Background: Aamir Hussain, an undergraduate at Georgetown University, interviewed Michelle Siemietkowski, director of residential ministry at the Georgetown Office of Campus Ministry. In this conversation, Michelle reflects on her faith journey and the challenges that religious people often face when linking faith to community service.
How has your personal journey brought you to your work today?
I’ve always been a person of faith, and have taken seriously my religious values. Even as a young child, I read scripture and prayed. And as I grew older, there were particularly poignant moments in my journey that brought me to my work today. One happened on the Agape retreat that I did here at Georgetown as an undergraduate during my senior year. When I was on that retreat I had a very specific feeling that I would love to work in Campus Ministry one day. And here I am, 20 years later, doing just that.
When I went on to graduate school, a number of my classes were also very important for me. One in particular was a class I took with Dean Chester Gillis called Christianity and World Religions. During that course I felt for the first time a particular calling to the study of theology, and ultimately to the work of formal mission and ministry in the context of a global world, not just my Christian world as a Catholic woman. I really credit that class, Christianity and World Religions, as being a moment in my faith journey that has led me to where I am today. It helped me recognize my calling.
Different historical figures also have had a significant impact on my faith journey, and continually inspire my work today. Mother Teresa, Father Pedro Arrupe, Gandhi, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.—their stories of faith and service have really inspired me.
Why were you drawn to the particular issues that you work in today?
In particular, on the issue of service and justice, I have always been someone whose heart breaks when I encounter the poor. Whether there’s a face-to-face encounter, whether it’s reading an article, or seeing a picture in the newspaper or on TV, my heart just breaks. And I keep saying to myself, “That should not be. That is not the way God intends this world to be, and there shouldn’t be people who cannot feed their children because they don’t have food or money to buy food.” That consistently breaks my heart. I just know that it’s something that I hope to, in whatever small ways I can, make a difference in the world.
What are the most challenging obstacles in terms of poverty, and what are their faith dimensions?
Some of the most challenging obstacles I think we face in terms of poverty include living in particular areas of America that are not explicitly poor. In other words, one challenge that I face is I am not in the shoes of someone who is poor. So, I think one wonderful thing that Georgetown University does to address that challenge is to offer a plethora of opportunities for students to engage with the poor, whether it’s on immersion programs that Campus Ministry runs, or service opportunities that the Center for Social Justice runs. [There are] a variety of different programs and hands-on opportunities that Georgetown University offers students to really live in the shoes—even if for a few hours or a day—of someone who is significantly less fortunate than we are. I think that’s one of the most important things that we can do. It’s easy to get caught up in our own riches and privileges when we’re not faced head-on with the obstacles that the poor face.
As far as the faith dimensions, a variety of faith traditions speak to the plight of the poor and the necessary commitment that any person of faith has to serving the poor and helping to eradicate poverty. So, for instance, in the Hebrew scriptures, there is a constant call to take care of the widow and the orphan. In the Christian scriptures, Jesus reinstates that by caring for the marginalized, healing the sick. Jesus is completely counter-cultural in his care for the poor and ostracized. In our particular religious traditions, there is always a call to take care of the poor and the marginalized.
How do you think the role of religion can positively help the situation?
Similar to what I just said, religion calls us outside of ourselves to consider the plights and hardships of others. We turn to our religious leaders as models who have already done this: people like St. Ignatius of Loyola, and many Jesuits who live among the poor and care for the poor.
What are some challenges you face in your work?
Finding balance is a challenge. I think I’m not alone in that; many students would say the same thing. Ultimately, one of the most important things we can do to serve others is to first take care of ourselves, so we have the energy to do what we are called to do.
What about interfaith work? What does the President’s Interfaith Challenge mean to you?
I truly believe that interfaith work is working for the Kingdom of God. I don’t believe that God’s vision for the world is “just Christian, or just Muslim, or just Jewish, or just Hindu.” It is a vision that is colorful and has a plethora of religious traditions and beliefs in it. There is no doubt in my mind that God’s vision for the world is for all of us to learn from one another, to be inspired by one another, to embrace one another, to celebrate our differences, and to live among each other peacefully. This idea of interfaith work that you all are doing is absolutely inspiring. What it means to me, number one, is that I am thrilled to be a part of Georgetown University that has already made inter-religious understanding one of its main tenants of education. It’s such a privilege to be part of this place, which takes interfaith work so seriously. And we see it in Campus Ministry with our full-time imam, our full-time rabbi, our full-time Protestant chaplain and our full-time Catholic chaplains. We are reaching out, as well, to the Hindu community. We take interreligious work seriously.
What can the Georgetown community do to help, and what is your message to the average Hoya?
I always tell students, “You are students first, and your first vocation here is to be a student. So enjoy studying, and really revel in the gift that this education is.” I also encourage time to reflect. Go on retreats, or take time in your day just to think about all the gifts we have. And if you have time, get involved with service opportunities (even one, over the course of your four years), because they really can change your life.
