THE PORT CHAPLAINCY A Spiritual Catering For Thirty Thousand

Father Ruhman, whose installation at Shadwell, was reported in last week's Catholic Herald, is definitely chaplain to the Port of London—into which it is said that a minimum of 30,000 Catholic seamen enter yearly. This chaplaincy has been arranged by the three " River-side Bishops" (Westminster, Southwark and Brentwood, The Society of St. Vincent de Paul for long has maintained a Catholic Seamen's Home near the Victoria Docks, and though about fivegsuch hostels are needed in the Port of Landon, hard-worked parish priests could hardly sacrifice their margin of time (if any) to looking after them spiritually.
Mgr. Pizzardo's Words In view of the recent visit of _Archbishop Pizzardo to London, it is pleasant to recall that he wrote last March in the Assis-tente Exclesiaslico: "I would wish to raise a hymn or praise in honour of all those priests who, conscioue of the needs of the times, dedicate themselves to succour of working-men, emigrants, seamen. I repeat: seamen; and I allow myself a digres,sion. For some time, a problem has prdsented itself with a character of special urgency—it is that of the spiritual help to be given to seamen who make long voyages and spend whole weeks and months far from dry land. God grant that very many chaplains, and suitable auxiliary enterprises, should appear in all sea-board cities, to welcome them, and bring it about that instead of falling a prey to immorality and communism. they may be preserved to their family, their fatherland, and God."
Mgr. Pizzardo is at the head of all Catholic: Action in the world; it is good, then, to know that this recent enterprise is so wholly in tune with the Holy Father's wishes: he has hi fact often expressed them, adding that an essential part of Catholic Action is that " like shOuld help like," ,rpecifying indeed mamen themselves.
Thus Fr. Ruhman's work is by no means only preservative, still less. a kind of competitor with the S.V.P. hostel.
A Scene at Genoa When Mass was celebrated recently in the great Genoa railway-station for the crews of the "Conte di Savoia " and the
Rex " to he able to make their Easter duties (three hundred came from the one, four hundred from the other), the ships' officers as well as the railway officials cooperated actively.
Visitors to the Paris exhibition should not fail to visit the Apostleship of the Sea section organised by the Societe des Oeuvres de Mer and the Federation of French Catholic Seamen's Welfare organisations. The growth of the AS. as an international movement will be vividly shown by the world-map prepared by A.M.I.C. (the international Catholic Sea-work headquarters, 23, Eceleston Square, S.W,L)
A FUNCTION-IN-AID Next Week's Society Gathering
Next Thursday evening. the Dorchester Hotel is to be the scene of a reception by the Archbishop elf Westminster, which will be part of what promises to he one of the most brilliant functions of the season. The reception is being followed by a dinner and dance organised by the City of London Circle of the Catenian Association in aid of the Apostleship of the Sea.
Nearly a thousand well4nown Catholics are likely to be at the Dorchester. Vice-Admiral Lord Stafford will preside, and among the distinguished company, it is expected, will be the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk, the Countessof Gainsborough. Prince and Princess Obolensky. the Earl and Countess of Denbigh, Lord Howard of Penrith, Sir Nicholas Grattan Doyle, a.c well as the American, Polish, Italian and Belgian arnbassadorS.
Speakers at the dinner will include the Archbishop, Lord Stafford, and Fr. C. C. Martindale, Si.
Tickets for the evening (25s.) can be had from Fr. Martindale, or from Mr. C. Ebel, at 7, Sloane Street. S.W. It is hoped that the result of this reception and dinner will be substantial help towards the provision of funds for the upkeep of the Port of London chaplaincy. The cost of the mission is estimated at a minimum of £300 yearly. Father Martindale will gratefully receive even the smallest sum, devoting it. as the donor may wish, either to general needs or to the foundation fund. It is his hope that the new chaplaincy may financially he founded and not have to appeal annually for its income.
Al the Dorchester House reception the Archbishop of Westminster will present to Mr. Arthur Gannon, Organising Secretary of the Apostleship of the Sea, the Cross Pro Eerlesia et Pont/fire. This distinction has been awarded to Mr. Gannon by the Holy Father in recognition of many years of self-sacrificing work on behalf of seamen.