Faith on the Ocean Waves

For many Christians the second Sunday in July is Sea Sunday; traditionally it’s the day when many churches remember and pray for all those whose working lives are spent on the ocean waves.

About 90% of the world’s goods and fuels are transported around the globe handled by an estimated 1.6 million seafarers. At sea, working conditions can be tough at the best of times but the pandemic has had a number of knock-on effects on their lives, as has the war in Ukraine.

In this programme Roy Jenkins finds out about the difficulties of working and living on the high seas, and about the way in which faith is practised among crews who are often multi-national and multi-faith. We learn about the work of port chaplains, and join them as they visit a ship in port. We also drop into a seafarer centre – also known as Flying Angel Clubs. The chaplains and the volunteers provide practical and emotional support to seafarers – many of them from Ukraine, Russia, China and the Philippines who can expect to be away from home for months on end.

Our guests.

Ros Downs

A retired naval architect and now a volunteer Ship Welfare Officer, Mission to Seafarers based in Newport.

Revd Mark Lawson-Jones.

Port Chaplain South Wales, Mission to Seafarers.

This Anglican charity operates in 200 ports all over the world. www.missiontoseafarers.org

Peter Morgan

Regional Port Chaplain, Stella Maris, Bristol Channel Area which includes S Wales.

This Roman Catholic charity (formerly known in the UK as the Apostleship of the Sea)operates in 54 countries. www.stellamaris.org.uk

Adam Oliver

A former seafarer and now Ship Visitor, Mission to Seafarers based in Milford Haven & Port Talbot.

Professor Helen Sampson.

Director, Seafarers International Research Centre. (SIRC)

The centre has carried out research into life on board for seafarers, and the insecurity of their working conditions. The centre has also studied how faith is practised at sea, and is now conducting research among women seafarers who account for 2% of the global seafaring workforce. www.sirc.cf.ac.uk

Music used.

“Sailing by” by Ronald Binge. It is used before the late-night Shipping Forecast broadcast on BBC Radio 4.

Extracts from “Dawn” and “Sunday Morning” from Sea Interludes by Benjamin Britten.