BY Ian Dunn | October 20 | 
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Funeral Mass for former national director of AoS
Leo Gilbert, former national director of the seafarers’ charity Apostleship of the Sea died last Sunday. Mr Gilbert served in the Royal Navy during the Second World War and, following demobilisation, worked with ex-serviceman. He became involved with the work of the Apostleship of the Sea on the Clyde becoming the Scottish national secretary.
Together with Fr Andrew Hosie, the then national director, Mr Gilbert established the Glasgow Stella Maris Seafarers Centre at Whiteinch. Following the death of Fr Hosie in 2002, he became the national director of the Apostleship of the Sea in Scotland.
In 2005, the Apostleship of the Sea in Scotland merged with the English branch taking on new port chaplains and recruiting volunteer ship visitors leading to an increased number of ships visited in Scottish ports. Mr Gilbert was awarded the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice medal in 2006, by the Papal Nuncio to Great Britain for his services to seafarers.
He was 92 and leaves behind his wife Catherine and four children.
His funeral took place on Tuesday morning at St Leo’s Church, Dumbreck, Glasgow, where he was a parishioner.
St Leo’s Parish priest Mgr Gerry Fitzptarick paid tribute to Mr Gilbert saying he was a ‘lovely man’ and a ‘great fellow.’
“He became a Catholic at the age of nine,” Mgr Fitzpatrick said. “And over the years the rest of his family followed. His funeral was very well attended, Bishop Moran was there, there was music from the St Mungo’s Singers and a strong representation from the Apostleship of the Sea.”
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