Scotland: four new port chaplains appointed

The Apostleship of the Sea has appointed four new chaplains to key Scottish ports. They will provide pastoral and practical assistance to visiting seafarers and start to build a network of volunteer ship visitors. AOS was originally founded in Scotland in 1922, and now has an active presence in over 100 countries worldwide. AOS in Scotland came together with its counterpart in England and Wales last year to form one body for Great Britain. Mr Richard Haggarty has been appointed full-time chaplain to the Port of Grangemouth, Edinburgh. Before his appointment he worked as an RE teacher supplying in various local schools, and brings to the ministry extensive theological study and application as well as a breadth of pastoral roles. Formerly a pastor in the Church of the Nazarene, he was received into the Catholic Church in 1999. Sr Marian Davey has been appointed full-time chaplain to the Port of Aberdeen. She had been serving as a hospital chaplain in Stevenage, and is a member of the Sisters of Charity of Jesus and Mary. Deacon Brian Kilkerr will assist Sr Marian in Aberdeen as a part-time chaplain. Deacon Brian, who is married, has been a permanent deacon for the past eight years and a resident of Aberdeen all his life. His career was in marine insurance connected with the Lloyd's market. Fr Daniel McLoughlin, currently parish priest of St Fillan's, Renfrewshire, has been appointed part-time chaplain to Clydeport,Glasgow, with the full backing of his newly ordained bishop in Paisley, Rt Rev Philip Tartaglia. From 1991 until 2000, Fr Daniel worked at the Scottish Catholic Media Office. Commodore Chris York, National Director of AOS GB, said: "With the new Scottish chaplaincy teams in place, we can now begin to breathe new life into our ministry in Scotland. In a very real sense, this is a homecoming for AOS to where it all began, and I am sure that lonely and needy seafarers who arrive in Scottish ports will benefit greatly from this development." Source: AOS