AOS supports crew of Costa Concordia

AoS Chaplain Fr Raffaele Malena

A week after the cruise ship Costa Concordia capsized off the Italian coast, leaving 12 confirmed dead and more than 20 passengers and crew members are still missing, the Apostleship of the Sea, Italy, is still very involved in supporting the survivors.

The AoS was directly involved in the tragedy through Fr Raffaele Malena, the chaplain on board the Costa Concordia. Fr Raffaele devoted himself to saving lives and offering words of comfort and support together with many other crew members who fulfilled their duties with a sense of responsibility and dedication.

On 14 January, the day after the sinking, an Apostleship of the Sea team made up of volunteers from the Stella Maris in Genoa, went to Savona, where they met about 1,500 people, including passengers and crew members, providing practical and emotional support,

In the following days, from January 15 to 17, the Apostleship of the Sea team visited hospitals and hotels in Grosseto, Orbetello and Siena where, meanwhile, other crew members were hospitalized or housed.

At the same time, in Rome and Civitavecchia another Apostleship of the Sea team offered practical assistance and psychologicalto a large group of crew members from Latin America, who lost all their possessions in the disaster.

Meanwhile, the chaplains on board other Costa vessels sailing in various parts of the world, have been offering support to the crew members who were also affected by this tragedy, because they have worked and known many of the crew of the Costa Concordia.

As of today, almost all the crew members were repatriated to their countries of origin. Although in a few days the media will fall silent on this matter, there are wounds, traumas and psychological consequences that will take a long time before they will be healed.

The Apostleship of the Sea, through its worldwide network of chaplains and centres, will continue to offer practical and spiritual support to all the crew members and their families wherever they are.

The Apostleship of the Sea, AoS, is a registered charity and agency of the Catholic Bishops' Conferences of England & Wales and Scotland. It is wholly reliant on voluntary donations, grants and legacies to continue its work.

For more information visit: www.apostleshipofthesea.org.uk