Lydia Laythe |
Father Mark DeMott, Shipstad Hall Director, recently accepted the interim director of Campus Ministry position. DeMott, however, is also known for his unofficial roles on campus: Shipstad’s “clutter police” and in-house barber.
After receiving a barber chair last spring, DeMott began a fundraiser called ‘Ship's Clips.’ This fundraiser benefits Holy Cross Lake View Senior Secondary School in Uganda, where DeMott taught before coming to the University of Portland. But DeMott is no rookie to cutting hair – he started in 2007 when he joined the seminary.
“They needed somebody to cut hair – so I started learning,” DeMott said.
DeMott didn’t always want to be a priest. He was raised Catholic, but his father, grandfather and great-grandfather were all doctors. So as he began his undergraduate degree at Notre Dame in 1998 it was no surprise that he pursued a future in medicine. However, at Notre Dame he was introduced to the study of faith and the Holy Cross priesthood, and was pulled in another direction.
“My imagination and energy slowly just started to focus on learning about (God),” DeMott said. “So I would study science all day in school, and then read about that at night.”
He joined the Holy Cross seminary in 2007.
“You know how you get so interested in your girlfriend or your boyfriend and you get so interested in your career that that’s all you want to do, that’s what you think about, what gets you up in the morning, what takes up all your free time and weekends?” DeMott said. “That’s what was happening with me and the Holy Cross. So I decided to join.”
During his time in the seminary, DeMott served as a hospital chaplain and church music director. Eventually he moved to Uganda and taught high school there before returning to the U.S. and working at UP.
“Each of those experiences taught me a little bit more about how to love,” DeMott said.
DeMott said his interest in science and theology were both driven by similar feelings.
“There are a lot of similarities between medicine and priesthood,” DeMott said. “They’re both healing professions.”
From DeMott’s perspective, his roles as hall director and director of Campus Ministry are linked.
“The most important work of being a hall director is being present to the students,” DeMott said. “It’s more important than the building. It’s more important than the rules. It’s more important than meetings or anything. And at Campus Ministry, the most important work of the Campus Minister is being present to the students. I really see my work at Shipstad and Campus Ministry as connected.”
Sophomore Hailey Schiller said DeMott is welcoming and always available to students.
“He is probably the easiest person to talk to,” Schiller said. “He’s really good about being generous with his time. If you have something going on in your life and you need someone to talk to, he’ll just stop whatever he’s doing and be there for you. He’s just present.”
Schiller admitted that DeMott is sometimes lovingly called the “clutter police,” because he likes to keep the hall clean.
Beth Barsotti, Campus Ministry’s assistant director for Faith Formation, said DeMott gives 100 percent to everything he does.
“Mark comes in with a real passion and dedication,” Barsotti said. “He works hard to know everybody’s name. And he personally addresses people. He walks in patterns across campus so that he can see people. He’s super intentional.”
Whether DeMott identifies as a priest, hall director, Campus Ministry director, barber or healer – he always identifies as a channel through which God works in the world.
“Whatever I have done is not because I’m ‘super cool,’” DeMott said. “Whatever I have done is because of God’s gift and because of the presence of Holy Cross.”
