WITH ONE ACCORD

Learning and Living the Feminine Dimension as Church journal invites us to prayerfully ponder God’s movement among us as women and men together.

Fr. Morgan was born and raised in Corpus Christi, Texas. He studied mechanical engineering at the University of Virginia and later worked for six years in the engineering field in Houston. It was there that he met the Basilian Fathers at St. Anne Parish and began to discern seriously the priesthood and religious life.

Fr. Morgan served as Associate Pastor at St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish in Rochester, New York, for eight years and is presently the Pastor of St. Basil’s Parish Church at the University of St. Michael’s College, Toronto, Canada.

Lucinda M. Vardey has spent decades studying and teaching feminine spirituality and the women saints through her writing, forming women’s communities and guiding retreats and pilgrimages. She was the organizer of the international seminars in Rome, Towards an Intrinsic Feminine Theology that took place over 3 years between 2016-2018. She has written ten books among them an anthology of women’s prayers called “The Flowering of the Soul” (Knopf/Ballantine 1999) and “Mother Teresa: A Simple Path” (translated in more than 18 languages) in 1995. Her most recent books are “John XXIII: A Saint for the Modern World” (Paulist/Novalis 2014) and as editor/co-translator, “The Twelve Degrees of Silence” by Marie-Aimée de Jésus O.C.D. (Novalis 2014/BRF 2015), “Heart, Tears, Fruits: The Search for a Feminine Theology" (Paulist Press, 2024). In 2012 she began a lay community for women under the auspices of the Archdiocese of Toronto, called The Contemplative Women of St. Anne. She is a founding member of the Magdala Conciliary in Toronto and the Round Table on the Feminine Dimension in Rome.

Emily VanBerkum is a registered Ontario social worker, and Manager of Community Wellness at the University of St. Micahel's College (in the University of Toronto). As part of this role, Emily develops and implements wellness programs designed to promote holistic wellbeing for the St. Michael's community, and offers resource navigation and social work services. She holds a B.A. (Hons) with a specialist in Christianity and Culture, an M. Div degree from the University of St. Michael's College Faculty of Theology in the Toronto School of Theology, and a Master of Social Work from the University of Toronto. She has volunteered widely in campus ministry settings and as a student intern in Ecumenical Chaplaincy. Her scholastic interests include the historical development of the liturgy, theology of ministry, Catholic social teaching, inter-religious dialogue and practice, and solution focused therapy.

A past Director of pastoral ministries at St. Basil's Parish, she is a founding member of the Magdala Conciliary. She also collaborated with her husband, Dr. John Paul Farahat, organist and choirmaster, to compose and perform the introductory theme to the dialogue portion of the With One Accord journal.

Greg Rupik holds a PhD from the University of Toronto in the history and philosophy of biology, and an MA from the University of St. Michael’s College in Catholic systematic theology. His dissertation argues that a renewed engagement with Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s philosophy of biology can help re-integrate organisms and their agency into contemporary biological theory as it shifts away from the gene-centrism of the Modern Evolutionary Synthesis. His theological research focuses on eco-theology and the concept of truth in Christianity & science. He currently serves as the Director of the Office of the President at the University of St. Michael’s College.

Michael Pirri joined the Magdala Conciliary as the Director of Community Engagement at St. Basil's Catholic Parish, in Toronto, Canada. In this role Michael fostered meaningful connections within the parish, as well as in the wider community. Michael works as a small business and non-profit consultant, where he focuses his attention on developing purpose driven missions, and implementing complementary management strategies.

Michael is Chair of the Toronto chapter of the Royal School of Church Music Canada, and has served on the nationwide Executive Board of the same institution since 2012. He is currently pursuing his Masters in Sacred Music.

John Dalla Costa is an ethicist, theologian and the author of five books, including Magnificence at Work: Living Faith in Business. He has an M.Div. from Regis College at the Toronto School of Theology. As well as teaching ethics at the Schulich School of Business (York University), John has worked with boards and CEOs internationally to engage complex ethical problems, and nurture the moral values for responsible culture.

John’s research interests involve trust - between people, in society, as well as within and towards institutions.

He has been involved in various initiatives of interfaith dialogue including through the Vatican, the Caux Round Table and The Dialogue Institute at Temple University, Philadelphia.  He is a founding member of the Magdala Conciliary in Toronto and the Round Table on the Feminine Dimension in Rome.