The Man Who Keeps Catholic Life Vibrant at Georgetown

This story is part of Georgetown Faces, a storytelling series that celebrates the beloved figures, unsung heroes and dedicated Hoyas who make our campus special.

Jim Wickman thought he'd work in Catholic parishes for his whole career.

A musician by trade, Wickman worked with parishes in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee before he moved to Washington, DC, in 2005 to pursue his doctorate at the Catholic University of America. At the same time, he worked at Holy Trinity Catholic Church just steps away from Georgetown.

When he joined Georgetown as the director of music and liturgy in 2011, he didn't think he'd stay for long, having never spent more than five or six years in any one job. Fourteen years later, he doesn't see himself doing anything else.

Today, Wickman oversees all things Catholic in Georgetown's Campus Ministry as the director of Catholic Lifeand campus liturgist. He leads the worship services, oversees the work of Catholic Ministry, meets with students for spiritual direction, and participates in the Magis Immersion Seminars. He also teaches a course every semester in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies.

For Wickman, his role in Campus Ministry is more than a job. It's a path to deepening his own Catholic faith.

"I don't want my work here just to become a job. If I do, then what's the point?" he said. "To me, it has to be rooted in my faith, in prayer and in my relationship with God, my relationship with Christ."

Meet the man who enriches Catholic life on the Hilltop - and learn how his faith has changed over the years at Georgetown and about the cat he decided to name after an influential theologian.

How I got into ministry in higher education: While I was working on my degree at CUA [Catholic University of America], the dean of the theology school asked me if I would be willing to teach that spring. I had never considered working with college students. I worked at the parish. I was the director of worship at [Holy Trinity Catholic Church]. I mostly worked with adults. While I had done some things with young people, I had never worked directly with them. So I thought, what the heck, I'll give it a try. I did, and I really loved it.

What drew me to Georgetown: The Ignatian values of the university. I like Georgetown. I like the people around here. I also wanted to teach. It's an ideal position for me because I have some administrative work. I work directly with students. Plus, I teach one class every semester.

The Jesuit value that speaks most to me:Contemplation in action is one of them because it encourages reflection. It encourages me to reflect on the things that I'm doing, to examine the way I'm living my life and the decisions I'm making, whether they're big decisions or small decisions. It encourages me to use that reflection in terms of making the next decision.

Why I love working with students:If you had told me 20 years ago I would spend a good deal of time talking with college students about their boyfriends, girlfriends and breakups, I never would have believed you. It's a big part of what makes this work meaningful - helping students through those situations, even if it's just being there to listen to them, being there to support them and whatever they're going through.

What brings me joy in my work:[Seeing] the growth and flourishing of the people that I work with, my colleagues. Most of the people that work in Catholic ministry right now [at Georgetown] have been here for a number of years. So there are people who have really grown and flourished in the work that they've done and in our working together that has brought me a lot of consolation and joy.

What I want people to know about my work:I'm busy. I do a lot of stuff, but there's sometimes a perception that I'm too busy to meet with a student or to talk with somebody or to have somebody stop by. I'm never too busy to talk with someone. That's the thing that I like the most that I do.

How Georgetown has shaped my faith journey: When we talk as Catholic staff members about ways to help students pray, I look at that and say, 'Okay, how am I doing? What am I doing?' When we work with students to find more depth, I ask myself that same question of myself. Talking with others about that as I do often strengthens my own relationship with Christ and my own faith.

How I spend my time away from Georgetown:I have a cat. My mom didn't like pets, so we never had pets when I was growing up. So here I am at my age and I have a pet for the first time. It's very nerdy. His name is Louis-Marie Chauvet, and I named him after my very favorite and most influential sacramental theologian. I've never met the guy, but his work has had a great influence on my research and study over the years. [The cat] was found on the streets, and he's just great, a lot of fun to have around. He's like any typical cat. He thinks he owns the place. He kind of runs the house.

How I've explored my green thumb:We have a community garden in the neighborhood where I live. I grow a lot of tomatoes and cucumbers, just basic stuff and peppers. I've been growing some kale. I started that last year because I never liked kale, but when you grow your own, it's actually pretty good.

My one word to describe Georgetown:Family. The reason I've been here so long is the relationships I've been able to build with various people across the campus, not just in Campus Ministry but in many departments. I value those relationships a great deal, not just because of the work or what we do together, but because of the relationships themselves and how much I value people.