About Us

Agnes Richard

Agnes received training from both Hon. Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project and the Global Catholic Climate Movement as a Laudato Si’ Animator. With a team of lay partners and the office for Discipleship and Parish Life, Agnes planned and implemented a series of workshops called “Change Starts with Us” for the Catholic Diocese of Hamilton. 

With the Lighthouse Pilot Project steering committee, Agnes worked closely with Greening Sacred Spaces staff in Hamilton and CREW (Community Resilience to Extreme Weather) to develop Extreme Weather Resilience Hubs in Hamilton, ON.   She was Chairpersonship of the St. Patrick’s, Caledonia, ON Syrian Refugee Committee and helped successfully settle a Syrian family of six.

Bishop Jon Hansen

Bishop Jon Hansen was born in 1967 and raised in Grande Prairie, AB. He completed a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Alberta, and joined the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer in 1998.

Studying at the University of St. Michael’s college, Toronto, he graduated with a Masters of Divinity in 2003. In 2004 he was ordained to the Priesthood in Grande Prairie. He then served as an associate pastor in several Redemptorist parishes, and in 2007 became the Director of Formation for Redemptorist students. In 2009 he became pastor of St. Mary’s Parish in Saskatoon for 6 years during which time he worked with refugee settlement, social justice and the diocesan commission for Truth and Reconciliation.

In 2015, he accepted an appointment from Bishop Mark Hagemoen to serve as Pastor of Our Lady of Victory parish in Inuvik, as well as to care for the missions of Tsiigehtchic, Tuktoyaktuk and Paulatuk, located in the diocese of Mackenzie-Ft. Smith.

On December 15, 2017, Pope Francis named him the seventh Bishop of the Diocese of Mackenzie -Fort Smith (Yellowknife, NWT). Bishop Hansen’s episcopal ordination took place on March 16, 2018.

Jo Anne Young

Jo Anne was born in Alberta and raised in British Columbia. Her traditional Métis homeland is in the Meadow Lake/Green Lake/Isle à La Crosse area of Saskatchewan.

Jo Anne has been involved with the Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) since 1997, and has as Council President of the Hamilton-Wentworth (now Clear Waters) Métis Council. Jo Anne has participated in land use and sustainable energy meetings with Conservation Authorities, the Ontario Provincial Government and private companies as a representative of the Métis Community.

Jo Anne has been Nutrition Manager at Iroquois Lodge LTC, Six Nations of the Grand River, since 2009. This position requires not only knowledge of clinical nutrition but also an understanding of traditional foods, medicines and, Haudenosaunee culture.

Chris Hrynkow

Christopher Hrynkow, PhD (Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Manitoba), ThD (Christian Ecological Ethics, University of Toronto) is an associate professor in Religion and Culture at St. Thomas More College, University of Saskatchewan. There, he teaches courses in Religious Studies, Catholic Studies, Peace Studies, and Critical Perspectives on Social Justice and the Common Good.

He is also serving as the initial director of the Centre for Faith, Justice, and Reason at the college and is Department Head and Undergraduate Chair of Religion and Culture for the University of Saskatchewan.

John Dorner

In memoriam: John Dorner, a retired psychologist and educator, serves as Coordinator of Creation Care Ministry with the Archdiocese of Ottawa. He is also a member of the Environment Committee of the Ottawa Catholic School Board.

He previously served as the Ottawa coordinator of the Greening Sacred Spaces Program of the interfaith network Faith & the Common Good. John is a grandfather and appreciates his responsibility to all the grandchildren of the world, to future generations and to the poor who suffer the consequences of ecological crises.

In 2023 John Dorner passed from this life. We will miss him greatly but his legacy will live on in our work.

Karen Van Loon

Karen Van Loon joined Faith & the Common Good in 2018 to lead their new Cultivating Care for Our Common Home program. Previously, Karen was the Coordinator of Scarboro Missions’ Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) Office which from 2007 to 2017 emphasized faith-based education and advocacy around climate change as well as promoting ecologically sustainable practices.   

She began in the JPIC Office in 1999 after working four years in community health related leadership formation with Scarboro Missions in northern Brazil.

Joe Gunn

Joe Gunn has led social justice ministries for a Catholic Archdiocese, religious congregations of both men and women, the ecumenical charity Citizens for Public Justice, as well as the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.

For seven years, Joe worked in Central America. He grew up in Toronto, and is currently director of the Centre Oblat – A Voice for Justice, located at St. Paul University in Ottawa.

Michelle Singh

Born into an interfaith family, Rev. Michelle Singh has a deep understanding and appreciation for the world’s rich spiritual and cultural diversity. In 2008, she became an ordained Interfaith Minister from The New Seminary, New York.

Since then, she has been actively engaged in Canada’s interfaith movement, including vice-chairing the award winning World Interfaith Harmony Week Steering Committee and co-founding a multi-faith Spiritual Dialogue Circle. Notably, Michelle was a Board member and Steering Committee Co-Chair for the 2018 Parliament of the World’s Religions — overseeing the worlds largest interfaith gathering, featuring over 1000 diverse spiritual programs, attended by over 8500 persons.

Prior to becoming an Interfaith Minister, Michelle spent more than 30 years in the I.T. and Communications sectors leading teams in challenging, goal-oriented environments. She is an officiant, well known for intuitive listening and her ability to create safe and sacred spaces for processing and dialogue. Michelle excels in bringing diverse groups of people together to achieve a common goal.

Deacon Rennie Nahanee

Deacon Rennie Nahanee, Squamish Nation Elder is retired from the First Nations Ministry Office of the Archdiocese of Vancouver. While Coordinator for that office he helped in the implementation of the Archbishop’s directives regarding his First Nations pastoral vision and mandate.

That vision involved alleviating struggles faced by our First Nation communities and finding appropriate solutions while developing and promoting processes that promote healing. The Office also looked to maximize opportunities for collaboration with First Nation organizations and communities by developing programs, resources and, projects that further First Nations ministry.

Kathy Murtha

Kathy Murtha is a Retreat Coordinator and Facilitator at the Mary Ward Centre, a ministry of the Loretto Sisters in Toronto, Canada.  She has been facilitating retreats for adults and young people for over 25 years. Kathy has an MA in theology and specializes in interfaith workshops and dialogue, women's history and spirituality, and contemplative practices. 

She worked for two years overseas among the highland tribal peoples of Papua New Guinea and is passionate about developing a global and cosmic consciousness.

Linda Gregg

Sister Linda’s roots are in the West Coast of Canada where a deep love of God’s creation was nurtured in her. She brings to her ministry a market gardening and farming background from Saanich, a rural area of Victoria near the Butchart Gardens.

Through her years with the Congregation of Sisters of St. Joseph in Canada she has served in parish ministry, university and hospital chaplaincy and as Co-Administrator of the Catholic parish, of the M’Chigeeng First Nation on Manitoulin Island. When missioned to Villa St. Joseph it was a temporary assignment while studying in Toronto. Today she coordinates an 80 plot Organic Community Garden on site and extensive Sister’s organic gardens. She ministers as an experienced Retreat Director, Spiritual Director, and as an Organic Master Gardener.

Sister Linda has a B.A. in Indigenous Studies from Trent University, and both a Masters of Divinity and a Doctorate of Ministry in Eco-Theology from Toronto School of Theology at the University of Toronto, where she is now a part-time faculty member.

Jean-Pierre Fortin

Serving as Associate Professor of Practical Theology and Director of Field Education and Pastoral Formation at the Regis-St. Michael’s College Faculty of Theology (Toronto), I am a scholar proficient in Christian spirituality and systematic theology, aesthetics, ancient philosophy, and philosophy of science actively involved in ecumenical dialogue. My teaching and research address the question of the human condition in the context of an evolving world where radical evil and suffering are found abiding, with a view to finding ways of addressing the religious concerns of twenty-first century citizens. Interpreting the Christian tradition using categories and methods drawn from practical theology and integrating the inputs of philosophy and experimental science, I attempt to provide a more comprehensive account of human existence. Listening to the challenging voices of Indigenous peoples, racialized communities and trauma survivors, engaging 19th century masterpieces of French literature and contemporary works of science fiction, I strive to articulate and live out inclusive and transformative Roman Catholic faith and theology.

Anna Johnson

Our Advisor Circle liaison with the Laudato Si' Movement secretariat, Anna is the North America Senior Programs Manager for the Laudato Si Movement, working with passionate and talented Catholics across the continent for personal and systemic ecological transformation. Prior to joining LSM, she worked for over a decade in Catholic Social Teaching and global solidarity curriculum design and leadership training, particularly with youth and young adults. In her global work, she continued to witness and experience how the climate crisis exacerbates all injustice, which drove her focus toward ecological justice. Anna has a BA in Peace Studies and Political Science from the University of Notre Dame, and an Executive Masters in Sustainability Leadership from Arizona State University.

Atish Pereira

Atish Pereira graduated from the University of Toronto with a Master’s degree in Environmental Science in addition to completing a post-grad certificate in Energy Management from Seneca College. He currently renders his knowledge, skills and services in green energy and energy-saving portfolios with Toronto Community Housing. His interests and hobbies are hiking, camping, gardening and volunteering with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada. He is very passionate and enthusiastic about current climate change challenges and excited about the vital role organizations such as Mouvement Laudato Si' Movement - Canada play in engaging communities to reduce their carbon footprint.

Valeria Clavijo

Valeria Clavijo is passionate about finding workable solutions to ecological problems. She has shown great leadership at her school and youth group, and is an active member in the Care for Creation Committee at Holy Redeemer parish in Kanata, Ontario. She has played an important role in starting up the Heroes for the Earth group at the Conseil scolaire catholique de l'Est ontarien / Catholic School Board of Eastern Ontario.

She is the recipient of the 2023 John Dorner Care for Creation Award from the Archdiocese of Ottawa-Cornwall.

Valeria is a very accomplished student and speaks fluently in English, French and her native language, Spanish. She is also a ski instructor, a musician (guitar and drums) and she supports Solar Mamas, Barefoot College InternationalSolar | Barefoot College International.

Valeria hopes to become a medical doctor.