The traditional axiom is: It’s all ill wind that blows nobody any good. But divine providence does everybody good, as Columban Father Patrick McInerney found out.
The crew of a cruise ship are away from home for eight months at a time, separated from wives, husbands, parents, and family, and supporting them with the wages they earn. On the rare occasions when there is a priest on board, often they cannot attend the Mass as it is scheduled for the guests and clafshes with their working hours. And when the ship is in port, they are even busier disembarking guests, cleaning and preparing rooms, loading supplies, and embarking new guests. They do not have leave to go ashore and find a church and attend a Mass, so for much of the year they have to make do with services on TV and private devotions like the rosary and praying the Bible.
The guests on board were celebrating a special date in their lives—a birthday or a wedding anniversary—or were travelling with a group of family and friends, or were simply going on holiday at that particular time. They made their bookings accordingly, and it was only afterwards that they realised those dates coincided with Easter, and they were very disappointed at missing the Easter Services.
The shipping line provides travel, accommodation, food, bars, music, entertainment, dancing lessons, gym training, gambling, child minding and games for a range of ages, tours, laundry, and a host of other services for their guests. And they provide passage for a priest (or rabbi) for the Christmas and Easter (and Passover) cruise, if one is available.
I had seen ships come in to port and sail way to exotic destinations. I had heard about priests travelling as chaplains on cruises, and had always wanted to do it, but had never been told how it was arranged, who one approached. Besides, I had other important things to do. I was working on a doctoral thesis, and though I had occasional breaks here and there, it was never for long. There was always another book to read, another reference to look up, another chapter to write, to correct, to proof-read, to write again, and again, and again (in all, I wrote seven drafts), so I had no time for frivolities!
Out of the blue, the institute where I teach handed me a copy of a fax from the archdiocese asking for chaplains for an Easter cruise. I had just completed my thesis so was free from it for the first time in four years. A colleague suggested I consider it. I checked my diary and the cruise finished the day before another commitment. I rang the chancery and offered my services, and they accepted. Two days after my thesis was sent to the examiners, I boarded the ship for an eleven day cruise to New Caledonia and Vanuatu.
The guests on board were delighted to read in the daily bulletin that there was a Catholic priest on board. My duties included daily Mass, a Sunday Mass, an Interdenominational Sunday Service, and the Easter Triduum. We celebrated on a table in the Shall We Dance Lounge, with statues of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers at the entrance rather than Mary and Joseph. I soon learned that it was safer to sit throughout the liturgy rather than stand, especially when the sea was rough! Though the daily congregation was small, it more than made up for its numerical slightness by the might of its regular devotion. Good Friday and the subsequent Easter liturgies were very well attended, including a special post-midnight service for the crew. Here is how one guest wrote about it:
I was particularly moved at the Good Friday Service … When it came time to venerate the cross, everyone came forward so solemnly and with such respect that I was moved to tears. There were so many crew members in attendance who represented so many countries, there were people in wheelchairs, young children, senior citizens, people who were members of many different faiths, but one thing we all had in common was that we cared enough about what Jesus did for us that we wanted to come and thank Him and share with others what our faith has meant for us in our lives.
Altogether we were nearly three thousand people on board from sixty-three different nationalities. It was my privilege to offer these religious services, for the crew members, for the guests, for the shipping line, and, by the way, I thoroughly enjoyed my holiday too! God is indeed good. Jesus Christ is risen. Alleluia!
Fr Patrick McInerney SSC is the Columban Vocations Co-ordinator
