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MARINERS DEPEND ON SCI.
SCI DEPENDS ON YOU.
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IN THIS ISSUE – March 2025
- A Mid-air Collision and Mariners in Need
- CMA Director Guides Chaplains at NAMMA's Houston School
- SCI Welcomes The Rev. Grace Pardun as MOR Supervisory Chaplain
- After the “MV Patrick J. Studdert” Collision
- ISC-based Chaplains Offer Ashes Throughout the Port of NY&NJ on Ash Wednesday
- ISC Attends SUNY-Maritime's Sea Term Experience Expo
- Nestlehutt, Schifflin—Panelists at 2025 CMA Shipping Conference
- See You On The Mountain: Register for the 2025 SCI Mountain Challenge
- From the SCI Archives: Kiddie Car Polo
| | Photo: David Rider—davidrider.photoshelter.com. | | THANK YOU TO OUR CORPORATE SPONSORS | | |
Join us for the 47th Annual Silver Bell Awards Dinner as we celebrate the maritime community and honor Christopher J. Wiernicki, Chairman and CEO of the American Bureau of Shipping, with the Silver Bell Award, and Joseph E.M. Hughes, Chairman of the Shipowners Claims Bureau, Inc., Managers of the American P&I Club, with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Click below for more details and to register for the event.
| | A webcam image captures a City Cruises vessel assisting in the recovery efforts on the Potomac River following the collision between an American Airlines regional plane and an Army Black Hawk helicopter. This still image was sourced from a “Fox 5” webcam. | | A Mid-air Collision and Mariners in Need | | |
In his latest Quarterly Activity Report, SCI President and Executive Director, the Rev. Mark Nestlehutt, shares how SCI was called into action after a mid-air collision between a passenger jet and an Army helicopter in Washington, DC. With mariners playing a vital role in the recovery efforts, SCI’s assistance was requested through established industry connections, leading to the swift deployment of Chaplain Geoffrey Davis to provide emotional and pastoral care to those affected. Click here to read the full story on our website.
| | CMA Director, Phil Schifflin, training maritime chaplains at NAMMA's "Houston School." | | |
CMA Director Guides Chaplains at NAMMA's Houston School
While the Center for Mariner Advocacy (CMA) focuses on assisting mariners and seafarers with legal cases and engaging in domestic and international maritime policy discussions, its Director, Phil Schifflin, Esq., also dedicates time during the year to train chaplains.
On February 24 and 25, Schifflin taught at NAMMA’s (North American Maritime Ministry Association) Introduction to Seafarers' Welfare and Maritime Ministry Course—also known as the “Houston School”—hosted at the Houston International Seafarers’ Center. Participants represented diverse organizations from Hong Kong, the Netherlands, the Virgin Islands, Argentina, Canada, and the USA.
NAMMA conducts the “Houston School” annually to equip port chaplains worldwide with the skills and knowledge to better support seafarers. CMA contributes to the program annually by providing approximately six hours of training on the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC 2006). This instruction helps chaplains develop a legal understanding of the rights and protections under MLC 2006, enabling them to recognize potential seafarer rights cases and refer them to CMA for advocacy on behalf of the affected mariners.
| | SCI invites the maritime community to join us on September 25–28 at the Sunday River Resort in Maine for a test of endurance inspired by mariners. | | SCI Welcomes The Rev. Grace Pardun as MOR Supervisory Chaplain | | |
The Seamen’s Church Institute (SCI) welcomes the Rev. Grace Pardun as its new Supervisory Chaplain for Ministry on the River (MOR). She succeeds the Rev. David Shirk and will be based at the Center for Maritime Education in Paducah, KY.
In her new role, the Rev. Pardun will oversee MOR’s operations, covering the Upper Mississippi and Ohio River regions while also coordinating SCI’s pastoral presence across the inland rivers, Intracoastal Waterway, and Gulf Coast. Her responsibilities will include providing direct pastoral care to mariners and strengthening SCI’s relationships with the church and maritime industry.
The Rev. Pardun joins SCI from St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Paducah, KY, where she has served as pastor since 2021. She is already familiar with SCI’s mission, having served as a MOR Chaplain Associate since 2021. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Bethel University and a Master of Divinity from Luther Seminary, both in Minnesota.
| | After the “MV Patrick J. Studdert” Collision | | |
From the February 2025 Quarterly Activity Report—by the Rev. Nancy Simpson — Chaplain, Ministry on the River, Houston Ship Channel & Gulf Coast Region
As the SCI Chaplain in the Houston region, I received shocking news—the MV Patrick J. Studdert had collided with a ship and sunk in Louisiana. In that instant, my heart felt like it sank too. But almost immediately, I was met with incredible relief—the crew had survived and had been rescued by a nearby tugboat.
With that news, I prepared to head to Buffalo Marine Service in Houston while SCI Chaplain Geoff Davis provided on-the-ground support for the affected crew in Louisiana.
Buffalo is one of the companies I regularly visit, both onshore and aboard their vessels, including the MV Patrick J. Studdert. Arriving at Buffalo’s shoreside office, I offered calm and steady support—a non-anxious presence to help those processing the event. I listened as emotions flowed, shared in their thankfulness for the crew’s survival, and prayed in gratitude as the full details of the accident continued to unfold.
After spending time onshore, I noticed a Buffalo towboat docked outside and decided to visit. I wanted to be with the crew as they processed the shock of this traumatic yet miraculous event involving their fellow mariners in Louisiana.
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On my way to the vessel, I paused in my tracks— lying on the wet gravel in front of me was a piece of string shaped unmistakably to me like the Christian “fish” symbol. At that moment, I felt a quiet reassurance to continue forward with Christ’s peace and goodwill, carrying out the mission I have been called to—serving, listening, and supporting the mariners who live and work on the water.
| | Above: SCI President and Executive Director, the Rev. Mark Nestlehutt (right), and ISC Chaplain, the Rev. James Kollin (center), administer ashes to port workers. Below: ISC Chaplain, the Rev. Dr. Bill Allport (left), and SCI field-ed seminarian Cora Walters (right), visit seafarers aboard vessels. March 5, 2025, Port Newark. | | |
ISC-based Chaplains Offer Ashes Throughout the Port of NY&NJ on Ash Wednesday
On March 5, 2025, the International Seafarers’ Center (ISC) in Port Newark held two brief Ash Wednesday services, welcoming those in the port community who observe the occasion to receive ashes. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent for Christians, where they receive ashes on their foreheads as a sign of reflection and atonement. In addition to these services, ISC chaplains and SCI’s President and Executive Director, the Rev. Mark Nestlehutt, brought “ashes to go” to seafarers on ships in Port Newark terminals, and to workers throughout the port community.
“While having SCI Chaplains administer ashes on ships is a long-standing tradition,” said ISC Director Matt Morse, “holding services in our chapel and inviting the port community is new. It reflects our broader mission to create a welcoming space for everyone who works in the port. The personal connections we witnessed and helped facilitate both during and in between those services were important reminders of the value that our welcoming space offers our community.” The ISC will continue to explore additional opportunities to share its space and facilities with the port community throughout the year.
More photos from Ash Wednesday in the Port of NY&NJ can be found here.
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ISC Attends SUNY-Maritime's Sea Term Experience Expo
During the week of March 4, the SCI’s International Seafarer's Center visited SUNY Maritime’s campus for the college’s “Sea Term Experience Expo.” ISC Director Matt Morse and Chaplain James Kollin engaged with students and cadets, sharing insights about SCI’s mission and the Chaplains placed aboard SUNY Maritime’s Summer Sea Term. This event is one of a few opportunities where SCI connects with SUNY Maritime cadets—SCI frequently hosts cadets at Port Newark to meet with seafarers, and an SCI chaplain is typically present during their INDOC week, where new cadets (known as MUGs) are introduced to academy life. SCI appreciates SUNY Maritime for providing the chance to engage with cadets as they embark on their maritime careers.
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Nestlehutt, Schifflin—Panelists at 2025 CMA Shipping Conference
The 40th edition of CMA Shipping, North America’s leading maritime industry conference, will be held from April 1-3 in Stamford, CT. This annual event gathers key maritime professionals, offering a platform for networking and discussions on industry challenges.
The Seamen’s Church Institute (SCI) will once again participate, with the Rev. Mark Nestlehutt, SCI’s President & Executive Director, and Phil Schifflin, Esq., Director of the Center for Mariner Advocacy, contributing to a panel discussion entitled “Seafarer Panel–Reporting on the Proposed Changes to MLC and an Essential Check-in on the US Labor Market.”
Mark will moderate the panel, which will cover proposed changes to the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) and provide a critical update on the U.S. labor market. Phil Schifflin will join the discussion as a panelist alongside Dr. Jason Zuidema, Executive Director of NAMMA and General Secretary of ICMA; Stella Kakouri, Associate General Manager, One Care Group, Ltd.; and Pat Keffler, Chemical Manager and Regional Manager–Americas, INTERTANKO.
Additionally, SCI will host a booth on the exhibition floor, offering attendees insights into its work across the Port of New York and New Jersey, US Rivers and Gulf Coast, crisis response, advocacy, mariner training, and maritime feasibility studies.
For more information about the conference, visit the CMA Shipping Conference website.
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Kiddie Car Polo
With the NCAA Division I basketball tournaments kicking off next week, TBT takes a nostalgic look at seafarer sports. One of the earliest athletic passions among boat workers at SCI was, surprisingly, roller skating. In 1917, British apprentice officers staying at SCI’s 13-story boat worker hotel at 25 South Street ventured uptown for a roller-skating outing. They enjoyed it so much that SCI purchased 30 pairs of skates, which were shared in shifts as groups of seafarers took turns racing—or stumbling—across the auditorium floor at 25 South Street.
The only real obstacle to this roller-skating craze was the difficulty of fitting old-style metal skates over the seafarers’ heavy shoes. Nevertheless, they found creative ways to enjoy the sport and burn off energy. A particularly popular variation was American football on roller skates, played to live piano accompaniment.
Another unusual yet long-lasting seafarer sport rivaled even roller-skating football in its strangeness and daring: kiddie car polo. Emerging as early as 1924 and continuing into the 1940s, this game involved grown men riding children's tricycles around a court while wielding sawed-off polo sticks to hit a ball. SCI’s team performed impressively in league play, competing against teams from Oddfellows societies and other community groups across the city and suburbs. A photo from the July 1930 issue of The Lookout captures this unique sport in action
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