SST: May 21, 2009
21 May 2009
Thursday was a beautiful day in the mid-seventies. The sky was slightly hazy and the ocean an azure blue with white-capped waves. Cadets took advantage of the weather and were out on the decks, sunning and studying. Our Turkish cadets could be found on deck intently playing a Turkish version of backgammon on beautiful inlaid boards. It was a very tranquil scene.
Everyone on board follows a routine and I hope as the weeks go by that cadets and officers will write their own articles telling you about their lives on board. If they won’t, I’ll interview them.
For instance, my own day begins at six in the morning. Reveille is sounded below decks at 0600 hours, but I don’t hear it. Instead, I use my Blackberry Storm for an alarm clock (about all it’s good for out at sea). At 0630 hours I go to the Officers’ Lounge for Morning Prayer, a service taken from the Book of Common Prayer. The service is sparsely attended but, for me, a good way to start the day in a prayerful and relaxed way. I try to make Christian services on board as broadly ecumenical as I can, besides working with our Jewish and Muslim students to provide space and opportunity for their prayer time.
After Morning Prayer I go for the mess for breakfast and to attend Captain Smith’s morning staff meeting. At the meeting we talk about the plan of the day and discuss any issues that need resolution. For instance, this morning we reviewed a plan for regulating traffic flow in the cadet mess at lunch. We’ve tweaked the schedule so cadets won’t have to wait on long lines.
After the meeting, I spent the rest of the morning composing the daily blog. I have a 1200 deadline. That way, Captain Smith can approve it and sent it out in the afternoon e-mail. Once the blog arrives at Maritime, it is formatted and placed on the webpage for your enjoyment.
After dropping off the blog, I ran errands, climbing the many steps between the eight decks. Then I had lunch. The officers, crew, and cadets eat separately (a navy tradition which is also still followed on a majority of commercial ships today), but we eat the same food, prepared and served by Chartwell’s who treat and feed us very well. After lunch, I’m free to counsel and visit with students. One of my duties is running on-shore tours, so I do some research in the library about the Azores. I talk to students just about anywhere, but if an issue is personal, I have quarters on the main deck where there’s privacy. One advantage of my being on the main deck, where quarters are more Spartan than on the upper deck, is that it’s not a restricted area, so finding me is easy. My door is always open, a good policy for the chaplain.
At 1700 I conduct another liturgy in the Officers’ Lounge. This time it’s the celebration of the Holy Eucharist or the Mass. Today is the Feast of the Ascension so attendance is larger than normal. After the service I have dinner. My last duty of the day is to attend a meeting at 1930 hours that Captain Smith has called for the crew in their mess. I think it’s important that everyone knows I’m chaplain so I put on my collar and jacket and look like a priest.
After the meeting I watch a movie and go to bed at 2200 hours.
Fr. John Farrell
Chaplin
