History of the Apostleship of the Sea, Antwerp
The care of the Church for seafarers covers 3 periods:
1. From the time of the 1st World War up to 1930
It started with the work of Peter Anson and Arthur Gannon in Glasgow, Scotland.
The only thing that happened in Belgium during this period was the appointment
of chaplains to training ships and for the Naval College.
The Belgian ships carrying passengers often had priests, particularly missionaries,
on board.
2. In 1930 the Revd. Eugeen Boogaers was appointed chaplain for the seafarers who
became members of the international movement then known as the 'Apostolate of
the Sea'.
3. In the period starting 1952 was the publication of the Apostolic Constitution 'EXSUL
FAMILIA' - whereby the Apostleship of the Sea was integrated in the official church
Structure.
1. The period up to 1930
The first pioneer was Peter Anson. He lived from 1889 until 1975 in Scotland. He was a fisherman and a Benedictine oblate. The symbol, which is now the logo of the 'Apostleship of th Sea' was designed by him.
The 'Apostleship of the Sea' was founded as an organisation at a meeting of catholic laymen on October 4th, 1920, in Glasgow. One of the laymen, Arthur Gannon, became secretary. He trravelled round the ports making contacts and arranging meetings. In 1920 a new constitution was drawn up and in 1922 it was taken by Peter Anson to Rome, where it was recognised and blessed by Pope Pius XI.
An international organisation grew from the headquarters in Glasgow until in March 1928, with a view to co-ordinating the organisations caring for seafarers, the council of the 'Apostleship of the Sea' was formed. The 'APOSTOLATUS MARIS INTERNATIONALE CONCILIUM' (AMIC) was developed and Arthur Gannon became the international secretary.
This organisation was internationally recognised and accepted.
In the historic year of 1952 the Apostolic Constitution 'EXSUL FAMILIA' appeared, which the Apostolate of the Sea acknowledged as an integral part of the Church institute who had arranged th organisation. Later the statutes were drawn up.
What happened in the ports?
Catholic apostolates were approached to visit seamen in the ports. Father Martin Dale S.J. had compiled a handy 'Prayer Book for Catholic Seafarers' which was distributed in thousands. Father Koevoets from Rotterdam also compiled an analogous prayer book.
One way of helping the seafarers is to offer them a home in foreign ports.
Another way is to help our own seafarers; to prepare them before they go to sea, and to be present at all times to protect the social rights of seafarers.
In the 30's it was possible to publish a long list of addresses for seafarers - seafarers centres - many of which had the name "Stella Maris".
International congresses were held and Arthur Gannon ensured that Rome was kept well informed.
From the congress in the 20’s a letter was sent to the bishopric of Mechelen to remind them that the seafarers visiting Antwerp needed and deserved attention. This concern was forwarded to the Antwerp parish of St. Paul – ships were visited and the seamen invited to the existing Parish Hall.
2. The period between 1930 and 1952 with chaplain Eugeen Boogaers
Eugeen Boogaers was born in Turnhout on August 19th, 1881.
After his secondary school studies he felt himself called to become a priest, not through the diocesan seminary of Mechelen but through the American seminary that young people could prepare for in Leuven before going to the United States of America, where they would work under the jurisdiction of an American bishop. So the young priest moved to the diocese of Oklahoma, which was formed in 1905, and he arrived in 1909 to look after the spiritual needs of the cowboys.
With the outbreak of war in 1914 Eugeen Boogaers returned to Belgium to become Army Chaplain and serve on the front. On March 18th, 1917, after 42 months service, he received a serious hip wound during the attack on the Reigersvliet while he was comforting injured and dying soldiers in the overcrowded trenches.
After the armistice in 1919 he never returned to his bishop in Oklahoma but stayed as chaplain with the army of occupation in Germany.
The Belgian occupation ended in 1929 and Eugeen Boogaers looked for another assignment.
Meanwhile, on his return to Antwerp he had moved in with his sister, Louisa Roest-Boogaers, on the Dolfijnstraat.
In 1929-1930 there must have been a chance meeting of Revd. Boogaers with Father Kruynen who visited Congolese seamen on Belgian ships. He had been given a house on the Van Dyckkai (Nr. 2).
Father Kruynen named the house “Ndaka ya Bissu” – “Our Home”. The Congolese seamen were accommodated here when they could not stay on board due to repairs, de-infestation of ships, etc. These seamen were forbidden to go ashore in Antwerp.
Because Father Kruynen was concerned with the organisation on board and the relationship between officers and black crew members, he was no longer accepted by either the officers or the Congolese seamen, and that was the end of his work and that of the home.
It was Father Kruynen who convinced Eugeen Boogaers of the needs of seafarers and particularly
the apostolic care needed by the Belgian seafarers in the port of Antwerp.
During the liberation on September 5, 1944, collaborators and German prisoners of war were housed in the barracks on the Begijnenvest, next to St. Lievenscollege where Monsignor Lambrechts was a teacher. He had held Mass and heard confessions from the people there. Whenever possible food was given and mail distributed. Monsignor Lambrechts tried to get books for these people to relieve their boredom. Because of the difficulty in the library of the parish of St. Michael contact was made with Revd. Boogaers to obtain books for the prisoners from the seafarers library, which had little activity at that time. It was during the first meeting that Revd. Boogaers had with Monsignor Lambrechts that interest was shown for the work with which he was involved.
Meanwhile Fr. Jan Fratteur, whose brother Fr. Pol Fratteur acted as intermediary, was appointed assistant to Revd. Boogaers in 1946.
A letter dated December 3rd, 1946, to Arthur Gannon tells of the poor health of Revd. Boogaers, particularly from the war wounds he suffered to his hip and leg.
In 1948-1949 Fr. Jan Fratteur left the Apostolatus Maris to become pastor in Austruweel. From there he visited the port and later founded a boys’ home. All contacts were broken with Apostolatus Maris.
In the period before, during and after the war Revd. Boogaers had had good contacts with Fr. Louis Aerts, a well-known preacher who had performed the Easter services with Fr. De Cleyn of the then St. Ignatius Hogere Handelsschool.
Also to be mentioned here is the pilgrimage to the Zwarte God of Hoboken, it always drew large crowds from the maritime world, the seafarers and the nautical college.
In 1948-1949 when Revd. Boogaers was working alone with failing health, pressure was brought to bear on Mechelen to appoint an assistant.
First Monsignor Zech, deacon of Antwerp, and then Revd. Lemaitre (son of Captain Lemaitre), who had been present at a Congress of Apostolate of the Sea in Rome, wrote letters to the Cardinal requesting that someone be appointed to Antwerp for the Apostolate of the Sea.
Monsignor Lambrechts was called to Mechelen, first to Monsignor De Smedt and
later to Monsignor Everaert,
and was given the task of writing a study on the pastoral needs in the port of
Antwerp.
Finally, in December 1950, Monsignor Lambrechts, together with Revd. Boogaers, were appointed for the Apostolate of the Sea.
Meanwhile a committee had been formed to oversee the building of the clubhouse on 72 Italiëlei. This was completed and opened on June 30th, 1951. Half the money had been raised by Revd. Boogaers and the other half came from provincial and city subsidies.
The new clubhouse had a bar, restaurant, large hall, reading room, small shop and 9 hotel rooms. The club was quickly became known under the name of Stella Maris, the same as other catholic seaman’s clubs in other ports.
The building ‘Stella Maris soon became too small to cope with the needs, particularly the accommodation. It had not been taken into account that space should be provided for a resident chaplain or manager.
When the adjoining property (Italiëlei 74) came on the market a sale was quickly completed.
After 1954 this extra space gave 14 extra guest rooms, an office, a chaplain’s office, a meeting room and a chapel. The large hall was also extended to double its original size. Also after 1954 the basement area, which had originally been planned as a leisure area, was made available to Congolese seafarers – at the request of Fr. Nuyens who had been pastor in Matadi and wanted to maintain the care of his former parishioners. Most of the Congolese seafarers came from the port of Matadi.
3. The period after 1952 when the Apostolic Constitution (the church foundation) “Exsul Familia”
Recognised the Apostolate of the Sea as a growing part of the Church Institute and defined its organisation. Later statutes were published.
On February 27th, 1953, the international general secretary’s office was founded with the appointment of the first executive secretary E.P. Butel s.j., who had started “Mission de la Mer” in France.
There was good co-operation between E.P. Butel, Arthur Gannon and Monsignor Lambrechts, who were consulted in their different fields. It was during this period that the International Secretary’s office was transferred from Glasgow to Rome.
In the following years the number of helpers in Antwerp grew until there were more than 50 volunteers assisting in activities of the Stella Maris – e.g. dance evenings on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, bar duty, helping in the hall, visiting seamen in hospital, the shop and ship visiting, etc.
The founder of the Stella Maris, Revd. Eugeen Boogaers died on February 7th, 1956.
In July, 1958, Monsignor Lambrechts had as assistant the Revd. Jef Borgers, Doctor of Science, who taught science and mathematics at the St. Jan Berchmans College in Antwerp.
In 1960 Monsignor Lambrechts was appointed International Secretary in Rome and would spend many years there deeply involved with the international growth of the Apostolatus Maris.
From 1956 until the middle of the 60’s several merchant ships were adapted as training ships for future officers; the ‘Louis Sheid’, the ‘Montalto’ and the ‘Eekloo’ also carried chaplains on board.
Revd. Fons Laureys was chaplain on board the ‘Louis Sheid’ and later on the ‘Montalto’ in 1961 and 1962.
Now
the team Borgers-Laureys managed the Apostolatus Maris in Antwerp. In 1962 and
later years Revd. Laureys completely re-structured and up-dated the seafarers
library. The pastoral care of students and cadets of the nautical college was
also his responsibility.
Gradually ideas were being formed about the ecumenical co-operation in the port of Antwerp, the joining of forces of the different Christian missions. Chaplain Jef Borgers laid the foundations in 1966-1968 for an ecumenical team in the port.
Eventually an agreement was reached with ‘The British Sailors’ Society’ and ‘The Missions to Seamen’ and in 1970 the ‘Antwerp Mariners’ Club’ was opened in the middle of the port area.
Later the ‘Deutsche Seemansmission’ joined the group.
On July 17th, 1970, Chaplain Borgers was appointed Science teacher in Brussels and he resigned from his post in Antwerp. Fons Laureys succeeded him as Chaplain of the Apostolatus Maris in Antwerp and also became the National Director of Apostolatus Maris Belgium.
From the co-operation between the different missions grew a deeper ecumenical spirit respecting the separate identity of each organisation.
On Easter Sunday, 1970, the societies agreed to work together from one centre in the city under the name of “Antwerp Seafarers’ Centre”. A sports field was handed over to the Seafarers’ Centre from the Norwegian Mission, this was behind Quay 135, where successful annual football tournaments had been held.
During the 70’s Fr. Laureys was also appointed Chairman of the European Regional Organisation of the Apostolate of the Sea and carried out this function until the early 90’s.
Annually there was a 3-day congress held in another port for the co-operation with the different European ports and also as preparation for the 5-yearly world congress.
Fons Laureys had plans to extend and modernise the seafarers’ library, to start a comprehensive video library, to completely re-structure the reception policies for seafarers, together with the other societies.
This came to an abrupt halt with the sudden death of Fons Laureys on December 20th, 1992. He had been the driving force for 32 years, the central figure of the Stella Maris. He was surrounded with hundreds of friends, both nationally and internationally. The church authorities, recognising the importance of the Centre, did everything possible to find a successor.
In September 1993 Fr. Stefaan Grillet joined the Stella Maris. Stefaan Grillet was a working priest who travelled all over Europe as a truck driver. During his time the library was renewed and adapted according to the standards laid down by the library decree.
In the difficult years which followed a lot of changes took place in the world of merchant shipping.
The Belgian fleet declined and was brought under Luxemburg and foreign flags. The crews, for the greatest part, were made up of foreign seafarers from poorer countries. More and more ships carried seafarers from third world countries. This presented welfare problems and financial means had to be found to cover the cost of catering for the needs of these seafarers. During the short time that Stefaan Grillet was employed at the Centre, ICMA Northern Europe held a conference in Antwerp with representatives from all the Christian churches. This was a success and should be continued. Stefaan Grillet did a lot of work to raise money to finance the Centre. He left in August 1996.
Chaplain Geert Bamelis joined the Centre in January 1997. He had to continue the work of his predecessors and learn to cope with the rapidly changing circumstances in the seaman’s world.
In this brief overview of the history of the Apostolatus Maris we must not forget the many volunteers who have generously given of their time and those who are still devoted to help us with the welfare of seafarers.
Without the support of the volunteers the Apostolate of the Sea would not be what it is today. We hope that we will be able to cope with and overcome the present difficulties.
“We shall walk hand in hand some day;
O deep in my heart I do believe:
We shall overcome some day.”
(With thanks to Monsignor Lambrechts and Captain Cogghe who have played an important role in the preparation of this report;
and thanks also to Mrs. Ann Babb who was providing the English translation of this history).
