Cruise ship priest

Some might think that retired priests’ lives are filled with quiet reflection and ample relaxation. It’s much to the contrary for the several retired priests of the Bismarck Diocese, who keep plenty busy in their so-called “twilight years.”
 
One finds himself blessed with the dual opportunity to travel abroad while helping others keep the faith.
 
Being a cruise chaplain has afforded Fr. Marvin Klemmer the chance to visit all seven continents in the past 20 years. While he has sailed much of the globe, his travels also deepened his understanding about the human spirit and about how he can help others' trials.
 
Father Klemmer, 78, was born in New England, N.D. and later moved to Bismarck with his family in the 1950s.
 
His calling to priesthood came subtly. He and his classmates at St. Mary's Grade School were urged to consider the commitment. Yet, he wasn't sure then, but heeded a sixth-grade teacher's advice to say three Hail Mary's daily and ask God what He wanted of him.
 
"On the night before I was ordained, I prayed, ‘This is getting pretty close. If I'm not supposed to be a priest, have this building collapse or something,'" he joked.
 
No such epiphany occurred. In 1966, Klemmer was ordained. He went on to serve as a pastor at St. Leo’s in Minot and Church of the Ascension in Bismarck. He retired from active priestly ministry in July 2011.
 
Becoming a cruise priest
 
While still a full-time priest, Fr. Klemmer got word of three priests serving as cruise chaplains from the Bismarck Diocese. He pondered how one became a cruise chaplain.
 
"That would be a way of seeing the world. I could never justify going as a passenger. It could be a working vacation and see the world at the same time," Fr. Klemmer reasoned.
 
Pastoral cruises are arranged through an organization known as the Apostolate of the Sea USA that was established by a group of bishops. Cost of the cruises for the unpaid chaplains vary according to cruise policy, said Fr. Klemmer. An active parish priest cannot join a cruise on a whim. The trip must first be approved by the diocesan bishop and there must be a request for the priest to serve.
 
Being a cruise chaplain also cannot conflict with other obligations of the priest such as school board meetings, church boards, parish work or diocese positions. For a priest to become a cruise chaplain, the agency must authorize it and the priest must be in good standing with the local diocese. Generally, a cruise assignment is taken during a carefully planned vacation that fits with the priest's busy schedule. 
 
Serving the passengers’ needs
 
Cruise passengers come from all types of faiths, ethnicities and customs. Yet, somehow having a priest aboard proves a comfort to many, said Fr. Klemmer.
 
Cruise officials request a priest, he explained. "They have a policy. They always want a priest aboard ship."
 
He recalls one woman reacted with tears of joy when she saw him because she feared she would not be able to properly observe Holy Week.
 
Aboard, Fr. Klemmer officiates daily Mass, conducts a non-denominational service every Sunday, and holds a special Sunday evening service for the crew when their work is done.
 
Church services are typically held in a theater since there is no designated chapel on board.
 
Every day is a church day for Fr. Klemmer while on a cruise. He rises at 6:30 a.m., eats breakfast and starts Mass at 8:30. He fits in a little exercise and spends time making
himself available if anybody needs a chat, counsel or pay a visit to the infirmary. People's stay at an infirmary is temporary until they can be taken to the nearest hospital at the next port.
 
He first served as a cruise chaplain 1997 during a sabbatical. He took a ship from Denmark to Rome and from Rome flew to Tel Aviv.
 
"The last two cruises I've done have been around the world cruises," said Fr. Klemmer. "On the Queen Mary, I started from South Hampton, England to South Africa, Madagascar, Mauritrus, to Australia." Another adventure started in Cape Town South Africa and sailed through the Panama Canal to Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
 
Despite, the exotic excursions, it is the people he has helped and met on the cruises that mean the most to him.
 
One elderly man declined using an easier access to Mass, recalled Fr. Klemmer, because his wife needed her exercise. She suffered from dementia. "He said 'She will never know we took this cruise, but I know, the man said.' Isn't that dedication?"
 
He visited one woman in the infirmary who shattered her elbow and seriously injured her leg shortly after the cruise launched. He comforted and counseled another couple whose disabled child had died while they were away on a cruise, days before they could reach the child.
 
There is the occasional counseling, as well, when someone spots Fr. Klemmer. "People appreciate you being on board. They feel safer," he said. "They'll spend time and talk to you. The staff will talk with you when they aren't working.”
 
The staff really works hard. Many are married with a family. They have issues too. They can be away from their spouse or family for six months. They send money home, he explained.
 
"They'll say 'it's so nice to have you aboard ship.'" Fr. Klemmer said. "They feel safe that there is someone around."
 
Father Klemmer also recalls meeting a couple in their 90s married 77 years. "You don't see that much."
 
Duties require him to be vigilant to passengers' needs. "It's not really a relaxing cruise all the way. You can read novels and talk to people, but there is always the possibility that someone is not well or an emergency.”
 
He said there is time for fun on a cruise, but there is limited access to become acquainted with locals at the port. For the most part, the ship is docked in the port at 8:30 in the morning and passengers are back aboard by late afternoon. On occasion, they do stay a couple days and can take a bus and do some sight-seeing. However, there isn’t a lot of time to spend visiting with the people in port.
 
"I do like to take pictures of the natives. I will try to get a picture of the family, an infant in the arms of mom and dad," he explained.
 
He has seen people devastated by cyclones living in tents and worse, he said.
 
There is the occasional celebrity encounter. He met Warren Buffet on a recent cruise. He hadn't sought him out, but saw him in the elevator.
 
Father Klemmer is cautious not to impose his pictures and videos of the cruises on captive audiences when he returns, but does share glimpses of his adventures with friends and family when asked.
 
He said the travel has been a privilege. "You get to see all these things up close and the beauty there."
 
He jokes that his photography skills needed a little honing at first when using modern technology. His nieces and nephews bought him an iPad for some of his trips. "I took a lot of selfies at first," he said with a chuckle. His skills on the device have since improved. 
 
Where would Fr. Klemmer like to sail next? An available cruise that encircles the North Pole intrigues him. "I wouldn't mind doing that. Other than that, I have been everywhere."