As tens of thousands of people try to escape the crisis in Afghanistan, we might ask the intercession of a man who orchestrated the largest humanitarian rescue operation by a single ship – “Servant of God” Br. Marinus (Leonard) LaRue. LaRue, a merchant marine captain at the time, led a ship that harbored 14,000 refugees escaping Korea at the outset of the Korean War in December 1950. He later became a Benedictine monk in New Jersey, taking the name of Brother Marinus, OSB. The U.S. Bishops’ Conference recently expressed support for his cause of beatification and canonization.
According to Bishop Elias Lorenzo, presently an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Newark, “Brother Marinus would be a wonderful intercessor right now. I think of him often as being very generous in his response to the call of service. We have to pray and also be inspired by those who have gone before us, such as Brother Marinus, to be agents of courage and assistance to others.”
Following the recent (and still-unfolding) withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan, many Afghan civilians and U.S. citizens are seeking to leave the country. According to reports, the United States had evacuated and facilitated the evacuation of approximately 70,000 people since Aug. 14, including 10,900 people in a 12-hour span on Aug. 23. Thousands still remain, seeking to be evacuated.
How might we respond? First, by praying that we will see people like Captain LaRue, who will step in and do the right thing when the time is right. In his case, “the right thing when the time was right” meant orchestrating the largest humanitarian rescue operation with a single ship. On Dec. 23, 1950, he boarded more than 14,000 Korean refugees on his ship, the S.S. Meredith Victory, at the port of Hungnam in North Korea; the ship’s normal capacity was 59 passengers and crew! LaRue then carefully traveled 450 miles through mine-infested waters to safety in Japan. The unarmed ship arrived in Japan on Christmas Day, and miraculously suffered no casualties on board despite being overcrowded and under-supplied. Five babies were safely born aboard the ship during the journey to Japan!
In 1954, LaRue entered Benedictine religious life. From the monastery he wrote, “I think often on that voyage. I think how such a small vessel was able to hold so many persons and surmount endless perils without harm to a soul. And as I think, the clear, unmistakable message comes to me: that on that Christmastide, in the bleak and bitter waters off the shores of Korea, God’s own hand was at the helm of my ship.”
Let us pray. “Mary, Star of the Sea, we know that all we have to do in order to love your Son is follow your lead. You loved Him wholeheartedly, and not just because He was your Son. Before you even knew Him, you said yes to being His mother. Despite all of the hardships that decision would bring you, you said yes. You endured not only ridicule and being outcast for being a virgin mother, but you also had to work hard to keep Him safe. Through it all, you kept saying yes. And so, help us to keep saying yes, too. Blessed Mother, guide us. Mother of God, lead us. Star of the Sea, give us courage to do the right thing at the right time and pray for us!”
Read more about Mary, Star of the Sea at: https://www.praymorenovenas.com/novena-to-mary-star-of-the-sea
