The week beginning Mon. 30 Nov. 99 was shaping up to be a busy week, 5 ocean going ships were in port and in the next 11 days 19 ocean going ships were expected.

The M/V Pomorze Zachodni, crewed by Polish seafarers, anchored on Sat. 28 Nov. She started loading at Cargill elevator, which is the southern most elevator in the port located near Chippewa Park. On 1 Dec. I visited her, accompanied by Fr. Fidelis Wyrabkiewicz, a polish priest of St. Casimir's Roman Catholic Church. Fr. Fidelis remarked on the steep climb up the gangway. The radio operator who was celebrating his birthday enjoyed a visit with Fr. Fidelis. Our visit was Godsend, the captain was anxious about obtaining Christmas crackers and had been trying to contact a Polish priest. A Polish Christmas custom is that they share the crackers with each other as a sign of reconciliation prior to Christmas dinner. Any quarrels or hard feelings must be forgiven by then. Overnight the ship shifted from Cargill to United Grain Growers A (UGGA), the northern most elevator in the port. On my way to visit the ship the next morning I picked up the crackers from Fr. Fidelis. I delivered the crackers and sold some telephone cards, as the ship was due to leave that evening and we were not able to arrange to get the crew off.

The M/V Phoenix M also anchored on 28 Nov. She went to Cargill and then back to anchor 1600 30 Nov. so that the M/V Pomorze Zachodni could load. She stayed at anchor until 3 Dec. when I visited her at Richardson's elevator, the orange elevator north of Great West Timber. She shifted to United Grain Growers M (UGGM) that afternoon. Volunteers from the Mission picked the crew up at 6:00 p.m. Her Filipino crew were glad of the rest they had while anchored. She sailed the next morning.

3 Dec. was a busy day. In addition to visiting the M/V Phoenix, I visited the M/V Helena Odendorff at UGGA, the M/V Arion at Western 10 and the M/V Federal Dora at Valley Camp. The M/V Helena Odendorff was loading that evening; so they thought the crew might have a chance to get off the ship the next evening. She had a mixed European and Asian crew. She sailed early.

The M/V Federal Dora was crewed by Greek officers and Filipino seafarers. She had an insect infestation from wood brought aboard and had to be fumigated.

The M/V Arion was a fairly new ship, smaller than a laker and crewed by 10 people. The officers were Dutch and the crew was Filipino. Following the pick-up of the crew at 6:00 from the M/V Phoenix, I arranged for a 6:45 pick-up at Valley Camp for 7 people max at Western 10 for 5 people max (the van holds 12 people). The log for that evening reads, "Approximately 18 crew from various ships. Some left at malls. Mission secured at 22:15". The volunteers had a long night and did a good job. The Filipino crew from the 3 ships probably enjoyed seeing each other.

The M/V Arion shifted to UGGM the next afternoonand left on 5 Dec. John, a volunteer ship visitor, boarded the M/V Federal Dora on 4 Dec. (John allows me to take a day off), no-one was interested in going ashore. She began to load at Cargill on 9 Dec. and out to anchor the next day.

I visited the CCS Samuel Risley. She is an ice breaker and a buoy tender. She was in Thunder Bay to remove buoys in preparation for winter. I brought books for the crew and the crew made a donation to the Mission.

On 7 Dec. I visited the M/V Federal Schedt at Cargill, the M/V Federal Vibeke at UGGM and the M/V Lady Hamilton at P&H (an inter-city elevator). The crew on the M/V Federal Vibeke wanted to go to mass, so the next day I went to UGGA (she had shifted during the evening) to take the crew to mass, and no one went ashore. The M/V Lady Hamilton, the former M/V Saskatchewan Pioneer, shifted to Cargill and then to UGGM. On 9 Dec. I took Fr. Francis Pudicherry of St. Agnes Roman Catholic Church aboard to say mass for two Indian crew.

This two-week period turned out to be the busiest time since I started the port ministry in 1994. It's a privilege to be allowed into this world. The seafarers help me to be human and I am a better priest for that. The Gospel of John records Jesus praying for his disciples to be in the world, but not of the world. The Christian faith is meant to help us transform our humanity so that we are fully human and yet good, which can only happen by faith. And in small ways the volunteers, Fr. Fidelis, Fr. Francis, myself and the seafarers brought the light of Christ into the world.