After rowing across the Atlantic Ocean by himself, Victor Mooney made a meaningful stop at Lewes Harbor (Delaware) in November 2015 before completing his transoceanic voyage at the Brooklyn Bridge in New York. That landing not only symbolized the strength of his perseverance, but it also marked Delaware as a key waypoint in a journey that continues to expand onto the world stage.
Mooney’s mission took on new spiritual depth on September 20, 2025, when he attended the Jubilee of Sports, Pilgrims of Hope gathering at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. During the General Audience, Pope Leo XIV shared a single word with him … “Unity.” Mooney has since taken that word as a guiding principle for his life’s work.
Carrying Delaware’s connection with him, Mooney is now raising his voice at the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. There, he is calling for international support for the establishment of the Central African Museum of Enslaved Africans in Equatorial Guinea.
“The West-Central Africa region had the largest forced migration of any ethnicity,” Mooney said. “This museum will be a vital space for remembrance, education, and reconciliation, confronting the difficult past while fostering healing and understanding.”
From docking at Lewes Harbor in November 2015 after his Atlantic row, to standing before Pope Leo XIV in September 2025, and now addressing leaders at the United Nations, Mooney’s story shows how Delaware’s shores remain connected to global conversations of hope, unity, and healing.
