On Tuesday 29 September, Bishop Nicholas Hudson visited Victoria Wharf with Caritas Plymouth, for a port visit hosted by Stella Maris. During his time spent at the port and on board various vessels, he met seafarers from across the world and heard about their lives at sea and the families waiting for them at home.
The Bishop described the morning as both “fascinating” and “very moving”. Among the seafarers he met were people from the Philippines, Russia, Ukraine and the UK.
Stella Maris, the Catholic Church’s maritime charity, offers practical and spiritual support to seafarers and fishermen while they’re in port. These people often have to work away from their families and communities for long periods of time, so the work Stella Maris does in supporting them is extremely important.
For Bishop Hudson, asking about the seafarers’ families was an important part of the visit. “They seemed genuinely touched to hear us ask about their families and their children back home, and how they all were”, he said.
He also prayed with the seafarers, including for their families and for the safety of their vessels. His visit gave him an opportunity to assure them that they remain in the thoughts and prayers of everyone in the Diocese, “and to tell them that we hold them very much in our hearts”.
You can watch Bishop Hudson speak about his visit and see clips of his interactions with the seafarers on the Diocese of Plymouth’s Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, BlueSky and YouTube channels.
