By Deacon Marlowe Sabater
Special to the Herald
Sea Sunday is a special time of the year when the universal church honors the sacrifices of all those who work on the ocean, often unseen by society beyond the products they deliver, the food on our plates and the services they provide.
Seafarers are considered the invisible parts of the body of Christ who are vital members of the church and society, often ignored and vulnerable to geopolitical conflicts — as observed in the Strait of Hormuz — and physical, emotional and spiritual stress due to the nature of their work in the open ocean.
On July 12, the Diocese of Honolulu observed Sea Sunday with Mass at Pier 36 in Honolulu, with Bishop Larry Silva as the main celebrant. The Mass was also part of the diocese’s bicentennial events celebrating the arrival in 1827 of the Catholic faith in Hawaii through missionary priests of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary.
In his homily, Bishop Silva acknowledged the role of seafarers in bringing the first missionaries to Hawaii because they arrived by sea and not by air. He assured the seafarers that the love of Christ reaches everyone, just like the seeds scattered by the sower falling on different types of ground — referring to the parable of the sower, which was the Gospel for that Sunday.
One hundred fifty-six people attended the Eucharistic celebration, including 34 longline fishermen from the Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia working from nine boats. Concelebrating with Bishop Silva were four priests, with assistance from five deacons.
The community supporting the Apostleship of the Sea-Hawaii Ministry is growing. Volunteers from the Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa in Honolulu, St. Joseph Church in Waipahu, Immaculate Conception Church in Ewa, the Vietnamese Holy Martyrs Community, Basic Christian Communities, the Women’s Group from Resurrection of the Lord Church in Waipio Gentry, the Knights of Peter Claver, and the Knights of Columbus all shared their time, talents and treasures for the liturgy and the fiesta-like gathering after the Mass.
In his Sea Sunday message, Cardinal Michael Czerny, SJ, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, wrote: “People need more than efficient systems or distant words. They need a presence. They need to know that they are remembered, welcomed, heard and loved.”
One can feel the love and compassion for the seafarers who yearn for the company of their compatriots. We felt solidarity as one family in Christ regardless of nationality or economic status.
The captain of the F/V Kilauea, who also attended the Mass, postponed the vessel’s departure to be in solidarity with the universal church to celebrate Sea Sunday. In talking with one of the fishermen, he expressed gratitude that they are finally seen and heard, and that they feel a sense of belonging.
One of the parishioners at the gathering said she finally got the opportunity to thank the people who made it possible to eat fresh fish at her family’s dinner table.
The Gospel for Sea Sunday was taken from Matthew 13:1-23, in which Jesus was by the sea, sitting in a boat as a large crowd stood on the shore.
This scene is profoundly appropriate for the occasion: Jesus was indeed present, sitting at the throne of the fishermen’s hands amid the large crowd of his faithful as they received him in the Eucharist. The seed of Christ is sown to everyone present and will be dispersed far and wide, even in the vast ocean, to hopefully grow strong roots and over time bear much fruit.
The Apostleship of the Sea-Hawaii Ministry continues its journey of encounter and accompaniment. We encounter new fishermen at every liturgical service who, in turn, encounter Christ through the sacrament of the Eucharist. But it does not end there; much like the story of the road to Emmaus, we accompany them through their joys, sorrows, strengths and weaknesses by simply being present and telling stories over a shared meal.
The heavenly banquet is the encounter; the earthly banquet is the accompaniment; and the road is life that we all journey together. They are no longer invisible but at the heart of Christ’s ministry.
Supporting seafarers extends beyond Sea Sunday. Do you want to come aboard and join or support this ministry? Contact Deacon Marlowe Sabater at mgsabater@rcchawaii.org, or (808) 729-7053.
Deacon Marlowe Sabater is co-coordinator of the Apostleship of the Sea-Hawaii Ministry.