Galveston and Houston Seafarers Centers thank supporters for Christmas gifts

Port of Galveston Seafarers Center supporters, including the Bay Area Deanery Council of Catholic Women and Port Chaplain Deacon Jeffrey Willard, standing in front, at a Dec. 7 tour and luncheon listen to Bishop Brendan Cahill of the Victoria Diocese. Bishop Cahill, who also serves as Bishop Promoter for the Apostleship of the Sea in the U.S., thanked those gathered for their gifts to seafarers. (Photo courtesy of Beverly Brumbaugh)

HOUSTON — Both Daniel Cardinal DiNardo and Bishop Brendan Cahill of Victoria thanked supporters for their donations and Christmas box gifts to seafarers away from home for months, including holidays.

Bishop Cahill, who also serves as Bishop Promoter for the Apostleship of the Sea in the United States, celebrated Mass Dec. 7 for those supporting the Galveston Seafarers Center, including the Bay Area Deanery Council of Catholic Women. They then enjoyed a catered luncheon.

On Dec. 9, Cardinal DiNardo celebrated Mass and attended a luncheon at the Houston International Seafarers Center at the Port of Houston. He and Father Jan Kubisa, port chaplain, thanked the crowd from various churches and ministries, including the Galveston-Houston Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women.

The groups donated thousands of Christmas boxes of gifts, including toiletries, socks, headphones, caps, Bibles and other useful items for seafarers away from home.

Father Kubisa told those in attendance, “Your gifts and donations are critical to our program and, in many cases, one of the few ways to brighten lives and provide a tangible presence to the seafarers calling on the Port of Houston in December. Many seafarers are still not able to leave their vessels for months.”

The Seafarers Centers have remained vigilant in their mission to be there for the seafarers throughout the year, both with the remains of the pandemic as well as many dealing with war strife in their countries and their families being displaced from their homes, Father Kubisa said.
The Christmas boxes are personally carried to each ship by Seafarers Centers’ staff, port chaplains, and ship visitors with an ecumenical ministry funded by all denominations.

“We begin delivering boxes to the ships after Thanksgiving and continue gifting seafarers until all the gifts have been distributed,” Father Kubisa said. “We are gratefully prepared to receive your gift boxes anytime — you cannot be too early or too late in bringing your gifts to one of our Seafarers Centers.”

In 2021, the centers distributed 8,561 gifts on board 404 ships which represented seafarers from more than 60 different countries, from Russia, Germany and Ukraine to Thailand, the Philippines and India. Ship crew sizes average 22 seafarers to gift per vessel. These gifts have been donated by more than 150 churches, organizations, and individuals.

For more information, call the center at 713-672-0511 in Houston or 409-762-0026 for the Galveston Seafarers Center.