The Apostleship of the Sea in Hong Kong
The Apostleship of the Sea (AOS, Apostolatus Maris), also known as Stella Maris, is an international agency of the Catholic Church for seafarers that offers practical and pastoral care to all seafarers, regardless of nationality, belief or race.
For over 50 years, the AOS and the Mission to Seafarers (mission society of the Anglican Communion) have worked in close collaboration and ecumenical friendship to provide invaluable services and support to seafarers from all over the world at Mariners Club. During these years, regular daily and Sunday Masses were offered at the chapel on the 1/F, and gradually a local community of Catholic faithful became stabilized members of St. Peter's Church.
In early 2018, the Mariners' Club building was closed for demolition and redevelopment, with the closure of the site, the AOS and the local community of St. Peter's Church had to find an "interim home". Fr. Valan Arasu Arockiaswamy SVD, Stella Maris Port Chaplain, rented the 3/F of Chi Wo Commercial Building in Jordan and converted it into a simple chapel and office, where it's located until the present day. See Map Location here >>
The beginning of Apostleship of the Sea in Hong Kong
Hong Kong, being one of the busiest marine ports in Asia, is visited by many vessels daily carrying a large number of seafarers. The Catholic Church in Hong Kong long recognised the needs to provide sacramental, pastoral, and material assistance to the multitude of seafarers passing by our city. What began around the 1930s when members of St. Vincent de Paul Society visited ships that stopped at the harbour, would become formalised with a designated Port Chaplain, Fr. Michael Pelly SJ, appointed by then Bishop of Hong Kong, Msgr. Enrico Valtorta in the autumn of 1948.
Fr. Pelly visited the ships daily, celebrated Holy Masses aboard, visited sick seamen and provided recreational amenities for them. He was supported by members of the Catholic Women's League in his missions for seafarers. However, as the port became busier, the Chaplain's workload became very heavy which prompted Fr. Pelly to gather a group of Catholic laymen to establish the Apostleship of the Sea (AOS) Council in Hong Kong, with their inaugural meeting on the 20th October 1952. They also obtained their first launch, the "Stella Maris", to be the flag ship of the AOS.
The AOS before joining the Anglican's Mission to Seafarers
Fr. Pelly served as the Port Chaplain until April 1953, he was succeeded by Fr. Gilligan MM for several months, before Fr. Kevin O'Dwyer SJ became the third Port Chaplain from October 1953 to November 1959. Fr. P.-J. Cunningham SJ succeeded as Port Chaplain in November 1959, and during his tenure, the port of Hong Kong became frequented by increasing number of Catholic seamen. Assistant Port Chaplains were assigned to help at the AOS for the first time.
Since the establishment of AOS in Hong Kong, the Port Chaplains and Council members had sought for an office and a Club House for seafarers. It was not until 1963 when they finally obtained an office and liaison bureau for seafarers inside the Kowloon Star Ferry's Terminal Building. In April 1964, however, the work of AOS had to be suspended due to the lack of funds. The AOS bureau at Star Ferry was also closed and later demolished.
In July 1964, an order came from Rome along with financial support for the work of AOS to start again. Fr. McAsey SJ was commissioned to be the fifth Chaplain. In October 1965, they rented a new location on Chatham Road for a Stella Maris Hermitage, which provided residence for the Chaplain, a chapel, and recreational space for seafarers. However, in 1969, ongoing financial difficulties led the AOS Council and the then Diocesan Bishop, Most Rev. Francis Hsu, to decide that the Hermitage should be closed and that the Apostleship of the Sea was to move into Mariners' Club in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon and join force with the Anglican's Mission to Seamen that had already been established there.
The AOS at Mariners' Club and the community of St. Peter's Church
Starting from August of 1969, the AOS and Port Chaplain's office moved into Mariners' Club. This provided the AOS with a stable base, club house and hostel facilities available to the seafarers, as well as maintenance of their launch, now shared between the Catholic and Anglican missions for greater efficiency. The Mariners' Club Building included a chapel on its 1/F dedicated to St. Peter the fisherman Apostle. This same St. Peter's Church had been the seafarers' church since the beginning of British colonial times, it would now become a church shared by both the Anglican and Roman Catholic missions.
Fr. George Dopchie CICM, took over the role of Port Chaplain. Moving into Mariner's Club had solved the financial difficulties and the works of the AOS became much more stable. Fr. Dopchie retired in May 1987 due to ill health and Fr. Joseph Nijssen CICM succeeded him until 2007. At the retirement of Fr. Nijssen, Fr. Valan Arasu Arockiaswamy SVD was appointed as his successor, who has served as the Port Chaplain to this present day. He is assisted by Rev. Deacon Nestor Kwan.
Council Members
Cardinal Stepen Sau Yan Chow, S.J. - Stella Maris HK Bishop Promoter
Fr. Joseph Chan Wing Chiu,Vicar General
Capt. Joseph Fonseka - Stella Maris HK Chairman
Fr. Valan Arasu Arockiaswamy, SVD - Stella Maris HK Port Chaplain
Mr. Anthony da Silva
Mr. Reynaldo V. Ticsay
Deacon Nestor Kwan Chung Wah
Stella Marris at the new St. Peter's Church in Jordan
In early 2018, the Mariners' Club building was closed for demolition and redevelopment, with the closure of the site, the AOS and the local community of St. Peter's Church had to find an "interim home". Fr. Valan Arasu Arockiaswamy SVD, Stella Maris Port Chaplain, rented the 3/F of Chi Wo Commercial Building in Jordan and converted it into a simple chapel and office, where it's located until the present day. See Map Location here >>
The relocation plan took a turn when a huge fire broke out at the construction site in March 2023 causing a delay in the construction works and on top of this, the Anglican Mission started placing many restrictions and demands on the AOS. Going forward, a decision was made by the Diocesan Bishop, H.E. Cardinal Stephen Chow, for the AOS to not return into the Mariners' Club building, but instead to continue with its office and St. Peter's Church at the current location in Jordan.
Hence, from 1st July 2024 a new chapter for the Apostleship of the Sea in Hong Kong has begun with this departure from Mariners' Club and ecumenical partnership, returning to its original mode of operation as an independent Catholic Mission for seafarers. The Port Chaplain continues the routine works of visiting ships that make a stop at our local ports, visiting an average of 850 ships each year, touching the lives of a great multitude of seafarers, bringing them the blessings and peace of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Stella Maris in Hong Kong
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