Stella Maris Mass for crew of hijacked ship

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A special Mass to mark the one-year anniversary of the hijacking of the Galaxy Leader vehicle carrier ship took place at St Anselm and St Cecilia's church in Holborn, central London, on Tuesday evening.

The celebrant was Father Francisco Cruz CM, Chaplain to the Filipinos of London, assisted by Stella Maris Head of Compliance., Deacon Martin Smith.

On 19 November 2023, the Galaxy Leader was highjacked by Houthi militants, who seized the ship and took its 25 crew hostage. The whereabouts of the 17 Filipino, two Bulgarian, three Ukrainian, two Mexican and one Romanian crew members is still not publicly known.

While this was not the first attack on merchant ships in the Red Sea, the highjacking marked a significant increase in the level of violence and threat faced by seafarers. Since October 2023, many vessels and their crews have been attacked by rockets and drones while transiting the Red Sea. An estimated 2,200 seafarers have been directly affected.

In his homily, Fr Francisco spoke about how, living in a nation of more than 7,600 islands, many Filipinos are seafarers. He recalled two neighbours that he knew as a child and would meet when they came home after long voyages, to spend time with their families. He called them 'uncles'. On 5 December 2013 there was a terrible attack on a hospital in Yemen by Al Qaida, in which one of his uncles was killed. By this time, Fr Francisco was a priest and had to officiate at the funeral Mass. The coffin was closed because his poor uncle had been so badly injured.

Reflecting on the day's Gospel - the story of Zacchaeus, Fr Francisco spoke about how we are imprisoned by sin. We are dehumanised by sin - but Jesus has come to free us - as he did with the tax collector who had such a change of heart. He also reflected on the name Stella Maris, Star of the Sea. People in the Philippines are so dedicated to Our Lady - "We are madly in love with Our Lady," he said. "She is the star who guides us to the harbour which is Our Lord Jesus."

He encouraged everyone to pray for the release of the imprisoned crew of Galaxy Leader, and their families who are suffering so much.

After the Mass, Tim Hill,Stella Maris CEO and National Director spoke briefly to thank every one for their support. While Stella Maris cannot reach the captive crew of the Galaxy leads they are supporting their families, and the families of many other ships and their crews.

The next day was the 1000th day of the war on Ukraine. There were prayers for all those affected by the war, especially the seafarers, their families and Stella Maris colleagues in Odessa. We also prayed for all seafarers who have faced threats and attacks while carrying out their vital work, as well as for peace and stability in the region.

To see a recording of the Mass click here: www.churchservices.tv/lincolnsinnfields/embed and then click on the word 'Recordings' and choose: 'Stella Maris Mass - 7pm 19:00 19-11-2024'

Stella Maris is the largest ship-visiting network in the world. They support seafarers and fishers through their network of local chaplains and seafarer centres, expert information, advocacy, and spiritual support. For more information and to support their work see: https://stellamaris.org.uk/