The Seafarer - Seafarers` House
Transcription
The Seafarer - Seafarers` House
Non-Profit U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 1903 Ft. Lauderdale, FL Seafarers’ House P. O. Box 13034 Port Everglades, FL 33316 The Seafarer Chaplain’s Corner Dear friends, Seafarers’ House is a good investment for people who ... love to cruise (we serve the needs of those who serve you); want to address global poverty by supporting those who work hard to help themselves; value multi-faith cooperation; want to strengthen families (we link family members forced apart by economic realities); work in a maritime industry, especially merchant mariners, and their families. Charitable gifts to this nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization are tax-deductible. SFH CALENDAR — SAVE THE DATE! 2006 August 19 2006 Interfaith Luncheon Aboard Royal Caribbean International’s Enchantment of the Seas – online registration is now open! November 3 11th Annual Broward Business Leaders’ Luncheon Aboard Holland America Line’s Ms. Volendam For more information on these events, please contact Special Events Manager at Seafarers’ House @ 954-467-7330 or visit our website at www.seafarershouse.org IMB Says 440 Held for Ransom Last Year A holy man was having a conversation with the Lord one day and said, “Lord, I would like to know what heaven and hell are like.” Piracy attacks fall but hostage taking soars The Lord led the holy man to two doors. He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in. A total of 440 crew members were taken hostage in piracy attacks reported to the International Maritime Bureau last year. This was the highest figure since the bureau started compiling statistics in 1992. No crew were killed, however, though 12 were still missing when the IMB published its annual report recently. In the middle of the room was a large round table. In the middle of the table was a big pot of stew which smelled delicious and made the holy man’s mouth water. The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful, but because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths. The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering. The Lord said, “You have seen hell.” ... continued on page 3 Volume 11 Issue 2 • Summer 2006 This article provided by The Sea, published by The Mission to Seafarers P.O. Box 13034 Port Everglades, FL 33316 954.467.7330 Phone 954.766.2699 Fax www.seafarershouse.org On the positive side, worldwide piracy attacks declined from 329 in 2004 to 276 last year – the lowest figure since 1999. The welcome drop in attacks is attributed to avoiding action by shipmasters in risk-prone areas, coupled with an increase in law enforcement patrols. The IMB praises Indonesian authorities in particular for stepping up their efforts to defeat piracy. This came largely by way of Operation Gurita, a show of force in known hot spots, it says, and several intelligence-led actions that resulted in gangs of pirates being caught and several small vessels being recovered. An example of the effectiveness of swift joint action by law enforcement agencies from several countries in the region is provided by the recovery of the tanker Steadfast at the end of last year. The vessel was seized shortly after leaving Indonesia; the ship’s managers alerted the IMB, which in turn tipped off Vietnam, Cambodia, Singapore and Indonesia, all of which were ready to arrest the vessel if it entered their waters. Eventually, the pirates were forced to abandon the tanker. According to IMB figures for last year, attacks in Indonesian waters fell from 94 to 79, though they still account for nearly 30 per cent of all reported assaults. There was a big drop, too, in the Malacca Strait – down to 12 from 38 in 2004. ... continued on page 3 7 2 A Message from the Executive Director President: Allan Milledge, Esq. Milledge & Iden Vice President: Jane Toney National Maritime Services Secretary: Lisa Friesecke Motor-Services Hugo Stamp, Inc. Treasurer: Eugene F. Sweeney International Registries Clifford Berry, II Cliff Berry, Inc. John Burris Citrix Systems, Inc. Brendan Corrigan Carnival Cruise Lines The Reverend Robert Deshaies St. Benedict’s Episcopal Church Arnold Grevior, Esq. Prince & Glick, P.A. Michael Hopkins Crowley Liner Services Anitra Lanczi, Esq. Shutts & Bowen Stephen A. Nielsen Princess Cruises Arthur Novacek Eller & Company, Inc. Ronald G. Perkins American Document Management Jennifer Quildon Miller, Esq. Houck, Hamilton & Anderson Elizabeth Rogacki International Warehouse Services, Inc. Kenneth Rogers Seabulk Towing, Inc. Anthony P. Sasso ITF/District No. 1, MEBA David Tobin Tobin & Reyes, P.A. Advisory Council Flora Almany Jean Fitzgerald Bishop Leo Frade Robert P. Frazin, D.D. William Keith Steven Laine Jo Anne W. Lewis Phillip McNally Maulana Shafayat Mohamed Bernadene Rodriguez Marvin Scharf Bishop Calvin Schofield, Jr. (Ret.) James D. Yager It is an honor for me to greet each of you as the newly appointed Executive Director of Seafarers’ House. You may know that I served this mission as the Director of Communications for two years before this appointment in April 2006 and it was during that time of service that I grew to care deeply about the mission and the mariners we serve. Now I have been afforded this special opportunity to continue my work here wearing this new hat and I look forward eagerly to sharing the work of this special mission with each of you. It is a privilege to be associated with this organization which touches the lives of so many from all over the world. In a time when it seems the world is increasingly troubled, it is a comfort to know that the small acts of compassion and kindness that we extend to visiting mariners may not only help them directly but may then be extended through them to others they connect with along the way. It seems that everyone who connects with this mission, understands the value of the warmth and hospitality we strive to foster here. Our staff here are a special group of people who work each day to provide welcome and service to the mariners of the world visiting this port. Our caring volunteers recommit to the mission each time they share their time and talent and bring another dimension of service and dedication to our mission. The port community here never fails to show how deep that sense of community runs and our members of the Board and Advisory Council are each very involved in their respective ways – in an active and ongoing form of contribution of time and expertise that never ceases to amaze. You will see in this edition of our newsletter that Seafarers’ House has other new faces to welcome. A ‘returnee’ to our Board is a long-term supporter, Mike Hopkins of Crowley Liner Services and our position for chaplain has been filled by Father Thomas Falkenthal, a 24 year Navy veteran and a man of special discernment and warmth. As our Director of Pastoral Care he will bring a fresh perspective and energy to this multi-faith mission and I know you will help us welcome him. Thank you for your trust and confidence with oversight of this unique mission. I look forward to getting to know many of you personally in the months to come and we are all very grateful for your continued care and support of our mission to serve seafarers and their families through multi-faith service. Key Contacts [email protected] Special Events: [email protected] Volunteer Information/Opportunities: [email protected] Lesley M. Warrick Executive Director Seafarers’ House Celebrates a Special Evening with Honoree John Lynch, our 2006 Golden Compass Award Winner Seafarers’ House honored John Lynch, Retired President & Chief Executive Officer of Seaboard Marine at its 2006 International Golden Compass Award Dinner in April. The Golden Compass award honors those who have achieved distinction in the maritime world, those whose vocation or avocation has been the sea, and those who have in some significant way assisted seafarers. Mr. Lynch was presented with the award on April 29, 2006 during an awards dinner held at the Bonaventure Resort and Spa in Fort Lauderdale and the day was designated as “John Lynch Day” in Broward County by the Board of County Commissioners. Attended by nearly 500 guests, the elegant event featured dining and dancing, a champagne raffle and live and silent auctions. The event chair for the overwhelmingly successful evening Mrs. Ann Burris teamed with Auction Committee Chair, Mrs. Lisa Friesecke, to raise over $200,000. Kristi Krueger of WPLG Channel 10 acted as the MC for the evening while Mr. Bill Panoff, Publisher of Porthole Magazine played the role of auctioneer. Stunning floral arrangements for the evening were donated by Boat Blossums, the champagne raffle was courtesy of National Distributing Company, attendee gifts were sponsored by Florida Shipper Magazine, Arkon Shipping underwrote valet parking, invitation design was donated by Mousepad, Inc. and Princess Cruises donated the dinner wines for the evening. Seafarers’ House Executive Director, Lesley Warrick, said “We were delighted to honor Mr. John Lynch – a gentleman who sailed from his English home as a teenager and carried those seafaring experiences with him as he rose through the ranks over the years – building a legacy of hard work, entrepreneurialism and success. John is someone who knows the value of seafarers’ centers and has made that special connection with Seafarers’ House, where our mission is “to improve the lives of seafarers and their families through multifaith service. He is an inspiration that we can all admire and should appreciate!” Seafarers’ House is deeply grateful to everyone who supported and attended the event – a record breaker on all fronts! The Gold Circle of Friends and Benefactors: Citrix Systems; Eller ITO Stevedoring; Eller & Co.; Holland America Line; Princess Cruises; Seaboard Marine; Seabulk Towing; and The Cruise Industry Charitable Foundation. The Silver Circle of Friends and Patrons: Blanck & Cooper, Coastal Fuels Marketing, Inc.; Crowley Liner Services, Inc.; Eller ITO Stevedoring; JMV Transportation; Jamaica Fruit and Shipping, Kingston Wharves Limited, Maritima Valparaiso Chile SA, Mediterranean Shipping Company (USA), Inc., National Maritime Services; Royal Caribbean/Celebrity Cruises; S. Danoff USA; SeaFreight Agencies; and Seajoy Seafood Corp. The Bronze Circle of Friends and Supporters: APM Terminals; Boat Blossums; Broward County’s Port Everglades; Carnival Cruise Lines, Discovery Cruise Lines; Florida East Coast Railway; Gold Coast Repairs; Holy Cross Hospital; Houston Port Authority; Integrity Fuels Logistics Corp.; International Warehouse Services; Joan Readding, Marsh USA; MotorServices Hugo Stamp; Port of Miami; RoRo Partners; and Sea Star Line. Gold Sponsors for the evening received plaques to thank them for their support. (Left to right) Arthur C. Novacek, President, Eller & Company Edward Gonzalez, President, Seaboard Marine John Burris, Sr. VP, Worldwide Sales & Services, Citrix Systems, Inc. Horace Hord, Vice President, Government and Community Relations in the Eastern Caribbean for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. accepting on behalf of The Cruise Industry Charitable Foundation Carlos Arocha, Sr. Vice President, Eller-ITO Sally Stirn, Regional Manager, Shore Operations, Holland America Brendan Corrigan, Sr. Vice President, Cruise Operations, Carnival Cruise Lines accepting on behalf of Princess Cruises. Kenny Rogers, President, Seabulk Towing, Inc. 5 4 Contribution Update Thanks to the following donors and volunteers who generously supported our mission to “improve the lives of seafarers and their families through multi-faith service.” Donations made by Organizations Advent Lutheran Church All Saints Episcopal Church APM Terminals Arkon Shipping GmbH & Co. Bernuth Agencies Blanck & Cooper Boat Blossums Broward County’s Port Everglades Carnival Cruise Lines Church by the Sea Citrix Systems, Inc. Cliff Berry, Inc. Coastal Fuels Marketing Crowley Liner Services Cruise Industry Charitable Foundation Dania Beach Press Newspaper Discovery Cruise Line Electra Intermodal Leasing Services Eller & Company, Inc. Eller ITO Stevedoring First Evangelical Lutheran Church Florida East Coast Railway Florida Shipper Magazine Fowler Rodriquez & Chalos GE SeaCo America, LLC Gold Coast Repairs Gulf Stream Baptist Association Gulfstream Insurance Group Holland America Line Holy Cross Hospital Houston Port Authority Integrity Fuels Logistics Corp. International Warehouse Services InterOrient Ship Management, Inc. iReachAmerica.com JMV Transportation Services, Inc. Jamaica Fruit and Shipping Kingston Wharves Limited Kiwanis International Krause & Goldberg, P.A. Laser Light Litho Living Faith Lutheran Church Marine Spill Response Corporation Maritima Valparaiso Chile SA Marsh USA, Inc. Miami Shores Community Church Mediterranean Shipping Company (USA), Inc. Motor-Services Hugo Stamp, Inc. National Distributing Company, Inc. National Maritime Services, Inc. NYK Logistics On Target Management, Inc. Port of Miami Princess Cruises Publix Super Markets, Inc. Royal Caribbean/Celebrity Cruises RoRo Partners, Ltd. S. Danoff USA Ltd. Seaboard Marine Seabulk Towing SeaFreight Agencies Sea Star Line, Inc. St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church The Miami Herald The Mousepad, Inc. Thien & Heyenga Triton Container International, Inc. U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Assoc. Donations made by Individuals Janet Albury Mr. & Mrs. Saeed Ally Mr. & Mrs. George Amigone Phyllis & Don Bannister Mr. & Mrs. Karl Bernard Mr. Cliff Berry, II Mrs. Patti L. Blanchette Donald Braun Mrs. Janet Briggs Cmdr. Harry E. Broadbent, Jr. Ms. Martha C. Byrnes Ms. Theresa Champagnie Rev. & Mrs. E. Mahlon Clarke Mr. & Mrs. Albert Commette Ms. Cynthia Cone Mr. John E. Conway Mr. & Mrs. William Dambrackas The Rev. Marlin Drake Mr. Jack Efird Capt. Jack Eicholz Mr. & Mrs. David B. Evans Mr. Dag Engstrom Mrs. Christina Fanizzi Ms. Cleo Freeman Ms. Constant French Mr. & Mrs. Robert Fulton Ms. Nancy Gifford Mr. Yosi Uzman Gola Ms. Gypsy C. Graves Ms. Rita M. Gretina Mr. Ben Guenther Mr. & Mrs. Bob Haab Ms. Deborah Hartner Mr. & Mrs. Herbert H. Hertner Ms. Anita Hansen Mr. & Mrs. Michael Y. Hopkins Elizabeth Hopwood The Rev. John William Houran Mr. & Mrs. Harry L. Jones Mr. & Mrs. James Kunkel Ms. Karin Kuntz Mr. & Mrs. Arnold C. Lake Ms. Judith V. Lamb Ms. Alice M. Lindner Mr. & Mrs. Mack E. Madzinski, III Mr. Ulvi Mammadov Ms. Barbara J. Mancuso Mr. Jerry R. McDonald Mr. Steven Mellenthien Ms. Alicia Menendez Mr. Todd Michaels Dr. & Mrs. Langdon L. Miller Mr. John J. Montani Mr. & Mrs. Bill Newnum Mr. Jerome O’Connor Mr. Enrique Olivares Ms. Betty Lou Paulus Mr. Glenn A. Paulus Mr. & Mrs. Donald E. Pocock Mrs. Alice C. Pulley The Rev. Joan Readding Mr. & Mrs. Gordon F. Redington Mr. & Mrs. Jerry Rickard Mr. William Robson Mr. Oscar A. Romano Ms. Patricia Rowe Mrs. Virginia Ruoff Ms. Emily Lee Schilling Mrs. Michele Schiraldi The Rev. Dr. Melvin E. Schoonover Mrs. Marian A. Stanley Ms. Lisa M. Stevens Mr. & Mrs. Richard W. Taylor J. Mackenzie Venters Mr. Norman C. Wagner Mrs. LaToya J. Walden Mr. Alfred Walleser Ms. Kathryn Walter Lesley & Gregory Warrick Mrs. Betty R. Weiss Ms. Donna Whitehead Mr. Robert Wilkerson Ms. Mary S. Willman Mr. & Mrs. Richard B. Wolf Mrs. Deborah Workman Mr. James D. Yager Ms. Alice Irene Zell Mr. & Mrs. Theodore Ziebko Thank you to Our In-Kind Donors For those of you who helped us with donations of in-kind items, thank you for seeing a need and meeting it. Your donations of cell phones, cookies, paint, furniture and many other items help make our success possible. Thank You to Our Volunteers Ms. Maisy Alpert Ms. Bianca Amato Ms. Caitlin Bailey Ms. Elizabeth Balzar Don and Phyllis Bannister Ms. Ana Barrett Lenny & Bobby Bendell Mr. Phil Bennis Mr. Cliff Berry, II Mr. Bruce Brecheisen Ms. Linda Fowler Brinley Ms. Pamela Brown Ann and John Burris Mr. Fabien Bourdon Peter & Jackie Caspari Mr. Dee Conors Mr. & Mrs. Brendan Corrigan Ms. Kelley Crane Ms. Bonnie Cressman Your used cell phone donations earned Seafarers’ House a total of $1281.80 since the program began! Ms. Sineade Daly Ms. Penny Delgado The Rev. Robert J. Deshaies Ms. Katherine Dolph Ms. Lauren Dondi Mrs. Patricia Du Mont Mr. Joshua Edelstein Mr. Valencia Edwin Ms. Bonnie Everhart Mr. Andy Ferreiro Ms. Ashley Frank Mrs. Lisa Friesecke Mrs. Dorothy Fulton Mr. Peter W. Furzer Ms. Mary Galindo Mrs. Nancy Gastaldi Mr. Timothy Glang Mr. Yosi Uzman Gola Mr. Lawrence Greenfield Mr. Arnold Grevior Ms. Kelley Hartmann Ms. Petra Helstone Mr. Michael Hopkins Ms. Lauren Jiffo Ms. Sam Johnson Ms. Margaret Kempel Mrs. Laura Kunkel Mr. Steven Laine Ms. Anitra D. Lanczi Ms. Emily Langsenkamp Bernadene Rodriguez Brenda and Frank Marean Beth and Frank Masino Ms. Maria Masino Ms. Molly Maus Mr. Jerry R. McDonald Allan Milledge, Esq. Mr. Joseph Millsaps Ms. Amelie Molina Ms. Carol Nicholson Mr. Stephen A. Nielsen Mr. Arthur Novacek Ms. Maureen Orts Mr. Bill Panoff Mr. Ronald Perkins Ms. Sabrina Prato Ms. Betty Ann Rogacki Ms. Idelkys Ruiz Ms. Sally Stirn Mr. Anthony P. Sasso Mr. Robert R. Schicchi Ms. Erica Schultz Mr. David Smith Ms. Anmati Sukhan-Ramdhan Mr. Eugene F. Sweeney Ms. Stephanie Thomas Mr. Ben Thomas Ms. Jane Toney Jennie and Peter Vermeulen Ms. Jessica Walsh Lesley & Gregory Warrick Ms. Lynne Warrick Ms. Deborah Workman Mr. James D. Yager Welcome to Our New Director of Pastoral Care Seafarers’ House welcomes our new Chaplain, Father Thomas Falkenthal who joined us in June as Director of Pastoral Care. A Chicago native, Father Tom received his BA in Philosophy from Loyola University of Chicago, and earned a Baccalaureate in Sacred Theology, Cum Laude, in 1973 and a Master of Divinity degree, Magna Cum Laude, in 1975 both from St. Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein, Illinois. During his graduate studies, Chaplain Falkenthal completed a program in Clinical-Pastoral Counseling at California Hospital Medical Center in Los Angeles and worked as a Family Counselor at the Family Counseling Service of Glenview, Illinois. Father Falkenthal was ordained to the Roman Catholic priesthood 14 May 1975 in the Archdiocese of Chicago and was assigned to serve the people of St. Bartholomew Parish—a large, urban parish with approximately 4,000 families. Fr. Falkenthal entered the United States Navy Chaplain Corps in October 1982 and was commissioned a Lieutenant. He reported to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina that same year and served as Battalion Chaplain for both Second Medical Battalion and Second Radio Battalion. In 1983 he was transferred to Second Battalion, Eighth Marines and deployed with 22nd Marine Amphibious Unit. He participated in combat operations during OPERATION URGENT FURY: Grenada and later in Beirut, Lebanon. Resources Management from Salve Regina University. Following that academic tour, Fr. Falkenthal was assigned as Force Chaplain, Commander U.S. Naval Activities, United Kingdom. From 1993 to 1996 he supervised the Navy Religious Ministry Teams throughout England, Scotland and Wales. The summer of 1996 brought him back to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina where he served for a short time in the Second Force Service Support Group and later transferred to Second Marine Division, as Regimental Chaplain, Second Marine Regiment. Another change came in March 1997 when Father Falkenthal was assigned as the Command Chaplain, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable). After six months of workups, he deployed for over six months throughout the Mediterranean Sea and, in the Persian Gulf, participated in OPERATION DESERT THUNDER. Returning to the U.S., Father Falkenthal became the Regimental Chaplain, Tenth Marine Regiment until being detailed to be the Command Chaplain, Marine Corps Air Station, Beaufort, South Carolina. Father Falkenthal retired from the Navy in February of this year and joins us now in the dual role of Seafarers’ House Director of Pastoral Care and Director of the Apostleship of the Sea for the Archdiocese of Miami. Chaplain Falkenthal has been awarded the Meritorious Service Medal, the Navy & Marine Corps Commendation Medal (three awards), the Navy & Marine Corps Achievement Medal (gold star in lieu of second award), Combat Action Ribbon (gold star in lieu of second award), Navy Unit Commendation, Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation (bronze star in lieu of second award), Fleet Marine Force Service Ribbon, the Navy Expeditionary Medal, the Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal, the National Defense Service Ordered to post-graduate studies at the Jesuit School Medal (bronze star in lieu of second award), the Armed of Theology in Berkeley, California in 1988, Father Forces Expeditionary Medal with Fleet Marine Force Falkenthal earned a Certificate of Theological Studies device and bronze star in lieu of second award, the for his work in the Institute for Spirituality and Worship. Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Armed Following his academic work in Berkeley, he reported aboard Naval Station, Pearl Harbor in 1989. After three Forces Service Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal, years in Hawaii, he was sent to the year-long Advanced the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, Sea Course at the Naval Chaplains’ School, Newport, Rhode Service Deployment Ribbon (two awards) and the Navy/ Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon with silver star Island. While studying leadership at the Chaplains’ in lieu of fifth award. School, he also earned a Master’s Degree in Human Chaplain Falkenthal reported aboard U.S. Navy Support Office, La Maddalena, Italy in 1984 and served both the military personnel and families of the shore command, visiting submarines and the home-ported tender. Following that tour, he was assigned to the staff of Commander Amphibious Squadron THREE in San Diego and made a six-month, 37,000 mile Western Pacific deployment with them. 3 6 Welcome to Board Member Michael Hopkins Seafarers’ House is delighted to welcome returning board member Michael Hopkins. Mr. Hopkins is Vice President of Operations for Crowley Liner Services Latin America. He is responsible for domestic and offshore land operations and marine operations for services which touch the U.S. east coast, U.S. Gulf, Mexico, all of Central America, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic—and most recently Cuba. He began with Crowley in 1976 after his graduation in 1970 from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, New York. He sailed for 6 years in various licensed capacities in the U.S. merchant marine. At Crowley, he has held increasingly responsible roles in operations management covering cargo, marine, terminal and contract transportation in Houston, San Juan, Miami, Jacksonville, and Port Everglades. Mr. Hopkins was born in St. Petersburg in 1947. He was raised on a 30’ sailboat, which influenced his choice of careers. Mr. Hopkins holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Marine Transportation from Kings Point. In October 2000, he received the Outstanding Professional Achievement Award from the Kings Point Alumni Association, and in April of 2001, he received the Year 2000 Thomas Crowley Trophy, Crowley Maritime Corporation’s highest honor. Lesley M. Warrick, Seafarers’ House Executive Director Ms. Warrick was appointed to the position of Executive Director of Seafarers’ House at Port Everglades in April 2006. Joining Seafarers’ House as their Director of Communications in April 2004, she came to Seafarers’ House from her position as Director of Public Relations for Family Central, Inc. in North Lauderdale, Florida. During her tenure there, Ms. Warrick was responsible for planning and development of all key organizational communications for Family Central, the largest social service agency in South Florida. Prior to joining Family Central, Inc. Mrs. Warrick served for 12 years as Vice President of Sagamore Associates, a Washington, DC government relations consulting firm. As the Washington office of Baker & Daniels, a large Indianapolis law firm, Sagamore handled the lobbying and government relations work for a broad range of clients. Ms. Warrick acted as administrator for the Washington operation as well as working with government relations clients on education, management and laborrelated issues and specializing in the development of trade associations. She holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Maryland and did her undergraduate work at Smith College, Northampton, MA where she earned B.A. degrees in English and Economics. Ms. Warrick and her husband Gregory make their home in Coral Springs, Florida. Wish List Can you grant a wish? Our wish list includes a variety of items, each one of which contributes to the work we do at Seafarers’ House. Contact Mary Galindo, at 954-4677330 or [email protected] if you can help! New PCs to upgrade our Internet Café Working photocopier to replace failing machine New microwave – seafarers’ lounge microwave gets heavy usage Pool table supplies – balls, cue sticks, chalk, triangle, rack, etc. Picnic table for seafarers’ patio area Personal copier with scanning capacity for our money remittance room * Printer for office computer (Thank you to Betty Ann Rogacki!) * Cross cut shredding machine (Thank you to Lesley and Greg Warrick!) * New sofa and chair for lounge (Thank you to The Sherrill Collection!) Screwdrivers, pliers, wrenches for maintenance team 18-volt cordless drill with bits for maintenance projects Foreign language literature (Russian, Spanish) National Geographic magazines Full decks of new playing cards Checkers, chess and domino sets Used cell phones Cookies and coffee for the seafarers’ lounge * Wish granted, thank you! ... continued from cover Other countries which witnessed a fall were Malaysia, Thailand, Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, Haiti, Nigeria and Guinea. However, Somalia and Iraq saw a serious increase in pirate activity in their waters during the year. Somalia, now largely in the hands of warlords, recorded 35 attacks, against just two the year before. The IMB report does note, however, that the frequency of attacks off Somalia showed signs of decreasing towards the end of the year after the presence of foreign naval vessels was stepped up. Britain, for example, has deployed an assault ship on a seven-month operation to help secure trade routes in the Gulf and off the Horn of Africa. The US Navy has also been active in the region. Its destroyer USS Winston S Churchill recently handed over a number of suspected Somali pirates to the Kenyan authorities after intercepting an Indian-crewed dhow allegedly hijacked and used to launch attacks on other shipping. The dhow was pursued by the warship which eventually forced it to stop after firing warning shots. Attacks go on, however. Only a day after the US incident the cargoship Al Manara was hijacked off Somalia and its crew held hostage. And a so-called “mother ship” was used to launch speedboats carrying armed men in another attempted hijack. This time, despite being fired on with machine guns, the target vessel managed to escape. Meanwhile, Iraq has emerged as a new piracy hot spot, according to the IMB’s annual report. Ten assaults were recorded in its waters, compared with none the year before. The report highlights one against an LPG tanker at anchor in which three pirates armed with machine guns boarded and held the master and second officer at gunpoint. One of the gunmen fired a shot which narrowly missed the master before forcing him to open the ship’s safe. In other cases crew members were seriously assaulted and injured. Chaplain’s Corner continued from cover ... They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one. There was the large round table with the big pot of stew which made the holy man’s mouth water. The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, But here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking. The holy man said, “I don’t understand.” “It is simple” said the Lord, “it requires but one skill. You see, in heaven they have learned to feed one another.” This is what Seafarers’ House is all about! It is a great pleasure for me personally to join the Seafarers’ House team as Director of Pastoral Care. I have been a Catholic priest for 31 years and since I’ve been a U.S. Navy chaplain for the last twenty-four of those years, my heart goes out to all seafarers—military or civilian. With years at sea myself, I understand the rigors our seafarers endure every day. Let us strive always to nourish one another and thus build a little bit of heaven right here, right now. God bless you! Father Tom Falkenthal Seafarers’ House Needs YOUR Help This Summer! Your contribution using the enclosed donation envelope will help us to continue our mission to serve seafarers and their families.