Deacon Patrick Moore, Chaplain at Stella Maris in Fremantle. Above him is a stained-glass plaque which says ‘welcome’ in different languages, reflecting the many different nationalities who work at sea. Photo: Caroline Smith
Since becoming chaplain at Stella Maris 11 years ago, Deacon Patrick Moore has witnessed quite a few changes to the Fremantle Port, including the size and type of ships coming in, as a result of the Port being dredged three years ago and, of course, changes in the Australian economy.
“They made it nearly two metres deeper, and this means that we can take much bigger container ships,” he said.
“In the past, a typical container ship would carry 3,000 to 4,000 containers; now, we regularly get ships that carry 7,000 to 8,000. So, in the past where there used to be three ships, they’re now replaced by one. The crew sizes are the same though, with around 22 people per ship.”
This means that the number of seafarers visiting Stella Maris – located in the centre of Fremantle near St Patrick’s Basilica – has gone down.
The main purpose of the agency is to provide a place of rest for seafarers where they can drop in and have something to eat and drink, contact their families back home, and seek spiritual or emotional support.
“Jesus says feed the hungry, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless and welcome the stranger – so we’re called by the Gospel to have a concern for everybody and our particular task is to welcome the stranger,” Deacon Moore said.
“And these seafarers have very difficult lives. Even on the good ships, they still suffer from loneliness, because it’s a long time to be away from your home.”
On tougher ships, he added, seafarers might face cramped conditions, a lack of fresh drinking water, or bullying from fellow crew members – although the introduction of the ILO Maritime Labour Convention 2006, which came into force in 2009, has provided some defence against this.
“It’s made a big difference to seafarers’ lives, and made a big difference to the ability of local inspectors to ensure that proper standards are observed on the ship,” Deacon Moore said.
“This is mainly in terms of accommodation for seafarers, their wages, that their food is adequate, that the water is clean.”
Going on board ships to check such things was also part of Deacon Moore’s job as chaplain, and he often visited seafarers on the ships as they were not always able to come ashore and visit Stella Maris.
“We often get livestock ships with big Bangladeshi or Pakistani crews who are not allowed off, so I spend a lot of time onboard with them, because they want the same sort of amenities as everybody else, especially phone cards,” he said.
“We always get a warm welcome, and the men are always good to talk with.”
Deacon Moore said some recent additions to the Stella Maris Centre – including a new coat of paint and a stained-glass plaque on the wall – helped to inspire volunteers and seafarers who dropped in.
“This plaque was in the window over the doorway at the St Patrick’s Centre. The people there were going to throw it out, but I liked it and so did the seafarers because it says welcome in lots of languages,” he said.
“We had it framed and restored before it went up. We also have an oil painting of Jesus and the Seafarer up on the wall that reminds us who we are – a Catholic organisation motivated by the Gospel.”
From page 18 of Issue 10: ‘Social Outreach’ of The Record Magazine