Antwerp
In the busy port of Antwerp, a commitment to ecumenical co-operation means excellent pastoral care for visiting seafarers.
The port of Antwerp is situated on the River Scheldt, which flows into the North Sea, in the north of Belgium. Antwerp is one of the largest ports in the world and the second largest in Europe, after Rotterdam. Every year between 15 and 16 thousand ships enter the port bringing some 300,000 seafarers to Antwerp. These handle a transshipment of 140 million metric tonnes of goods. 66,000 people are employed in the port.
The Antwerp Seafarers' Centre
AOS port chaplains Fr Leo van Doninck and Fr Jorgedy Bago are based at the Antwerp Seafarers' Centre which is also known as the Stella Maris Centre. The centre is managed by a partnership of ICMA members including AOS, BISS, Mission to Seafarers and the Deutsche Seemansmission. It serves visiting seafares of all nationalities, races and religions. Facilities include a chapel, library, shop and television room. Telephones and Internet are available so that seafarers can contact their families.
click here to read more about ICMA and ecumenical co-operation
There is also an active programme of ship visiting. Chaplains and pastoral workers from the seafarers' centre visit ships in the mornings. This shows the seafarers that they are valued and respected and that help and support is available if they need it. A team of volunteers also visits hospitals and offers pastoral care to any seafarers who are receiving medical
treatment.
Chaplains and volunteers from the Stella Maris Centre with Bishop Paul Van den
Berghe, AOS Bishop Promoter. The Bishop presented an award to Miss Mia
Peeters (front row, centre) who has visited sick seafarers in hospital for more
than 25 years.
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Sport at Antwerp
Antwerp is well known among seafarers for excellent sporting activities.
Seafarers warm up on the playing field during an International Seafarer Sports
Week in Antwerp.
Celebrations as prizes are awarded for seafarer sport.
Christmas 2006
Christmas and Easter are especially important at the Antwerp Seafarers' Centre. Those who wish can attend Mass or other religious services. In addition, the centre organises parties which are attended by seafarers of every nationality, race and religion. The Antwerp Seafarers' Centre has seen some very memorable evenings!
From left to right: Duds Gonzalez Quibin, originally from the Philippines, is a barman at the Antwerp International Seafarers Centre; "Santa Claus", also known as Marc Schippers, is the BISS chaplain at the centre; Eric Bochar is an AOS trainee pastoral worker; these two men are visiting seafarers from Egypt.
Seafarers from Egypt celebrate at the Christmas party. Guests at the party received parcels of Christmas gifts.
Sea Sunday 2006
Ministers of all the churches serving seafares in Antwerp participated in Sea Sunday 2006. These include our ICMA partners Mission to Seafarers, BISS, and the Nordic Seamans' Churches of Norway, Sweden and Finland. Fr Leo van Doninck, AOS port chaplain, is on the far right.
click here to read more about Sea Sunday
click here for contact details of AOS in Antwerp
