Portbury chaplaincy welcomes Bishop Fiona

From a long climb up the gangway of an oil tanker to prayers shared with seafarers far from home, Bishop Fiona saw first-hand the welcome and practical care offered through the ecumenical chaplaincy at Royal Portbury Dock.

The chaplaincy team works in partnership with The Mission to Seafarers to support crews arriving in Portbury from across the world. Many seafarers spend months at sea and in port each year before returning home for shore leave, making the chaplains’ visits, conversations and prayers an important source of friendship and support.

Issued with the required high-vis jacket and hard hat, Bishop Fiona was welcomed aboard two ships, a car transporter and an oil tanker, accompanied by Revd Lucy Blows, who is part of the chaplaincy team at Portbury docks. Boarding the oil tanker involved climbing a long ladder and crossing a high gangway, offering a glimpse of the physical demands that are part of life around the port.

On the car transporter, seafarers offered generous hospitality, including steamed savoury buns, and asked Bishop Fiona and Lucy to pray for their safety at sea. It was a reminder that, alongside the everyday pressures of life away from home, seafarers can face real danger, including the threat of drone attacks and piracy.

Reflecting on the visit, Bishop Fiona said, “I thoroughly enjoyed my visit. Since my father was in the Royal Navy and one of my cousins was in the Merchant Navy, the visit was special for me personally as well as spiritually and pastorally. I’ll be keeping the seafarers and their chaplains in my prayers.”

As well as visiting ships, Bishop Fiona heard more about the chaplains’ welfare work and the Seafarers’ Centre at Portbury, a place where crew members can relax, use WiFi, talk to a chaplain, have a drink and receive one of the much-loved woolly hats knitted by members of the Mothers’ Union and others, which are especially welcome during the winter months.

The visit also included time in the chapel at the Seafarers’ Centre, where a mural shows an anchor which is a symbol of the stability God offers, even on the deepest seas.