On Thursday 4th July IMO Secretary-General Koji Sekimizu joined Tilbury’s Apostleship of the Sea port chaplain, Deacon Paul Glock and National Director Martin Foley, for some ship visiting and to see first-hand the work of seafarers’ charity Apostleship of the Sea.
Together they visited two container ships that were in the port that day. They spent time listening to the crew who shared their experiences of life at sea in the twenty-first century.
Mr Sekimizu also heard from Deacon Glock of the breadth of his day to day work supporting seafarers; from helping them make contact with families and loved ones through the provision of MiFi units, to providing support for crews following deaths or suicides onboard.
Martin Foley, Apostleship of the Sea National Director said: “It was really heartening for us that the IMO Secretary-General took time out of his busy schedule to see first-hand the experience of seafarers today and also witness the vital work of our port chaplains.”
Mr Sekimizu thanked the Apostleship of the Sea for their work with seafarers. The Apostleship of the Sea undertakes the majority of ship welfare visiting in the UK and is also present in nearly 300 ports around the world.
Both the seafarers and the port of Tilbury made Mr Sekimizu very welcome. Apostleship of the Sea expressed its gratitude to the port of Tilbury for hosting the visit and for their ongoing support of the Apostleship of the Sea.
The Apostleship of the Sea is gearing up for its annual Sea Sunday appeal on Sunday 14th July when it encourages churches across the country to remember seafarers and the work of the Apostleship of the Sea.
