The Office of Mission and Ministry is downsizing the director of Interfaith position.

George Gallien, associate chaplain and director of Interfaith Ministry, will remain director until May 31. Gallien held this position for eight years, but due to several factors, including enrollment increasing but the budget staying the same, his position will become part-time.

“(Gallien’s) job was to … let the Catholic community know that there are other faith traditions,” said Kurt Bindewald, director of University Ministry. “Because we’re Catholic and Jesuit, we also recognize the fact that there are many students here who are not Catholic, so we don’t just focus on that particular area.”

Interfaith Ministry celebrates culture and religion. The center was designed to meet students’ spiritual needs and to educate about other faith traditions. As director, Gallien is a resource for religious information and coordinates and facilitates programs and events.

“(Interfaith) brings a better understanding of sensitive issues between cultures and religions,” Gallien said. “We try to bridge those gaps by having forums and conversations around those hot issues.”

The center hosts events that include Ramadan Dinner, Martin Luther King, Jr. Week for Peace and its upcoming Seder Meal, which will be on March 25.

Gallien also works with the Department of Religious Studies, taking students enrolled in Introduction to World Religions on worship tours. He coordinated his tours around professors’ curricula, taking students to a Zen temple while the class studies Buddhism, for instance. This semester, however, there are no tours.

“This semester, I’m just inviting clergy people from many different faiths to come in and speak monthly,” Gallien said.

Though the duties of the position will not be as extensive next semester, Bindewald said that Interfaith Ministries is still a priority for the Office of Mission and Ministry. 

 “Instead of having a full-time person focus on (Interfaith) here, we will be able to hire a part time person who can coordinate with the local ministers and have them more present and more active on campus,” Bindewald said.

Bindewald said that his method will eventually increase the interfaith program.

“What is going to make it grow is that we will have more sustained contact with the actual ministers who will come here as opposed to just somebody provide those opportunities,” he said. “We’re not decreasing anything, we’re still addressing all the needs. It’s just that we’ll be able to better serve those needs with outside resources.”

Bindewald said that the downsizing issue has been an ongoing conversation between Mission and Ministry and Gallien.

He mentioned that the issue appeared since Hurricane Katrina and remained because of the nation’s bad economy.

“In the last few years, we were fortunate enough to have a full time director of Interfaith Ministry,” Bindewald said.

Because a part-time position will not be able to support Gallien and his family, he has not applied for the position.

“I am very thankful to the Jesuits for all they have done for me and my family,” Gallien said. “It’s been a beautiful experience and I wouldn’t trade it for anything else.”

Precious Esie can be reached at [email protected]