The Seafarers Center has been in existence on the western-most tip of the Great Lakes for over 50 years.
The seeds of Twin Ports Ministry to Seafarers began in with a grain millers strike in 1964. At that time, Norbert Mokros was serving as one of the pastors at Concordia Lutheran in Duluth, With numerous ships at anchor, with foreign sailors stranded for a number of weeks in the Twin Ports, Mokros saw the plight of these strangers.
With the support of volunteers, ship visits began. A shuttle service from the ships to town was put in place. Books and magazines were made available to seafarers, translators were secured, and Rev. Mokros visited those who were hospitalized.
When the strike ended there were many who supported the idea of creating a regular ministry to seafarers. So in 1969 Twin Ports Ministry to Seafarers was incorporated as a Christian ecumenical ministry founded on the biblical concept of hospitality.
The Seafarers Center offers assistance and friendship to seafarers from a multitude of religious, ethnic, and national backgrounds respecting the faith traditions of the crew members.
Ship visitors take time to listen to the stories of crew members either in one of the 15 passenger vans, at the Seafarers Center or onboard a ship. As a result, both the lives of the volunteer and the seafarer are enriched.
An additional aspect of the Seafarers Center is the Lincoln Park Resource Center (LPRC). LPRC provides transitional housing at the center, free clothing, and other services to people in the Lincoln Park neighborhood.
More info at: lincolnparkduluth.com
Rev. Doug Paulson, Director
Email: seafarersduluth@yahoo.com
© 2021 The Seafarers Center of Duluth | All Rights Reserved