Votive Ships

One of my Internet friends sent me this story about emergency conditions at sea and what Catholic Sailors in days of old did to placate the situation. Being a Catholic and once a Sailor, I found this ancient custom interesting. 

 

I went through a hurricane on the carrier USS Oriskany. The storm was so strong it sent waves over the pilot-house which was almost 80 feet above the waterline. ... Time to start praying as these old mariners did...

 

The following is just some of what I came up with after just a few minutes of searching. ... 

 

A votive ship, sometimes called a church ship, is a ship model displayed in a church. As a rule, votive ships are constructed and given as gifts to the church by seamen and ship builders. Votive ships are relatively common in churches in the Nordic countries Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland, as well as on Åland and Faroe islands, but are known also to exist in Germany, the United Kingdom and Spain.

 

The practice of displaying model ships in churches stems from the Middle Ages and appears to have been known throughout Christian Europe, in both Catholic and Lutheran countries. The oldest known remaining votive ship is a Spanish ship model from the 15th century. A model ship originally displayed in Stockholm Cathedral but today in the Stockholm Maritime Museum dating from circa 1590 is the oldest surviving example in the Nordic countries.

Votive ships are quite common in France, in coastal towns either as model ships or as paintings they are known under the Latin term of Ex-Voto.
The church of Sainte Anne d'Auray in Brittany has the biggest French collection of marine ex-votos, but the practice even extends to the Mediterranean French shores, including Corsica.

 

Lisa Nichols Hickman: Epiphany and votive ships - The traditional votive ships of Finland teach lessons on stewardship. Lisa Nichols Hickman is pastor of New Wilmington Presbyterian Church in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania.

 

Sacred Vessels - SHIP models have a long tradition in religious rites and imagery.

 

Glasgow Cathedral - Votive Ship

 

The devotion of the votive ships in Canada

 

Turku Cathedral Votive Ship

 

Models of ships in churches

 

1638 St. Mary Magdalene Church of Kawit (Parokya ni Santa Maria Magdalena) is one of the oldest churches in the Philippines. Vicariate of St. Mary Magdalene celebrated its Golden Jubilee in November 2011. It was initially said to be built of wood as early as 1638 through the help of six Filipino families from the towns of Maragondon and Silang, Cavite.Saint Mary Magdale Church It belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Imus, the diocese that has jurisdiction over all the Catholic parishes in Cavite. The town Kawit which was formerly known as Cavite Viejo during Spanish occupation was frequent by Spanish marines and slowly turned into a "Red Light District" and to help solve the bad reputation of the place Manila Archbishop Miguel Garcia Serrano (1618–1629) ordered to place St. Mary Magdalene as patroness of the town. Some people and researchers say that it is possible that she may not be the original patron saint of the town since most of the old parishes in Cavite was consecrated to the Virgin Mary. The Church is known for healing and helping resolve personal problems. Mary Magdalene (original Greek Μαρία ἡ Μαγδαληνή), or Mary of Magdala and sometimes The Magdalene, is a religious figure in Christianity. St. Mary Magdalene's statue , the antique and miraculous life-size image of Mary Magdalene in Kawit, Cavite has a "mark" in the middle of her forehead, it resembles a mole and no living local in Kawit knows why the statue has such a mark. Speculations suggests that this is the symbolic mark of Jesus's finger tips during the resurrection when he had appeared to Magdalene and said Noli me tangere (Touch Me Not). Some suggests that this mark is to clearly identify her identity from the Virgin Mary.

 

First Mass in the Philippines

 

March 31 commemorates the anniversary of the first Catholic Mass in the Philippines in 1521.

Each year Filipinos commemorate the anniversary of the first Catholic Mass celebrated on the island of Limasawa in Southern Leyte.

According to Vatican News, “On Easter Sunday in 1521, Father Pedro de Valderrama celebrated the first Catholic Mass in what is now the Philippines, specifically on the island of Limasawa in Southern Leyte.

The date was March 31, and the Spanish priest was part of an expedition to the so-called ‘East Indies’ led by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan.”

The Mass was celebrated on an “improvised altar” and the congregation included local inhabitants.

The past few years have seen several jubilee celebrations, celebrating 500 years since the first Mass. Those celebrations were postponed during COVID in 2021, but were held successfully in 2022.

John Burger also adds in his article for Aleteia that, “Since 2013, Filipino Catholics have been observing a nine-year preparatory cycle to prepare for the great anniversary. With a particular theme assigned to each year, the Church in the Philippines has sought to deepen and reinvigorate its missionary character, with programs tailored by each of the country’s dioceses and archdioceses.”

My Realization of Self and God (updated 3/3/25)

I never thought much of my spirituality and how it affected the people around me. Especially my family, relatives and friends. I always thought it was strictly between myself and God; at least that is what I was taught in a Baptist Church, that is: My belief in God was between me and God, it didn't involve anyone else. Growing up as a young boy no one ever called me a name, or degraded me in any way because of my "religion" or my "religious practices." I never had to defend myself against harsh religious comments. I can't say that we all "respected" each other's religion; Sixth grade and below, we didn't really understand things such as respect and religion; Seventh grade and above; guys were more interested in girls and cars and girls were more interested in guys and their cars. Religion wasn't one of the personal characteristics we were interested in. As an adult however, it seams to be just the opposite. Religion and the religious practices of a person are very important to that person's family. Sometimes a change in a person's religion or religious practices causes such an outrage in that person's family that the person becomes ostracized from his or her family. 

My beliefs and spiritual practices are not the same as they were when I left home at the age of 18. Words such as "idol worshiper" and "Mary worshiper" have been used by those who I hold in very high esteem. 

Nothing, could be further from the truth. Catholics do not worship idols. We worship the way Jesus did, through prayer and living life according to the law as set down in the 10 Commandments. The “Mass” began when early Christians gathered together in their homes to share a meal in memory of Jesus, as he had asked them to do on the night before he died (“The Last Supper”). There is no "obligation," we attend Mass because we love God. We Catholics get together to pray, read the Scriptures, and share the meal as it is written in Acts 2:42-47:

"They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." 

There is is nothing in the modern Mass that is not in the Holy Scriptures. There is nothing in the modern Mass that is used out of the context that it was used in the Holy Scriptures. 

The life values I have now, have been born out of war, predigest, destruction and love, kindness and sharing. I respect everyone and their view of how I live and worship, even if I don't agree with their assessment. when I was very young, patience was one of the things I lacked and a temper was something I had in abundance. Today I have an abundance of patients and the strength and guidance from God to use it wisely against the temper I once had. So, bring on your judgements of me but also know that I leave judgement to God. I will continue to live the religious practices, traditions and spiritual mannerisms I have learned from the Catholic Church, prayer and research. I leave it to the Lord to defend His religious practices, traditions and spiritual mannerisms as they are lived out in my life. 

Is it wrong to sit down and gaze upon a picture of someone long past, say, a parent? Someone you might have loved very much, and yearn for them to come back? Is it wrong to look at that picture and talk to that person as if he or she was there with you and tell him or her how much you miss him or her? Is it wrong for you to believe the person in that picture is in Heaven looking after you? Is it wrong to ask the person in the picture for help and believe that he or she is praying with you to God for an answer? Is it wrong to go to the grave-site of someone you love and discuss a problem with them? Is it wrong to ask that loved one to help you pray or to pray with you to God?
 
Through the Catholic Church, it's architecture, art, history and philosophy; I have come to know and believe in two families; my earthly one, consisting of my parents, sisters, wife's family and my spiritual family, consisting of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Pictures of my earthly family come from cameras, pictures of my spiritual family were made by the Masters. Both are made by humans.
 
The Rosary - nothing seems to say Catholic more than the Rosary. I've heard many say that it isn't found in the Bible. That's true, very true, the Rosary is in fact not found in any Christian Bible. But, the Bible is in fact in the Rosary. Again, artwork created for those who could not read or write. The Rosary contains the New Testament, from the birth of Jesus to his death, resurrection and beyond. I use it every day as an aid in prayer, it helps to "make the world around me go away", so that I can speak and listen more reverently and clearly to God. If non-Catholics would just listen to the words or read the Rosary, especially the last sentence of the "Hail Mary," they would know that we are not praying to Mary or anyone else, we are in-fact praying only to God.  
 
My commitment to God and to religion did not happen over night. It happened over many years of searching self and soul; searching the earthly world and the spiritual world; searching various religions, cultures and ways of life. I have called on St. Peter, St. Paul and a few other saints who were once as human as I am now, in just the same way I still call on my Dad and Mom who have both passed away for advice. Catholicism as I know it, is not a religion, it's a way of life. A way of life defined not by anything earthly, but by a God that is open to everyone, a God who is compassionate but demanding unquestioned faith and belief.  
 
My self and soul search goes on and will keep going on; the earthly world tries to pull me in one direction, the spiritual world tries to pull me in another direction. I put no boundaries between my worlds, I try my best not to judge anyone in either world. I do my best to leave judgement to God.
 
It doesn't matter what we label ourselves as, Protestant, Catholic, Jehovah Witness, Methodist, ... What matters, to God, is how we live. Do we follow Jesus and his disciples? Or do we judge each other on how we go about our daily lives, how we as individuals worship, or how we as individuals interpret individual passages in the Bible? Do we throw away the Bible and peck at each other over "our" individual interpretation of individual passages of a very large book?

God made us all different, maybe we should accept the differences and accept each other as brothers and sisters the way Jesus accepted his disciples and all those who believed and had faith in him. "Catholic" is only a label, how and what I believe and have faith in along with how I worship is my way of life. It is between me and God and wrong for me to judge others on their way of life and wrong for them to judge me on how I live my life.

Lastly, through my research, Catholicism teaches me that I should not only "love" all of humanity, but that I should also respect everyone's race, age, sex, career, culture, customs, traditions, character, religion and their points of view. Essentially, as a Catholic, I should respect every aspect of every person's life. "Catholic" means universal. It is OK to respectfully disagree with someone but not OK to disrespect them or any part of their being. 

So, bring on your criticisms of how I live my life. I'll just pass them on to the Lord and let Him deal with them.

What Does it Mean to be a Catholic Man?

When the time drew near for David to die, he gave a charge to Solomon his son. “I am about to go the way of all the earth,” he said. “So be strong, act like a man, and observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in obedience to him, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and regulations, as written in the Law of Moses. Do this so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go." (1 Kings 2:1 - 3 NIV)

While some, like me choose to live a life defined by Catholicism, many are born into the faith. As such, it’s no surprise that some Catholics don’t fully comprehend what the religion is about. Yes, they know the Caticisum and physical movements involved with Catholic Traditions (sign of the cross) and all the words in the Rosary. But they don't seem to grasp the true meanings behind the doctrine, traditions and prayers. So what does it mean to be Catholic?

As simple as this question may seem, it’s something that many of us don’t really know the answer to. Because being Catholic means more than just reciting the rosary, believing in saints, or going to Mass every Sunday. In fact, there is no single definition that can define what a Catholic is.

Look around you right now. God made us all different. If you asked a dozen Catholics what it means to be Catholic, you would get a dozen different answers. One article defines being Catholic as a continuous personal encounter with Christ that renews our spirit. While another says that being Catholic means sensing God’s presence and power in and around us. But these definitions do not fully encapsulate the essence of being a Catholic. To really understand what it means to be Catholic, let’s first define what a Catholic is.

Defining Catholicism

The word “Catholic” came from a Greek term that means “through the whole”. It can also mean something that is “universal”, “worldwide”, or “all-inclusive”. The first recorded use of the term was in St. Ignatius of Antioch’s letter to the Smyrneans. In there, he wrote that:

"wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church."

I didn't become a real Catholic right away. I went through RCIA. My wife Lolita was my sponsor. At that time, I went more to learn than to actually become a Catholic. Some of the things that bothered me was Mary, the Rosary and prayer books. 

What does this mean for us?

During Jesus’ ministry, he emphasized the importance of loving God and loving others regardless of who they are. He showed it himself when he talked with the Samaritan woman in the well, dined with sinners, and preached to the Gentiles.

This is why one of the basic tenets of Catholicism is the universality of God’s love. Catholics come from all corners of the world. We speak different languages, have widely varying cultures, and live very different lives. Yet, we are united in God’s love – a love so great that He sacrificed His only son so that our sins may be forgiven.

The Difference Between Christians and Catholics

There’s a common misconception that Catholics are not Christians. While non-Christians tend to think that “Christians” and “Catholics” are the same.

All Catholics are Christians but not all Christians are Catholics. The term “Catholic” usually refers to members of the Roman Catholic Church. While “Christians” refer to anyone who believes in Christ regardless of their religious affiliation.

There are several things that set Catholics apart from other Christians such as:
the use of symbolism in expressing our faith; such as statues, pictures, rosaries, etc. which were born out of the need to minister to those who could not read or write; practicing the Holy Sacraments as Jesus taught his disciples, having a standard liturgy, the belief in the communion of saints just as they did in biblical times.

What Do Catholics Believe In?

Every religion has its own core set of beliefs and teachings. Here are some of the tenets that define the Catholic faith:

The Trinity

One of the most basic Catholic doctrines is the Trinity: that there is one God manifested in three persons:

1. The Father, Who Is The Creator;

Catholics believe in God, the loving Father, and Creator. We believe that His love is overflowing and limitless.

2. The Son, Who Is The Redeemer

Catholics believe that God sent his own beloved Son, Jesus Christ. The Redeemer, our Lord, and Savior, who suffered and died on the cross, rose from the dead to save us from our sins, and gave us the gift of eternal life.

3. and the Holy Spirit, Who Is The Sanctifier.

Catholics believe in the Holy Spirit and the powerful presence that it gives to the church. Provided by the Lord, Jesus Christ, to the Church at Pentecost, the Holy Spirit lets us live a righteous and faithful life. It acts as a comforter, especially in times of our trials.

Christ’s Teachings

Like all Christians, the Catholic faith puts much emphasis on the teachings of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

In the Old Testament, God gave us ten commandments to follow. Jesus, in the New Testament, summed those up into two: to love God above all else and to love others as we love ourselves. Through his parables and preaching, he also taught us to practice forgiveness and mercy. These teachings form the core of the Catholic church’s dogma which every faithful must strive to follow.

Sacraments

Catholics worship, praise, and follow God by living a sacramental life. We believe that the sacraments bring us up close and personal with God. For example, the bread and wine in the Holy Eucharist is more than just a symbol of receiving the body and blood of Christ. It’s about communing with God and being one with Him, after all, we were created in his image.

Applying The Scriptures in Our Daily Lives

To be able to follow God and live a righteous life, Catholics acknowledge the importance of reading and practicing the teachings in the Holy Bible.

Bearing Witness to God

Like how Christ endured suffering and rejections, Catholics preach the word of God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In a world where the values and teachings are often contrary to what God and Jesus say, Catholics speak up for what we believe to be right and true.

The Communion of Saints

This is what most people often misunderstood about us Catholics. And even some Catholics misunderstood the values of believing in the communion of saints. The latter part of the Nicene Creed also concisely sums up this belief.

But when we say we believe in the communion of saints, that doesn’t mean that we tend to think of them as equal to God and Christ. We are connected to our Christian family through the Holy Spirit. We don’t worship our brothers and sisters but we do respect them and ask them to pray for us. The Bible says that the prayer of a holy person is very powerful. Saints are holy people who can pray for us. They are an instrument for us to be more connected to God and feel His eternal love.

So What Does It Mean to be Catholic?

As mentioned, there is no single phrase or sentence that can define the Catholic faith. If you ask Catholics right now about what it means to be Catholic, you’ll surely get varying answers. But for me, being a Catholic means fulfilling the mission that Christ set for humanity: to love God and love all others. Being a Catholic is a life-long and continuous encounter with God. It’s about living our lives as Christ’s disciples and as living witnesses to His divine grace.

I grew up in a Baptist home. We (my parents, sisters and I) went to Sunday School and the adult "Church" service afterward, every Sunday. Then, again every Sunday, about 1:00pm, the Church doors were locked until about 8:00am the next Sunday. Once in a while there was a "Prayer Meeting" on a Wednesday evening. The rest of the week you were on your own to battle human temptations of what looked good, tasted good or felt good. Temptations aimed at your mind and body.

My parents told me the Church services on Sunday were to help me focus my life on the ways that Jesus taught us when he was here. I can tell you that as a kid, a re-focus once a week didn't do me much good. I got even worse when I enlisted in the Navy. The culture of the military can corrupt a man fairly quickly. If one isn't careful, it causes booze and women to flow freely. Especially when he only re-focuses his life once a week. Other temptations such as asking if God really exists, can come from surviving dangerous situations or combat when you hear the screams of the dying, and know there's nothing you can do to help.

My wife and I try to go to Mass every day now. I still sin and I can still be corrupted. Partaking of the sacrament every day has done a lot to build up my mental and spiritual strengths to fight the temptations that earthly life throws at me every day. The traditions followed during Mass, some that go all the way back to Abraham, are daily reminders of the Saints that came before me, living a life of pain, hardship and sorrow, yet they still would not betray the God that created them.

My parents didn't want me to use prayer books. They said I shouldn’t depend on prayers written by others and even less on recited repetitive prayers, such as the Rosary. Rather, I should pray from the heart. Of course, we should pray from the heart. But, we also should not be surprised to find our hearts and minds, when at prayer, sometimes need the encouragement and guidance of holy men and women who have left behind prayers that beautifully express God’s merciful love and promote the growth and development of our devotion. It is also important that in our private prayer we should use the vocabulary of faith and devotion common to all through the ages and across the globe.

Catholic prayer books, prayers we recite at Mass and other spiritual events, help us to discover how prayers drawn from the scriptures, rooted in the Liturgy, and flowing from the hearts of the holy, wise, and the learned, help us in our journey to God. They can also renew the joy and hope within us that our faith gives us through God’s love.

The Rosary started out as a school for me. It was a place to start learning the Bible. The mysteries of each of the decades are the major important events in the Bible. By following the mysteries I'm following the life of Christ. By memorizing the Rosary, I'm permanently embedding the life of Christ in my heart mind and sole. By praying the Rosary I'm receiving strength of mind and heart to overcome the daily temptations of life. I'm also praising God and asking for his forgiveness. Today, the Rosary is something that helps me to filter out all the earthly things in my life and concentrate on communing with God.

Today, a custom I follow when praying the Rosary is to meditate on each of the mysteries while my mouth proclaims the Hail Marys and my fingers traverse the beads. Meditation to me consists of focusing my mind, heart and sole on the mystery and renewing my personal commitment to the point that is embedded in the mystery. For example, lets take the first mystery, the Annunciation. the announcement of the birth of Jesus to Mary:

Mary at that time was betrothed to Joseph. In those days men and women were betrothed when they were engaged to be married. This usually took place a year or more before marriage. From the time of betrothal the woman was regarded as the lawful wife of the man to whom she was betrothed ( Deuteronomy 28:30 ; Judges 14:2 Judges 14:8 ; Matthew 1:18-21 ). The year of engagement was so that the husband could go away and build a house for his new family. In those days, normally, if a woman became pregnant during the engagement, she was considered a whore and taken to the edge of town and stoned to death.

Mary knew the consequences of her pregnancy but she still said “I am the Lord’s servant, May your word to me be fulfilled.” (Luke 1:38).

Mary's actions are what is conveyed to me in my meditation. No mater what the consequences, I must fulfill the Lord's word to me.

It helps me to understand the Lord's words in the Bible if I know the circumstances surrounding the words. The mysteries in the Rosary is a good place to start studying and researching those circumstances.

I don't always achieve meditation, it's not easy. It takes a lot of mental and spiritual strength filter out all the earthly stuff from my heart mind and sole. It helps to read about the history of the mystery, and to learn about the culture of the society around the mystery. All of that helps me to understand what God is trying to teach me through the Rosary...And the daily readings.