Dedication of a Cruise Ship
 In a truly international
ceremony, the cruise ship Costa Serena was dedicated to Our
Lady Stella Maris in May 2007.
The 114,147 tonne Costa Serena has the capacity for 3,780
passengers cared for by 1,100 crew. It is the twelfth ship in the fleet of Italian
cruise line Costa Crociere. There is a long-standing
association between Costa Crociere and AOS Italy which
supplies sea-going chaplains to the cruise line. Several AOS
Italy chaplains were present at the ceremony of dedication
which took place in the French port of Marseilles.
The dedication ceremony began in the morning in the
Basilica of Notre Dame de la Garde. Various AOS chaplains
together with the director of Costa Crociere, Pier Luigi
Foschi attended. A large model of the Costa Serena was
placed before a statue of Our Lady known locally as “the
Guardian Lady”. Prayers were said, dedicating the ship and
all who sail in her to Our Lady Stella Maris.
In the evening, 2,000 invited guests attended the Christening ceremony on the quayside during which a bottle
of Champagne was broken against the bow of the ship.
Bishop Tom Burns, Bishop Promoter of AOS Great Britain
then gave a homily. He noted that, for centuries, seafarers
embarking from Marseilles had asked for the protection of
Notre Dame de la Garde while they were at sea. On returning
to port, they offered thanks to Our Lady for bringing them
home safely.
Bishop Tom told the crowd that blessing a ship means
commending it entirely to God. This includes the dream and
vision of the architects and ship builders, the crew who
work hard to provide excellent service, and the passengers
who enjoy the wonderful experience of the cruise ship.
During the homily, Bishop Tom asked the crew to remember
one thing:
when seafarers leave home or port, Christ leaves with them.
Photograph: Fr Luca Centurioni (2nd right) is the new chaplain of the
Costa Serena. With him are Fr Giacomo Martino, national
director of AOS Italy, Bishop Tom Burns and two other cruise
ship chaplains. |