Father Ritchille Salinas, SVD

✨Brightest stars in the darkest times. ✨

The Church(es) is often a source of disappointment for many of us.
Too often, it fails to live up to the values it proclaims.
But sometimes, we overlook those people from the Churches who quietly embody what care, service, and solidarity can and must look like in practice.

For the Filipino diaspora in Hamburg, Father P. Ritchille Salinas, SVD, priest of the Philippine Catholic Mission in Hamburg and the English-speaking Catholic community of Hamburg, has been such a source of light (not only to Catholics). Not through grand speeches or visibility, but through presence, listening, and consistency.

On a personal level, because of him I found a community in Hamburg. I joined two choirs and I now serve as a lector. What made the difference was simple, yet rare. He accepts people as whole persons. He joins us both in happy and challenging times. He does not focus on shortcomings, but on dignity, potential, and belonging.

Beyond the local community, his work as chaplain for Stella Maris Org extends this care globally. Accompanying seafarers who live between ports, contracts, loneliness, and invisibility, he stands with those who keep the world moving, yet are rarely seen.

I was glad to hear that he has now been appointed by Pope Leo XIV as general secretary ad interim of the Apostleship of the Sea.
It feels less like a promotion and more like a recognition of something the community already knew. That leadership rooted in service matters.

In times when trust in institutions is fragile, it is people like him who rebuild meaning locally, relationally, and patiently.

Sometimes, light does not come from reforming the whole structure.
Sometimes, it comes from one person choosing to care well.

#BrightestStars #Care #Service #Belonging #FaithInPractice #QuietLeadership

Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development
The Mission to Seafarers Deutsche Seemannsmission International Christian Maritime Association