Dcn. Patrick Moore served as the chaplain and administrator of the Stella Maris Centre in Fremantle, Australia from 2006 until his retirement in 2022. Currently, he is a member of the national committee for Stella Maris.
When he retired, the Stella Maris Centre in Fremantle was closed, partly due to the pandemic. The restrictions meant that seafarers were not allowed to leave their ships, and the Archdiocesan CEO decided to shut down the center, believing it was unnecessary at that time.
However, the Stella Maris Centre is about to reopen. The building is currently being reorganized, and operations will resume as soon as the renovations are completed.
Stella Maris in Fremantle will continue its mission, mirroring the work done by Stella Maris centers globally. Their tasks include visiting ships, transporting seafarers into town, assisting them with shopping, currency exchange, and providing a listening ear and support in any possible way. They also visit hospitalized seafarers daily, a practice they have endeavored to maintain even during the closure.
The new director, Claude Coutinho, is now joining the team. Claude’s background is in chemical engineering, a field quite different from this line of work. Despite lacking prior experience in seafarer welfare, Claude has shown a strong personal interest in this area. He took a chance by applying for this position, and he is grateful to be part of the team.
When asked what he looks forward to in his new role, Claude shared, “It is fascinating to see how we are involved in the welfare of these seafarers. There are so many avenues that have piqued my interest, and I think the welfare side is very important.”
Regarding the timeline for reopening, it is anticipated that they will start small as soon as they receive their passes to access the port. Although it may not immediately reach the capacity it had when Dcn. Patrick was there, they aim to gradually increase operations and bring back some of their old volunteers.
Dcn. Patrick has been reaching out to many former volunteers, and several have expressed interest in returning. Until a full volunteer team is back, not all services can be offered. C
The Fremantle Stella Maris Centre looks forward to sharing success stories as they move forward with this new chapter.
