The Apostolate of the Sea (Stella Maris) of the archdiocese of Barcelona won the first prize for social cohabitation and inter-religious dialogue. Given last night in the presence of Montserrat Coll, general manager of the Religious Affairs of the Catalan government, the award is an initiative of Gter (Permanent inter-religious workgroup), which gathers the delegates of the most significant religions of the Catalan region. The award aims at rewarding "commitment for the people of the sea, regardless of their origins or religions". The Apostolate of the sea works in the port of Barcelona as a service providing facilities for seafarers, as well as legal, juridical and even religious advice. The director of Stella Maris, Ricardo Martos, won the award "for commitment not just on land for the seafarers but also on the cargo ships that come to Barcelona every day with the problems attendant on living far from home". Gter, established in 2004, was presented to the Holy See as a paragon of inter-religious dialogue, which also involves the authorities, the municipalities and not only the associations or grass-root groups of devotees.
