Conference Speakers and Facilitators
Catherine Kelly, M.Div.
Director of Spiritual Formation, Retreats and Christian Life Community (CLC) at St. Mark's Parish in Vancouver, BC.-
Catherine Kelly, M.Div. serves on the UBC Catholic Chaplaincy team. She is the Director of Spiritual Formation, Retreats and Christian Life Community at St. Mark's Parish in Vancouver. She served as the Parish Synod Coordinator and trained facilitators for synodal spiritual conversation at parishes and Catholic high schools in Vancouver. She guides spiritual formation and discernment through retreats and Christian Life Community, a worldwide lay apostolate rooted in the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola. Recognized as a gifted facilitator in communal discernment, Catherine travels internationally to guide parishes, Catholic hospitals, ministry teams and other organizations in this Spirit-led way of proceeding.
Evening Session (Day 1)
Chasing Grace: A Guided Examen (Prayer of Awareness) on Our Past Year of Ministry
Morning Session (Day 4)
Appropriation of Graces and Invitations Received
Most Reverend Gary Gordon
Bishop of Victoria
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The Most Reverend Gary Gordon was born in 1957 in Vancouver, British Columbia, and ordained to the priesthood in 1982 at his home parish, St. Francis de Sales, Burnaby. During his almost 24 years working as the Pastor of St. Mary’s Parish in Chilliwack and St. Joseph’s Parish in Mission, he was very involved in building relationships with Indigenous Peoples.
In 2006, he was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI as Bishop of the Diocese of Whitehorse, an event described by Bishop Gary as “hearing a call from God to go to the great white north,” which he happily followed. Shortly after being installed, Bishop Gary was invited to the Richard Malloway Longhouse in Chilliwack for a naming ceremony and received the name “Xyolhmetoxw,” which means “taking care of the people” in Halq’em?ylem, the language of the St?:l? Nation.
In 2014, Pope Francis appointed Bishop Gary as the Bishop of Victoria. Over the years, Bishop Gary has served in various roles with the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, including in the fields of prison chaplaincy, justice and peace, and legal and political affairs. He is a board member of the Providence Health Care Society, Providence Living, and the National Catholic Broadcasting Council; he has served as Liaison Bishop to Serra International in Canada and State Chaplain for the BC & Yukon Knights of Columbus; and he is a long time member of the Anglican / Lutheran / Roman Catholic Bishop’s Dialogue.
At Pentecost 2023, Bishop Gary announced the formation of the Diocese of Victoria Permanent Pastoral Synod as a way to continue the journey that began with Synod 2021-2024. He believes that synodality is an ongoing journey of renewal—calling us to listen, discern, and engage with one another in a spirit of communion. Guided by the Holy Spirit, this approach invites us to reshape how we interact, make decisions, and walk together as a faith community.
Morning Session (Day 2)
Enlarge the space of your tent
Everyone wants to be heard. How can synodality help us listen to what young adults, particularly those on the margins, have to say?
Sherlock Lecture (Day 2 evening)
On the Way Together
Inspired by Synod 2021-2024, the Diocese of Victoria has been walking the path of a Permanent Pastoral Synod — a permanent, ongoing listening and discernment process to promote communion, participation and mission. Why does this matter? And how could other communities begin this journey of fostering a “listening church”?
Dr. Nicholas Olkovich
Associate Professor, Marie Anne Blondin Chair in Catholic Theology, St. Mark's College-
Nicholas Olkovich is an Associate Professor and holds the Marie Ann Blondin Chair in Catholic Theology at St. Mark’s College. Nick serves as the Director of Field-Based Learning and teaches a range of courses in foundational, systematic, and pastoral theology. Trained as a political theologian, his research focuses on populism, evangelization, synodality, and decoloniality. He is the co-editor of The Promise of Renewal: Dominicans and Vatican II (2017) and has published articles in a variety of journals, including: Toronto Journal of Theology, Irish Theological Quarterly, Political Theology, The Heythrop Journal, and Method: Journal of Lonergan Studies. He is a Past-President of the Canadian Theological Society and former RCIA Director and Youth Minister.
Morning Session (Day 3)
Campus Ministry in a Synodal Key: A Guided Theological Reflection
All conference sessions will be related to our conference theme of “Journeying Together: Implementing Synodality on Campus”
Throughout the conference, Campus Ministers and Chaplains, will have an opportunity to share best practices and learn from one another.