Also this year, on the occasion of the Christmas holidays, the traditional initiative promoted by the Territorial Committee for the Welfare of Seafarers of Milazzo was renewed, aimed at demonstrating closeness and attention to seafarers embarked on oil tankers transiting in the harbor of the Port of Milazzo. The activity was carried out in synergy with the Stella Maris Association of Milazzo, coordinated by the Diocesan Apostolate of the Sea, with the support of the Chaplaincy of the Port of Milazzo and the Command of the Port Authority – Coast Guard of Milazzo. As usual, the representatives of the Committee paid a greeting visit on board the tankers present in the port, as a gesture of solidarity towards the seafarers who, during the holidays, cannot spend moments of celebration with their loved ones.
The value of proximity
Before going on board the naval units, a moment of shared reflection took place at the Stella Maris headquarters in Milazzo on the value of closeness and attention towards the approximately 50,000 seafarers who pass through the port bay every year. The meeting was attended by numerous port operators, maritime agencies and agents, technical-nautical services, shipping companies and representatives of the Milazzo Refinery, as well as institutional representatives of the Municipal Administration of Milazzo, the Port System Authority, the Capo Milazzo Marine Protected Area, as well as the personnel of the Milazzo Coast Guard and the Naval Operational Section of the Financial Police, who operate synergistically in the local maritime context. Subsequently, thanks to the support of the Pilots Corporation of the Port of Milazzo, a representative of the Territorial Committee for the Welfare of Seafarers went on board some tankers, meeting the crews and giving each seafarer a small gift, prepared thanks to the collaboration between the Stella Maris Association of Milazzo and the Lions Club of Milazzo, which actively shared the aims of the initiative. An initiative that confirms and strengthens the sense of community and solidarity within the port context, reiterating the constant attention of the institutions and entities involved towards the well-being and dignity of seafarers.