Mike Jeremiah has been working as Campus Minister at Benilde-St. Margaret’s for fifty years and has blessed the BSM community in so many ways. Many people wonder how much longer he will continue to work at BSM. Luckily, he has no plans of retiring in the near future.
Senior Izzy Golla says Jeremiah has helped put a smile on her face in the midst of many tough school days. “I love Mr. J because he has such a heartwarming presence and he cares for all students, making their days just by simply conversing with them. He never fails to make my friends and I feel special,” Golla said.
Jeremiah has stayed with BSM for so long for a handful of different reasons. He truly feels that by working with high school students, he is actually doing the work of God. He believes that everyone is called to do God’s work in different ways, but helping students is his calling. He has helped students simply by showing up for them to let them know that they have support. “The most important thing [to me] is just sharing God’s love with the people that I encounter every day, just to let people know that they are loved and cared for and that there is a place for them,” Jeremiah said.
Just like everything else in the world, the BSM community has changed a lot throughout his years working here. Despite this, Jeremiah’s mission has remained the exact same. “All the exterior stuff [may change] but I always say what is within us has never changed, [and that] kids still need to know they are loved and cared for,” Jeremiah said.
Many people have wondered how much longer Jeremiah plans to continue serving BSM. As of now, he has no intentions of leaving the BSM community. “When I no longer like it, or I no longer feel as though I’m effective, then I’ll know it’s time,” Jeremiah said.
In the future, Jeremiah has made it a goal to help students grow in their faith. He doesn’t know exactly how he will do so yet, but he knows that there are many different ways he could go about it. “I would like to see us more actively involved and just coming together to pray, just seeing the importance of faith in our lives,” Jeremiah said.
The community of BSM has been blessed with such a great man for a half-century, and will be happy to hear that he has no other plans than to keep growing the number of years he has been here. “I think I just love this place, and I love the kids here… I have just loved what I’m doing for me,” Jeremiah said.