by Susan Huppert, NAMMA The dynamic seafarers’ ministry in the Port of Port Arthur, Texas, is welcoming seafarers to its center with Christmas cheer and boarding ships with gifts. The local Stella Maris outreach operates through the Diocese of Beaumont under the leadership of Fr. Sinclair Oubre. He has been the Diocesan Director of Stella […]
by Susan Huppert, NAMMA Though we are all supposed to dream of a White Christmas, snow and ice can be challenging for seafarers. This is true on the Great Lakes in the winter when things freeze over. This year, by surprise, a Christmas celebration took place onboard a ship docked at the port in Cleveland, […]
By Susan Huppert, NAMMA As Christmas draws near, packages are moving across the country on tight schedules. At Port Everglades, FL, the crunch is always on. “Years ago, it would take days to unload a cargo ship, now it takes hours,” said Port Chaplain the Rev. Canon Sanford Sears, SSC who has been serving seafarers […]
Santa’s network is a lot more about ships and ports and less about reindeer and the North Pole! Check out The MARE Report for great stories of seafarers’ missions serving seafarers at Christmas.
by Susan Huppert, NAMMA The vision of the Port of New Orleans, La. is to advance global connections to exceed the needs of tomorrow. Within this port community is Global Maritime Ministries, a Christian outreach to the world of seafarers. The purpose of the mission mirrors that of the port it serves. It seeks to […]
by Susan Huppert, NAMMA Innovation and progress permeate the shipping industry. But some things never change. One is the commitment to care for those who make their living at sea. Christmas programs in New England began in the 19th century. Over the years different organizations have offered homemade hats and ditty bags for those arriving […]
by Susan Huppert, NAMMA The Stella Maris Maritime Ministry has all hands on deck for its global Christmas giving. The ministry, under the Archdiocese of Mobile, is one of a worldwide network providing spiritual and material support to people who live and work at sea. Students from Christ the King Catholic School near the Port […]
by Susan Huppert, NAMMA Not all gifts come in a ditty bag. Concern for seafarers’ welfare has existed at the Port of Savannah since 1969. Maritime Bethel Savannah began its outreach to seafarers in 2007. Executive Director, John Houchens joined the ministry only three years ago. He feels God was preparing him for the international […]
by Susan Huppert, NAMMA It was a pair of number nine knitting needles that introduced Carol McQuellen to the world of seafarers. Carol lived as a child in Vancouver, WA and returned there when her husband retired in 1970. As was typical in those days, one step to settling in a new community was finding […]
by Susan Huppert, NAMMA It can be lonely to celebrate Christmas at sea. When a cadet at sea looks out the small window of his cabin on Christmas Eve and sees only the reflection of the moon on a black sea, it’s tough. Our common Christmas experience is to find ourselves surrounded by family or […]
