For Andy Middleton, the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge March 26, 2024, changed more than the skyline of Baltimore’s harbor.
“Personally, it changed the way I pray,” said Middleton, executive director of the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s Apostleship of the Sea ministry at the Port of Baltimore.
Six construction workers were killed when a powerless container ship struck the bridge, causing nearly the entire 1.6-mile structure to fall into the Patapsco River.
“I no longer just say prayers of thanksgiving and ask God for things,” said Middleton, a 51-year-old parishioner of the Catholic Community of South Baltimore at Holy Cross in Federal Hill. “Now I’m more conscious of always praying for others.”
Middleton and his volunteers at the Apostleship of the Sea had already ministered to the sailors aboard the Dali, the cargo ship that struck the bridge, before the ship departed the port. The ministry assists merchant seafarers with personal needs when ships are in port, transporting them to run errands, pick up items and assist with religious needs.
After the collapse, their duties increased as they assisted the marooned Dali crew. Middleton and Baltimore Auxiliary Bishop Adam J. Parker visited the crew May 1, 2024. Bishop Parker noted that their visit was only the second by nongovernmental agents. The duo brought care packages and celebrated Mass for Catholic crew members.
“The depth of their faith was really evident,” Bishop Parker said. “The most striking moment of that visit was when I brought the list with me of the highway workers who were killed during the accident. When I put that list on the table that I was using for a makeshift altar, one of the Dali crewmembers got up and he immediately looked at that list and he wanted to have it so that he, too, could continue to pray for those who lost their lives.”
Middleton’s ministry still serves some Dali crew members who remain in Baltimore for ongoing legal matters. He has taken them to sports events, hosted them at his home and introduced them to American football.
“Andy has certainly been a Godsend to them,” Bishop Parker said.
Middleton noted the men, some of whom haven’t been home for more than 18 months, would like to go home.
“They are holding up as well as can be expected,” he said.
Middleton, a married father of six with 17 grandchildren, said that day a year ago “is like a blur.”
“From waking up around 1 a.m. to Mass that evening and my final interview with CNN at 10 p.m., everything kind of runs together,” he said.
The collapse raised the visibility of the Apostleship of the Sea, bringing a marked increase in donations.
“If there’s a good point to (the collapse), it is that it brought a spotlight to our ministry and the hardships of seafarers,” Middleton said. “Our ministry to the seafarers has always been our main focus, but the collapse made us think more about everyone affected by the bridge collapse. We also talk often about the families who lost loved ones, and we don’t want them to be forgotten.”
The biggest impact on the Apostleship of the Sea has been the daily traffic around the port.
“If we have to transport a seaman to Arundel Mills or Glen Burnie, we face the same traffic snarls as daily commuters,” he said.
“It still seems surreal that the bridge is gone,” Middleton added. “It’s a shock that it’s not there. After growing up in Dundalk, I find myself taking a familiar route and saying to myself, ‘Wow, it’s really gone.’”
Middleton said the disaster helped him become more of an advocate for merchant seafarers.
After working “about every kind of job imaginable,” including as an automobile mechanic and police officer, he now feels he’s found his calling with the Apostleship of the Sea.
“The most rewarding part is that I can go to bed at night feeling I’ve made a difference, living out the Gospel,” he said.
George Matysek Jr. contributed to this story.
Email Gerry Jackson at gjackson@CatholicReview.org
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