Apostleship of the Sea: Caring for the ‘Invisible Strangers’
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By DERON SNYDER (as published by Port of Baltimore Magazine)
For whatever reason, Andrew Middleton couldn’t sleep the night after taking the captain and a crewman from the cargo ship Dali on a quick shopping trip before their vessel was set to embark from Baltimore. He was lying in bed awake around 1 a.m. when he heard “this loud rumbling.”
“Initially I thought it was thunder,” said Middleton, Director of Apostleship of the Sea for the Archdiocese of Baltimore. “It lasted for 20-25 seconds and then it got quiet again. I lay there for a while and decided to get up and get my day started.”
Within seconds of turning on the radio, Middleton learned that the Francis Scott Key Bridge had collapsed after being struck by the Dali. “My first thought was, ‘I was just with those guys yesterday,’” he said about the March 26 tragedy. “I sent text messages to the crewmembers asking if everyone was OK. One of them responded within a few minutes. And that started what ultimately ended up being a very, very long day.”
From Police Officer to First Lay Director
Pope John Paul II called seafarers “the invisible strangers in our midst,” but Middleton and his team see them clearly. He began volunteering with Apostleship of the Sea in 2009 after his wife opened a children’s consignment shop next to the AOS Stella Maris International Seafarer Center. Former director Monsignor John FitzGerald became a friend and got Middleton involved in the ministry that supports mariners.
“Whenever he’d see me, I’d say hello and he’d ask if I could help carry a box in for him,” said Middleton, a former Baltimore City police officer. “He set the hook and slowly reeled me in. He asked if I’d be interested in volunteering to visit ships one day a week, which at some point turned to three days week. I began taking on more and more responsibilities as a volunteer until the point he decided to retire [in 2019]. He and Archbishop Lori decided that I would be the man to take over.”
The organization’s first lay director, Middleton says he doesn’t like the water. He’s never been on a cruise and has no desire to experience one. He’s satisfied enough tending to crewmembers from around the world, being a friendly face while their ships are docked in Baltimore. Middleton and his team of six volunteers try to meet the seafarers’ needs by taking them shopping, running errands, providing care packages, and giving them a chance to relax and enjoy a change of scenery at the center, which features a library, computer stations and a lounge.
“One of our biggest roles is providing transportation for shore leave, whether it’s just to the gate or the shopping center, or wherever they want to go and back,” he said. “We try to visit as many ships as we can per week and that varies depending on circumstances. If every berth in port was filled, there might be 30 to 35 in one day. I’ll never say we get to all of them because we don’t. But there’s probably 10 to 15 ships in port on an average day.”
A Trip to Remember
Middleton feels like an international traveler, having met people and eaten food from all over the world, just six minutes from his home. He typically visits ships by stepping off the dock and back on, never leaving port — his preferred interaction with watercraft. But five weeks after the Dali was grounded by bridge wreckage, Middleton and Auxiliary Bishop Adam Parker boarded a tugboat on the Patapsco River to visit the ship, deliver care packages and celebrate Mass for several Catholic crewmembers.
“It was probably a little divine intervention for me that day,” Middleton said. “It was warm, the sun was shining and the river was smooth. It was an enjoyable ride. The way we approached from the stern, it was hard to see all the wreckage that was there, but it was a sight to behold for sure.”
Nearly two months later, the Dali left Baltimore to continue its voyage. Middleton said he admires seagoers’ work and doesn’t know if he could endure being away from home for months with no contact. He appreciates the sacrifices and tries to repay by serving in the “fun” ministry.
“It’s estimated that 90-95% of consumer goods have been on merchant ships at one point, in pieces or whole,” he said. “Without seafarers, we wouldn’t enjoy many of the luxuries we have. We’re here in support of seafarers.”
