By Ashley Stevens
Some people we meet change the course of our lives. Michelle Duppong (1984-2015) was one of those people.
I was raised in the Methodist church, came to know Jesus in the non-denominational church, and was involved in a Presbyterian ministry in college. Coming off a year of theological discussions with a Catholic young man I worked with as a resident assistant (RA), and home from studying abroad in Italy, I decided to give the crazy Catholics a chance and learn more.
I met Michelle my senior year, after my first Mass. She was on staff with FOCUS (the Fellowship of Catholic University Students) at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) at the time.
Michelle carried this innate sense of community, of hospitality, kindness, and warmth with her, I came to know that night. She paraded me around the crowd, and I left, invited to a Bible study (the study leader became my RCIA sponsor) and scheduled to meet with her the next week to learn more about why she believed what she believed.
Our personalities, even our interests, were in a lot of ways on the opposite ends of the spectrum, but she never saw that. She just saw a sister striving to know the truth.
We met every week for the entire school year and went through a Catholic apologetics book based on Scripture (my faith love language!). Without her taking the time to meet with me, the time to invite me into her life and vibrant community, to be my friend, my life would look very different.
Michelle’s patience and willingness to dialogue as I brought my list of defenses and arguments against her beliefs allowed me the freedom to wrestle.
Her wisdom to first see what we had in common, which I was surprised to see was the good majority, eased my fears.
Her friendship and love, completely unconditional, if I became Catholic or not, gave me the support and community I needed, to know I was not running the race alone.
I joined the Catholic Church that year because I felt it was the place where I could grow in my relationship with Him the best. I joined staff with FOCUS after graduating and Michelle discipled me, continuing to help me grow in my walk with Christ.
I got engaged to that Catholic RA two years later. We’ve had five beautiful and healthy girls since, one of whom we named after Michelle.
My life wouldn’t be what it is today without her invitation, witness, and joy.
I was able to visit Michelle a month before she passed away. When I was visiting, two nurses held one of Michelle’s hands in theirs and began to pray for her, while shedding tears. These two women had known Michelle since her first hospital visit earlier that year and had watched her live out her faith and love everyone she encountered. Despite the circumstances. Until the end.
Jesus was her anchor, her hope. She wrote a letter to Him when she felt she didn’t have much longer - “Jesus, I love you and I trust in you, but please help me to trust and love you more!”
We love you, Michelle, and we hope to see you soon.
Editor’s Note: In 2022, the Diocese of Bismarck opened the cause for beatification of Servant of God Michelle Duppong. At the time of the illness which eventually claimed her life, Duppong was director of adult faith formation for the Diocese of Bismarck, N.D. She died on Christmas Day 2015, at the age of 31. A film about her life will air Nov. 12.
