For the past year, Mark Spencer has been one of the first welcoming faces many seafarers encounter when they arrive in Newcastle. Source: Aurora.
Now, after 43 years of service with the Maitland-Newcastle Diocese, most of them spent in Catholic education, Mr Spencer is retiring from his role as Catholic Port Chaplain with Stella Maris, the Church’s global ministry to seafarers.
His work has taken him onto cargo ships from every corner of the globe, supporting crew members who spend months at sea, separated from family, friends and familiar surroundings.
“A chaplain to seafarers is someone who visits the ships, speaks with the crew, listens to them and then invites them back for shore leave to our centre where they can relax,” Mr Spencer said.
“And it’s often back at the centre, shoulder to shoulder, that they tell me if there’s a problem because sometimes they feel intimidated on board or the problem may be with the hierarchy on the ship.”
Those conversations can lead to important welfare interventions.
Mr Spencer has helped crew members facing unpaid wages, restrictions on shore leave and complex medical situations. Working alongside the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), shipping companies and unions, he has advocated for seafarers when they have needed support.
The work has also given him a glimpse into a life few people ever experience.
“I can’t imagine a life like that on board those ships,” Mr Spencer said.
“As you climb that accommodation ladder, which is sometimes 45 degrees to get upon the vessel, you’re then greeted by the person who’s on watch. You’d be surprised at how small their accommodation spaces are, and they can’t get away from one another.”
Reflecting on his time as chaplain, one story stands above the others.
A Chinese engineer was medically evacuated to the Port of Newcastle after suffering a burst appendix. His ship continued its voyage, leaving him alone in hospital for almost three weeks.
Mr Spencer visited daily, found an interpreter and helped him stay connected with his family. Eventually, with support from AMSA and the seafarers’ union, the engineer flew home.
“We got him flown back to China business class so that he could lie down. I said to him, ‘I’ve never flown business class!’
“He has since contacted me and said, ‘You are my friend for life.’”
It is a moment that captures the spirit of a ministry built on presence, compassion and human connection.
FULL STORY
Harbours of hope: Mark Spencer’s ministry to those far from home (Aurora)
