Longtime SIU member Fr. Sinclair Oubre on Feb. 15 received a big honor in Houston.
Oubre, the Stella Maris chaplain in the Diocese of Beaumont – along with Sharon Emerson, executive director of the Corpus Christi Seafarers’ Center – received the Distinguished Service Award by the North American Maritime Ministry Association (NAMMA).
The presentations took place during a celebration at the Houston International Seafarers’ Center, commemorating the 50th year of a port chaplain training course. Nearly 100 individuals, including SIU personnel, gathered for the ceremony. Attendees also included representatives from the Port of Houston, the NAMMA board, staff from other mariner centers, and current students in the port chaplain course (many of whom also visited the Seafarers hiring hall nearby).
NAMMA officials Chaplain Michelle DePooter, Dana Blume and Dr. Jason Zuidema presented the awards. In a related news release, the organization noted, “NAMMA’s Distinguished Service Award, previously known as the Lifetime Membership Award, honors individuals who have demonstrated outstanding service to seafarers’ welfare over many years, both within local seafarers’ ministries and in other local, regional, national, or international capacities. Nominees are typically NAMMA members, part of a NAMMA affiliated agency, or significant partners with NAMMA’s members in their programs.
“Fr. Sinclair has been a longstanding member of NAMMA, having served as president of the Association for a term,” the release continued. “He is a priest in the Diocese of Beaumont, Texas, and has served the people of the sea in various capacities. He graduated from the Houston training program in 1990 and has been deeply involved in the Apostleship of the Sea – USA and the Port Arthur International Seafarers’ Center. His dedication extends beyond blue water mariners to inland mariners and fishers, supporting the Port Arthur Area Shrimpers Association for over a generation. In addition to providing pastoral and humanitarian care, he maintains his credentials as a licensed mariner by sailing annually, bringing a unique perspective to his role as Gulf Branch Secretary of The Nautical Institute and as a frequent speaker in industry and government panels. Fr. Sinclair will also be a speaker at the U.S. Maritime Administration Mariner Work-Life Balance Symposium in April 2024.”
In his acceptance remarks, Oubre – affectionately known as Father Sinclair – emphasized the significance of the maritime industry and the rewarding nature of a career in it. He stressed the importance of focusing on its numerous positive aspects, highlighting its high-paying jobs and great benefits. He expressed his happiness in serving the people of the sea for many decades.
Emerson, a longtime NAMMA board member, reflected on her maritime outreach and how she has cherished serving mariners. “She continues to collaborate with the entire port community to bring joy into the lives of seafarers,” NAMMA noted.
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