 strategic plan is being more fully developed to help deal with the many areas of responsibility, such as health and safety, code of ethics and security.
During the AGM Father Kevin Head reported back on his participation at the AoS World Congress in the Vatican City last November. “The new evangelisation is the challenge of working with Catholics who no longer walk with us. But evangelisation starts with us – our lives of prayer and quiet goodness are the first step if we are to have any significant effect in spreading the gospel.”
Source
- Dr A G Stewart, Tauranga.
- Image: Fr Jeffrey Drane, SM, National Director, AoS NZ
Want to know more?
- To join Apostleship of the Sea or find out more information contact Fr Jeff Drane at jeffdrane@gmail.com
- The key objects of the Apostleship of the Sea in NZ are to promote as fully as possible the spiritual welfare of Catholic seafarers and fisherfolk and the social welfare of all seafarers and fisherfolk irrespective of nationality or creed.
- AoS works in four centres in New Zealand – Wellington, Auckland, Napier and Tauranga
- AoS operates in about 100 countries around the world in about 250 centres, e.g. http://www.apostleshipofthesea.org.uk/, about 100 of which are ecumenical