Campus Ministry

Fr. James M. Shea, S.J. joined the Office of Campus Ministry as Catholic Chaplain at the Georgetown University Medical Center in August 2021.

Prior to joining Georgetown, Fr. Shea served as Pastor at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Charlotte, N.C. from 2015-2021, the Provincial Superior of the Maryland Province of the Society of Jesus from 2008-2014, and as Pastor at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Washington, D.C. from 2004-2008.

Fr. Shea is not entirely new to the GUMC community: from 1989-1996 he was Director of the Pastoral Care Department at Georgetown University Hospital, and from 1996-2004 he was Director of Medical Center Ministry at GUMC. Fr. Shea is a member, and Certified Supervisor, of the National Association of Catholic Chaplains (NACC), and a member, and supervisor of clinical pastoral education, for the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education.

Rabbi Daniel Schaefer is the Interim Director for Jewish Life. In this role, he oversees the Jewish Life program and supervises the Jewish Life staff team to foster a welcoming, dynamic, and supportive Jewish community at Georgetown. Rabbi Schaefer is excited to build relationships with students and connect around issues of ethics, social justice, and mental and emotional wellness. He is passionate about building pluralistic Jewish communities, making Torah accessible to everyone, and engaging in interfaith dialogue. He offers one-on-one supportive rabbinic counseling and leads Shabbat and holiday services throughout the year. Originally from Connecticut, Rabbi Schaefer graduated with a BA in History from Stanford University and wrote his honors thesis on early 20th-century American Judaism. He earned his MA in Jewish Studies and received ordination from the Rabbinical School of Hebrew College. Before becoming a rabbi, he worked as an entrepreneur and ghostwriter, guided students at a therapeutic wilderness program, and served in AVODAH: The Jewish Service Corps. He has studied at Mechon Hadar, the Hartman Institute, the Jewish Theological Seminary, and Hebrew Union College. In his free time, he loves writing, basketball, and hiking in the woods with his dog Ruby.

Imam Yahya Hendi is the Director for Muslim Life at Georgetown University, the first American university to hire a full-time Muslim Chaplain. Imam Hendi is also the Imam of the Islamic Society of Fredrick and is the Muslim Chaplain at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, MD. He servers as a member and the spokesperson of the Islamic Jurisprudence Council of North America. He is an adjunct faculty member at McDaniel College in Westminster, MD. Imam Hendi holds a Master’s degree in Comparative Religions from Hartford Seminary in Connecticut and is currently working on his Ph.D. in Comparative Religion. In May 2002, Imam Hendi was selected by Hartford Seminary to receive its annual “James Gettemy Significant Ministry Award” for his dedication to his Ministry and for his work to promote peace-building between people of different religions.

Imam Hendi has written numerous publications on many topics, including women in Islam, women and gender relations in Islam, the coming of the Messiah, and religion and Islam in the United States. He has presented a multitude of interfaith and general lectures in the United States, Asia, Europe, Central Asia, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East in the last eight years. He was one of the Muslim leaders who met with the President of the United States in the aftermath of the September 11 tragedy. Hoping to create positive relationships between the followers of the three Abrahamic religions, Imam Hendi often visits and lectures at churches and synagogues. He also serves on national and international interfaith councils.

Imam Hendi offers Muslim retreats. He often leads Qiyamul-lail prayer and Jum’ah (Friday services). He also counsels students on academic, professional, and social issues. Imam Hendi believes that only with love and education can the world be a better place to live in.

The V. Rev. David Pratt is our Orthodox Christian Chaplain. He is an archpriest in the Russian Orthodox Church. He has held the position of associate professor of philosophy at St. Martin’s University in Washington for the past ten years, and the position of sessional professor of pastoral practice at New York Theological Seminary for the past five. Fr. Pratt previously served 23 years as a U.S. military chaplain and ethicist. He holds a Ph.D. in comparative ethics from the University of Louvain, an S.T.L. from the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley, and an M.Div. from St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary.

Rev. Ebony Grisom is the Director of Protestant Life. She is ordained in the American Baptist Churches USA. She received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in African-American/African Studies and her Master of Arts from Providence College in American History. She completed her seminary education at Duke Divinity School, receiving a Master of Divinity with a concentration in Christian Education and a certificate in Gender, Theology and Ministry.

Rev. Grisom began her career in education, working in secondary and post-secondary admission offices in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and North Carolina. Prior to Georgetown University, Rev. Grisom served in a faith-based anti-poverty non-profit, and two Baptist churches, where she equipped faith leaders and people of faith to act against the sin of poverty. To that end, she is a past Co-Chair of the Rhode Island Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival. In addition to her work at Georgetown, she is the Co-Convener of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA’s Convening Table on Joint Action and Advocacy for Justice and Peace. Her call to Georgetown University melds her experience in higher education and the parish, allowing her to meet God’s People at the intersection of the Church and the academy.