ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on seafarers, the role that religious faith plays in dealing with the challenges of life onboard ships overseas, and the ministry of the Catholic Church among them. It opens with a historical overview of the connections between seafaring and (Catholic) Christianity, as well as seafaring among Filipinos in the past and in contemporary times. As humanity explored the open sea and beyond, discovered new frontiers, traded commodities, conquered territories, and established settlements in new lands, the saga of seafaring evolved. The long history of Filipino seafarers’ sojourn to foreign shores illumines a trajectory of their increasing global presence. Seafarers are essential workers who have crucial roles in the global movement of goods through the waterways of the world. The chapter demonstrates that Filipino seafarers are not only sites of need; they also have gifts to share.
