We are thrilled to welcome Fr. Robenson Siquitte, SJ, to the American Jesuits International team. Originally from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Fr. Robenson’s Jesuit journey has taken him across borders and cultures, accompanying communities with compassion and a deep commitment to faith and justice. Inspired by the resilience of migrants and guided by Ignatian spirituality, he brings a profound sense of hope rooted in lived experience.
As he joined our team as Development Officer just a few weeks ago, we invited Fr. Robenson to write a few words about his hopes and expectations for this next phase of his formation as a Jesuit. In his reflection, he shares the encounters that have shaped him, his dreams for his time at American Jesuits International, and the vision that continues to guide his mission: building bridges of solidarity in a fractured world.
My name is Robenson Siquitte, S.J., and I am originally from Delmas, Port-au-Prince, Haiti. My vocation as a Jesuit priest has been shaped over the years through studies, encounters, and mission experiences that have taken me across different countries and contexts. Each of these stages has been a school of life, where I have learned to recognize the presence of God in the diversity of cultures and human experiences. Today, a new chapter opens before me: my arrival at American Jesuits International (AJI).
From my very first exchanges with the team, I felt that I was entering a space where faith, justice, and action are linked together in a living way. It is a network of passionate women and men dedicated to supporting the Jesuit mission throughout the world. What attracts me most is this distinctive way of thinking and acting; connected with communities that may be geographically distant but remain close through shared commitments and lived solidarity.
During my time at American Jesuits International, I hope to experience meaningful and transformative encounters, deep conversations, and moments that will open new horizons. I also hope it will become a space of meeting and shared hope, where donors, partners, and marginalized communities can truly discover one another and be enriched in a spirit of reciprocity. This, I believe, is the richness of the Jesuit network: building bridges that expand our capacity to live in solidarity within a world marked by social fractures and inequality.
My inspiration comes from the faces and stories of migrants whom I have accompanied over the years. Behind every border crossed is a human being carrying a dream, holding on to a light of hope. These men, women, and children have taught me resilience and faith, and also the ability to transform pain into the courage to keep moving forward. Ignatian spirituality helps me to reflect on these encounters through its call to “find God in all things.” This perspective reminds me that even in the darkest realities, grace is at work – quietly, yet powerfully.
I carry in my memory one particular scene at the U.S.-Mexico border. There I met a young mother from Central America traveling with her infant. After a long and exhausting journey, she told me with a beautiful smile: “Father, we no longer have anything, but at least we still have life. That means there is still much hope to build a new future, and I am sure everything will be okay.” She then shared with me the obstacles and dangers she had overcome along the way. Her words, filled with strong confidence despite the suffering, remain with me to this day. They remind me that hope is not naivety but rather a stubborn force that resists despair and opens a future, even in the midst of uncertainty.
It is this hope, carried in the faces of so many I have met, that I bring with me everywhere. I look forward to continuing the journey with others, to learn, to walk together, and to help build a more just, more fraternal world, illuminated by the light of God.
