Seamen's Church Institute
The Seamen’s Church Institute cares for the personal, professional, and spiritual needs of mariners around the world. Founded in 1834, it is the largest, most comprehensive mariner’s service agency in North America.

St. Luke's is invovled with Seaman's Church Institute on many levels. The Second Time Around shop regulalry makes clothing donations to SCI. The Shop also has written grants to SCI in past years.

One of the full-time chaplains at the Elizabeth Port is The Rev. Megan Sanders, one of the Assisting Clery at St. Luke's. To tour the port or find out more about the work of SCI please contact Megan.

Services for Mariners
Hardworking men and women of the maritime industry make huge sacrifices to provide the world with a way of life to which it has become accustomed. Spending many months onboard a vessel, away from family and friends, mariners face dangers and challenges unique to their round-the-clock profession.

Away from the support of their local communities, SCI gives mariners a place to feel "at home." The Institute offers a warm welcome at seafarers’ centers on both coasts of the United States—one in the Port of New York and New Jersey and another in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. SCI also meets mariners right where they work—aboard cargo and cruise ships and on the vessels that travel the inland river waterways of the United States.

As part of its round-the-clock ministry, SCI maintains a staff of professional chaplains with interfaith and cross-cultural backgrounds. Chaplains and volunteers assist thousands of mariners each year, offering a hand of friendship and pastoral care. They also bring with them practical services like wire transfer forms, calling cards, and cell phones to connect with loved ones at home.

SCI provides a wide spectrum of support services—chaplaincy, legal aid, and continuing maritime education. Whenever a mariner connects with SCI, he or she can count on a comprehensive response.