Antwerp, Belgium
 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.
 The
Centre serves
visiting seafarers 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.
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.
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!
 Photographs: (1) 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.
(2) Antwerp is well known among seafarers for excellent
sporting activities - Celebrations as prizes are awarded for
seafarer sport. (3) Three seafarers onboard the Wolgastern,
a chemical and oil carrier during the Christmas snow of
2007.
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