Martin Foley News

International maritime network Stella Maris has teamed up with tech start-up FrontM to develop a new crew collaboration and wellbeing platform and super-app designed to give seafarers and fishers across the world quick access to Stella Maris's global chaplaincy directory, media content and faith resources.Stella Maris, formerly known as Apostleship of the Sea, is a ship-visiting network with more than 1,000 chaplains and volunteers in 330 ports across 60 countries. Its team makes 70…

Only three weeks after launching, a relief fund established to help seafarers and the families impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic has collected $530,000 in pledges to date, nearly $400,000 of which has already been allocated to help those worst affected.The Seafarers International Relief Fund (SIRF), set up by seafarer welfare charities and the wider shipping industry, said the first three SIRF grants were enabled through The Seafarers’ Charity’s agile and established grant making processes and will provide funds to three seafarer charities…

Apostleship of Sea (AoS) port chaplain Reverend Roger Stone has been awarded the British Empire Medal in the Queen’s New Year’s Honour’s List 2018 for services to the pastoral care of seafarers. Roger has served as port chaplain for the seafarers’ charity since June 2010 and has provided pastoral, spiritual and welfare support to hundreds of crew members who arrive on ships at ports along the South Coast of England. Roger says he is truly honoured and humbled to receive the British Empire Medal from Her Majesty The Queen. He said, “I am proud to work for the Apostleship of the Sea, the greatest and most effective maritime charity in the world. I am privileged to serve so many wonderful seafarers from so many countries around the world.

Apostleship of the Sea (AoS) has launched a maritime emergency fund which aims to provide fast and modest cash grants to seafarers in difficulties. The dedicated fund is designed to respond to emergency financial or welfare requests from seafarers or their families in less than 24 hours, taking the immediate pressure off stressful situations. “Most seafarers and fishermen enjoy good living and working conditions but there can be circumstances when crew are not paid, cannot access communications to speak to family and loved ones and even lack food, water and heating,” AoS Great Britain National Director Martin Foley said during the launch of the fund on board the HQS Wellington in London on June 19.

The dangers of shipping and fishing should not be underestimated, said seafarers’ charity Apostleship of the Sea, following the collision of a car carrier and a fishing boat in Spanish waters. Media have reported that three crew are confirmed dead after the Baltic Breeze, a Singapore-flagged car carrier, collided with a fishing boat near the Spanish port of Vigo in the early morning of Tuesday, April 1. The Baltic Breeze and its crew are well known to the Apostleship of the Sea from its calls at various ports including Bristol…

Seafarers’ charity Apostleship of the Sea (AoS) has paid tribute to its women port chaplains and ship visiting volunteers ahead of International Women’s Day 2014. AoS says women have and will continue to play a significant role within the organisation. It currently has women port chaplains in East Anglia, Plymouth and Hull, as well as many women ship visiting volunteers up and down the country. Their energy and fantastic work in helping meet seafarers’ practical and spiritual needs are an inspiration to many. AoS National Director Martin Foley said; “On this International Women’s Day we give thanks for the work of our female lay chaplains and ship visitors. One ship visitor is Ruth Watt, who quietly goes about her ministry in Fraserburgh and Peterhead ports in Scotland.

Pope Francis has addressed the Regional Coordinators of the Apostleship of the Sea (AoS) who are meeting in Rome this week. The meeting is organized by the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, which coordinates the activities of AoS worldwide. The gathering will discuss the work of AoS worldwide and how to better communicate its ministry within AoS’ global organization, to seafarers and to the wider Catholic community. At the end of the audience he greeted Sr. Mary Leahy, regional coordinator for Oceania and Fr.

On Thursday, July 4, IMO Secretary–General  Mr. Koji Sekimizu joined Tilbury’s Apostleship of the Sea port chaplain, Deacon Paul Glock and National Director Martin Foley, for some ship visiting and to see first-hand the work of seafarers’ charity Apostleship of the Sea. Together they visited two container ships that were in the port that day. They spent time listening to the crew who shared their experiences of life at sea in the twenty-first century. Mr. Sekimizu also heard from Deacon Glock of the breadth of his day to day work supporting seafarers…

An Indian subsidiary of Royal Dutch/Shell said on Monday preliminary work for a liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal in India had begun and work for the main facility would start in November. The 19.50-billion-rupee ($414-million) project in western India will handle LNG imports up to five million tons a year, and the company could double its capacity if there is enough demand. "Hazira Port Pvt Ltd, a 100-percent Royal Dutch/Shell Group company, has awarded a contract for the building of access roads, pipeline crossings and other civil works for the Hazira port and LNG terminal," a company statement said. It said the contract was awarded to Essar Projects Ltd, which began work in July.