January 7, 2011
People of Faith
Surrendering to God brings many blessings to youth minister
BY STEVE HALBIG
The People of Faith feature is compiled by Steve Halbig, who asks a series of questions of people of the diocese — some who have reached the “age of wisdom” and some who are younger. All will share stories of faith.
Name: Becky Siewers
Age: 59
Where are you youth/campus minister? Youth Minister for St. John Bosco, which consists of St. Joe, Holy Family and Precious Blood in Jasper and St. Mary's, Ireland.
What is the best part of your job? The best part of my job is being able to share God with the youth in different activities through social, service and spiritual opportunities.
Adults don't always realize that youth have a great sense of spirituality. You have to meet them where they are, affirm and encourage them. I have been able to work with many wonderful young people and see them do great things.
What is the hardest part of your job? The hardest part of my job is one, finding a balance between my ministry and my personal life. And two, seeing the youth go off to college after having them in the program for junior high and high school years. And three, hoping people know I am not perfect. I make mistakes and ask for forgiveness. I try to do the best I can with God's help.
Who has been a big influence in your life? I have been blessed with so many:
Rick Etienne, who first encouraged me to use the gift with youth I have;
Father Francis Schroering, who was an amazing mentor in my ministry;
Sister Geraldine, who was always there to encourage me;
My parents and supporting friends;
My son and daughter, who were always willing to share me with other youth and the ministry I do;
And for the past two years my wonderful husband, who understands what I am called to do, and shares that with me.
Who do you consider to be the best role models today? I think the best role models today are parents who set a good example by being active in their Catholic faith at home and in the parish. I have seen this make the youth I work with just naturally do the same and the great results it has on their lives now and the future.
Describe how your faith helped you through a difficult time in your life? After finding that I loved working in ministry and especially with youth, I went through a change in my life that threatened to take me away from all of that. I felt lost, afraid and that I had disappointed so many, especially God. I decide to give my life to God and asked him to help me do what he wanted next in my life. My faith gave me the strength and courage to do what came next. Surrendering to God has given me a life full of so many blessings.
My faith also helped me with the death of my Mom. It brought a peace I may not have found otherwise.
Do you have any hobbies? How do you stay active? Staying active is not a problem with youth! But I do try to take care of myself, getting rest and taking personal time. I love to read and do craft work. Spending time with my husband and family always gives me energy.
What do you like most about being Catholic? I love everything about being Catholic, but especially the rituals, traditions and symbols we have in our faith. The Mass is such a wonderful experience, our Sacraments and the Rosary.
Of those things that are possible to change in the Catholic Church, what would you change? I think the Catholic Church sometimes needs to explain things better. When things happen or need to be done differently, I feel it isn't explained well before and leads to a lot of confusion for people. I know I have to talk with the youth sometimes on issues like this.
If you could make one change in your community, what would it be? Maybe to help people see it is important to have a balanced life and not put so much emphasis on sports participation, money and other activities that take away time from Church life.
Any regrets in life? The only regret I have is that I didn't make God a more regular part of my life until I was an adult. I think that is why I work so hard to help young people have God in their lives so they don't miss out on things I did.
Tell us a few more things about yourself: I am the oldest in my family of two sisters and one brother. I am the mother of Derek, who lives in Lexington, Ky., and Kara, who lives in Fort Branch. They are wonderful young adults who I am so proud of. They have made me a better person. I look forward to being grandma for the first time in April!
My husband, Joe, is in the current Deacon class and I am so happy to share the experience with him. He will be a great asset to the diocese and we look forward to what God has waiting for us in the future.
I have been involved in ministry for 28 years, beginning part time and moving onto full time. I have been blessed to meet so many people and be a part of many things. I love leading retreats where I meet new people and help them on their faith journey.
I was a part of the staff at Camp Ondessonk in the Belleville, Ill., Diocese for awhile, where I had a chance to grow personally, in many ways, as I helped young people with their spirituality. It is a special place I will always appreciate.
I also love the Liturgical Conference, One Bread, One Cup at St. Meinrad, where I serve on the Advisory Board. It provides youth with a great week of learning about their Catholic faith.
What do you do in your spiritual life that you would recommend to others? Pray. My husband is a great example of using prayer for whatever happens in our lives and I have found a great peace in that. I also love our Adoration hour each week. A quiet hour of just you and Jesus brings a sense of calmness and respect for him.
What is your best wisdom on life? My best wisdom on life is to love everyday, whether it be a good or bad one. There is a lesson in all that we do. Look for the best in each person you meet. God has given us each a special talent to use in the best way, so do that. We are not put here for ourselves but to serve him and take care of others. Contact Steve at shalbig@evdio.org