Staten Island Ferry: Malliotakis christens new Dorothy Day boat in Florida
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The third of three new Staten Island Ferry boats has been officially christened and launched into the water for the first time.
On Friday, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-Staten Island/South Brooklyn) was invited to visit Eastern Shipbuilding Group in Panama City, Florida, where the new boats are being constructed.
During her visit, Malliotakis toured the manufacturing facility and joined in on the ceremonial christening of the Dorothy Day, a boat name for the Staten Island journalist and social activist who spent decades aiding the hungry and needy on the borough’s South Shore.
“For more than 200 years, the Staten Island Ferry has been a symbol of New York City’s harbor and an integral part of our city’s transportation system,” said Malliotakis, a member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) and the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation.
“As the only member representing New York City on T&I and the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, it was very insightful to see the shipbuilding company that has built the latest class of Staten Island Ferries and FDNY boats that have made their way in and around my district, along with the new class of U.S. Coast Guard cutters that will modernize our Coast Guard’s fleet,” she added.
Following the christening, the Dorothy Day, which is expected to arrive in New York Harbor sometime in 2022, was launched into the water for the first time.
“It’s a distinct privilege for Eastern to have Congresswoman Malliotakis sponsor the third Staten Island Ferry,” said Joey D’Isernia, President of Eastern Shipbuilding Group. “Her presence here today illustrates the critical nature of this maritime infrastructure project and both her and Eastern’s absolute commitment to the residents of New York City.
ABOUT DOROTHY DAY
The Dorothy Day will be just the third Staten Island Ferry boat ever to be named after a woman, in addition to the now-decommissioned Mary Murray and the Alice Austen, which continues to provide overnight service.
“We had so many deserving honorees to choose among in naming the third and final boat in the Ollis class,” said DOT Commissioner Hank Gutman. “I hope those who petitioned for other names -- and who thus may be feeling somewhat disappointed today -- will take the time to learn more about Dorothy Day, whose history, example and influence are just so inspiring.”
Day, who has been bestowed the title of “Servant of God” and is being considered by the Vatican for sainthood, was baptized at Our Lady Help of Christians Church in Tottenville in 1927.
In 2015, Pope Francis, in his address to a joint session of Congress, invoked the name of Day as a model for social activism and for her treatment of the poor and oppressed.
“How providential that the ferry from lower Manhattan to Staten Island should be named after a brave, loving woman who cherished both those areas of our city and the people who live there,” said Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York.
“How appropriate that a ferry transporting people would honor a believing apostle of peace, justice and charity who devoted her life to moving people from war to peace, from emptiness to fullness, from isolation to belonging,” Dolan added.
During the Depression, Day met Peter Maurin, a French peasant-philosopher who would inspire her future work to aid the needy.
Between them, they established the Catholic Worker newspaper and founded the Catholic Worker Movement, which offered food and shelter to the destitute during the Great Depression.
Day began a cooperative farm on Bloomingdale Road in Pleasant Plains in 1950, operating it for the needy and followers of her philosophy until 1964, when it was sold.
Her outspokenness against U.S. involvement in Vietnam earned her new respect among the youth movement of the 1960s, and in 1973, she was jailed for the last time for picketing on behalf of striking farm workers.
She died in 1980 at age 83 and is buried in Resurrection Cemetery, Pleasant Plains.
“My grandmother loved Staten Island and treasured her trips on the Staten Island Ferry, the rare time when she could relax and be free of her many responsibilities,” said Kate Hennessy, who recently authored Dorothy Day: The World Will Be Saved by Beauty. “While we in her family may find it difficult to line up her selfless work with honors such as this, we nevertheless thank Mayor de Blasio and Staten Islanders for this generous consideration.”
ABOUT NEW BOATS
The Dorothy Day is the third of three new Staten Island Ferry boats being constructed by Eastern Shipbuilding Group.
The first boat, the Staff Sgt. Michael Ollis, is named after the late Staff Sgt. Michael Ollis, a New Dorp native who died at age 24 while saving a Polish soldier in Afghanistan.
The Ollis boat is expected to arrive in New York Harbor in June and begin regular passenger service in November.
The second boat, the Sandy Ground, is named for the historic community settled by freed slaves in Rossville.
The Sandy Ground is expected to arrive in December and will begin shuttling passengers back and forth between Staten Island and Manhattan sometime in 2022.
The new storm-resilient vessels will be more capable of operating in a wide range of weather conditions and locations -- and can also be used in emergency evacuations.
The ships were modeled after the John F. Kennedy boat, popular for its outdoor promenades and extended foredecks.