IN THIS ISSUE – June 2023

• The Seamen’s Church Institute’s Silver Bell Awards Dinner Raises Over $700,000 in Support of Mariners and Seafarers
• Normalizing Health Care for Mariners
• SCI's Center for Maritime Education Welcomes New Instructor in Houston
• A Mariner Memorial — Pastoral Activity Report by Chaplain Thomas Rhoades

Cover image by photographer David Rider

INCREDIBLE LOCATION • INCREDIBLE EVENT

Mount Snow, Vermont — from September 28 to October 1, 2023

Make a difference in the lives of mariners.

Join your colleagues on the mountain.

Take the challenge.

Thank you to Cargill for supporting the 2023 Mountain Challenge as our Lead Sponsor! To learn more about sponsorship opportunities for this event or for more information, please email [email protected] or call 212-401-4027.

Our Spring 2023 Lookout Magazine is online!

Pastoral Care, Training, Online Learning, and Advocacy...Read more about how SCI is dedicated to making a difference in the lives of seafarers and mariners.

Read Online | PDF

The Seamen’s Church Institute’s Silver Bell Awards Dinner Raises Over $700,000 in Support of Mariners and Seafarers

Silver Bell Award winner Robert P. Burke (Ridgebury Tankers), center, with (left to right) SCI Board Chair Bruce Paulsen, Esq. (Seward & Kissel), Silver Bell Event Co-chair Jack Noonan (Binnacle Maritime, LLC), SCI President and Executive Director the Rev. Mark Nestlehutt, and Silver Bell Event Co-chair Buckley McAllister (McAllister Towing and Transportation).

2023 Lifetime Achievement Award, the Rt. Rev. Andrew ML Dietsche, XVI Bishop of New York (center). With Bishop Dietsche (left to right): Silver Bell Event Co-chair Jack Noonan (Binnacle Maritime, LLC), SCI Board Chair Bruce Paulsen, Esq. (Seward & Kissel), Silver Bell Event Co-chair Buckley McAllister (McAllister Towing and Transportation), and SCI President and Executive Director the Rev. Mark Nestlehutt.

On June 8, 2023, the Seamen’s Church Institute (SCI) welcomed maritime leaders and supporters for its 45^th Annual Silver Bell Awards Dinner. This year, the event honored two distinguished individuals who demonstrated exceptional leadership and dedication within their respective fields. Robert P. Burke, CEO and Principal of Ridgebury Tankers, received the Silver Bell Award. The Rt. Rev. Andrew ML Dietsche, XVI Episcopal Bishop of New York, received the Lifetime Achievement Award.

SCI President and Executive Director, the Rev. Mark Nestlehutt, noted, “The Silver Bell Awards Dinner is our annual celebration of this wonderful maritime community. It is also a time for us to remember those who work difficult and demanding jobs on ships, moving much of the world’s goods over water and between nations. It was an honor for us to recognize two extraordinary individuals last night, Bob Burke and Bishop Dietsche, who, in their distinguished careers, have been dedicated champions for seafarers."

The smoke from the Canadian wildfires that had shrouded Manhattan lifted in time for the opening parade of vessels on the Hudson River, blessed by Bishop Andrew Dietsche, assisted by Bishop-coadjutor, Matthew Heyd, Suffragan Bishop, Alan Shin, and Assisting Bishop, Mary Glasspool. The Port Authority Police Department Pipes & Drums then led the event’s 500 guests inside where the United States Coast Guard Sector New York Color Guard opened the dinner, followed by the singing of the National Anthem by members of the USMMA Mariners Chorus, who also closed the evening with the hymn Eternal Father, Strong to Save. A thunderous fireworks celebration over the Hudson capped the celebration.

The 2023 Silver Bell Awards Dinner raised over $700,000 for SCI’s mission to support the material, personal, and mental well-being of international seafarers and domestic mariners, exceeding the event goal by more than $100,000. The Rev. Nestlehutt added, “We were thrilled with this event and so grateful to our guests and benefactors who share the spirit of our cause and gave so generously.”

Normalizing Health Care for Mariners

Mariners have always faced a multitude of challenges, including prolonged separation from loved ones, long working hours, and high-stress situations. It is only natural to expect that these difficult circumstances would give rise to mental health issues among mariners. Unfortunately, the situation has been further exacerbated by the additional stressors brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to a mental health crisis within the maritime community. This crisis has highlighted the need for enhanced mental health care for mariners, and stakeholders in the industry are working towards providing better support.

However, a significant barrier to delivering this care lies in the perception that seeking mental health care is not considered "normal." There is a prevailing belief, not only within the maritime industry but also in society at large, that mentally healthy individuals should not require mental health support. As a result, individuals may be indifferent or resistant to seeking help, assuming that they are "normal" and do not need any form of assistance. Moreover, the stigma associated with therapy and treatment often discourages many people who could benefit from mental health care from pursuing it.

We need to transform this perspective collectively. Through our words, actions, and policies, we must actively promote and establish access to mental health care, making it as commonplace as routine medical check-ups or dental cleanings. Until we successfully address the stigma surrounding mental health care and work towards "normalizing" it within our industry, we will be unable to truly support mariners in improving their mental well-being.

Christmas at Sea - Celebrating 125 Years

Center for Maritime Education Welcomes New Instructor in Houston

SCI is excited to welcome Captain Andrew "Andy" Martin, who joins us as an Instructor at our Center for Maritime Education facility in Houston after serving as an Instructor at San Jacinto College Maritime since December 2021. Andy has also held positions at Buffalo Marine Services, JMS Marine Services, Higman Towing Company, and J.A.M. Marine Services, where he served as Master of Towing, among other roles. His valuable knowledge of the Houston Ship Channel, Intercoastal Waterway, and Lower Mississippi River is welcome and he will be an asset to our team. 

Welcome to The Team

The Seamen's Church Institute is pleased to welcome Michelle Wallenberg as our new Development Associate/Database Coordinator. Michelle comes to us from Olivet College (Olivet, MI), where she was the Gift & Database Manager. Additionally, we would like to welcome Gerald Brunson, who will be joining us as the new Operations Associate/Driver at the International Seafarers' Center in Port Newark. Gerald comes to us from Bell Medical Transport (Orange, NJ), where he worked as a Mobility Assistance Vehicle Tech.

A Mariner Memorial

From the June 2023 Pastoral Activity Report

Word reached me that a mariner had suffered a heart attack after a choking incident and was rushed to the hospital. I was already en route to New Orleans at that time, so I contacted Chaplain Christine Brunson and asked if she could attend the incident. She did a wonderful job in counseling and talking with the distressed crew, and she was asked to return the following day. And yet, while we are there for mariners in tough times, we are also there for family and friends. 

About a week later, I heard from the HR office at the mariner's company. I was told that despite the hospital's best efforts, the mariner’s condition showed no signs of improvement, and his wife was facing the heart-wrenching decision of turning off life support and letting him pass away. The company asked if I could help them during this difficult time by meeting with crew members and the mariner’s wife. I met with the mariner’s wife, and we prayed together. After a while, we talked about a proper way to say goodbye, and I suggested a memorial on the boat might be a fitting tribute. The mariner’s wife agreed. 

A month after the incident, I gathered his wife, family and friends, and colleagues for a brief service on the second deck of the mariner’s former vessel. There were about 40 in all. I conducted the prayers, his wife gave the eulogy, and the mariner’s friends and crew mates offered remembrances. It was a moving and fitting ceremony. 

When I sit down to write my quarterly pastoral activity report, our focus is often the quick response to immediate crisis. And, there is no doubt that what what we do in the short term is important work. But as chaplains, we are also committed to long-term care. We know that grief, for some, does not have a time limit. In those moments after an incident, there is so much swirling in the minds of those affected: grief, confusion, and disbelief. So, as chaplains our job is to also follow up, ask how we can be of service, and help make plans, if needed, down the road. In this case, being able to offer a memorial service that mariners and family members could attend at a later date allowed them time and space to process and share their grief.  

Pastoral Care • Legal Advocacy • Professional Training

A donation to the Seamen's Church Institute

helps us support mariners and seafarers

with the challenges they face and

the demanding work they do.

THANK YOU!

 FROM THE SCI ARCHIVES 

On This Day in 1926, a British apprentice officer who frequented SCI's seafarer's hotel at 25 South Street took this photo of a crew's rescue from the wreck of the freighter City of Naples off Japan with the Japanese cruiser Kasuga playing a key role in the effort with the apprentice's ship in support.

Thank you to our corporate partners