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Sister Angela Burnham began her life as a religious sister with the Franciscans of Halifax nine years ago. She is a daughter, sister, friend, student, and auntie to a handful of nieces and nephews. The greatest joy of her life is following the Lord closely as His bride and in community, and encountering Him daily in the goodness of His creation, especially the messy, beautiful bits of the human heart. When she’s not poring over philosophy, Latin, or Franciscan thoughts, she can be found endeavouring to be crafty, exploring somewhere in nature, or catching up with a friend over some variety of tea.
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Arlene Sibley is a mother of 2 grown children. She loves to be outdoors in nature, hiking and beachcombing for sea glass and is a bit of an amateur photographer. In 2017, after 20+ years of being away, she returned to the church and her Catholic faith. Her life was drastically changed when she participated in the Alpha program at Saint Benedict Parish and she discovered Jesus as a friend. She went from running a Home Day Care to working full-time in ministry for Saint Benedict. Now she is journeying with others so they too can "discover Jesus".
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Aurea Sadi strives daily to get her head and heart around this grand adventure called life that God gifted to her, and is ever thankful for the family, friends, and fellow disciples who help her take on this crazy journey! She spends her days (and some evenings and weekends) serving the parishes and people of the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth. When not (figuratively) feeding Jesus’ sheep, she likes to literally feed people… and herself! Otherwise you can find her in a book, behind a camera, planning travel, or simply hanging out with friends and family.
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Becca O’Hara was raised in a Catholic family in northern rural Minnesota, and fell in love with Jesus more deeply in high school through her youth group. She attended Franciscan University of Steubenville, where she received her BA in Theology and Catechetics, and the Augustine Institute, where she received her MA in Leadership for the New Evangelization. Becca now works at Christ the King Parish in Dartmouth as Director of Fellowship, Evangelization, and Discipleship. She loves hiking, reading, and visiting just about every coffee shop in the north end of Halifax, where she lives with her husband Chris and two little kids.
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Catherine Burnham grew up Catholic and was jamming to praise and worship at her local prayer meeting from an early age. Realizing along the way that conversion would be ongoing, she spent the last thirty-something years striving to understand how to honestly and faithfully continue her journey with Christ. She works as a freelance copywriter but the bulk of her energy is poured into navigating motherhood and family life with her husband and toddler. Very few of her problems remain after a good coffee, a view of the ocean and some book about the beauty of the human experience.
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Donna Davis owes a debt of gratitude to the Presentation Sisters, who taught her to aim high, honour the Lord, and appreciate the unique power of women to change the world. She is blest to have been commissioned from Saint Benedict Parish to Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish to witness, yet again, profound renewal within a parish community. Donna studied English literature and law at university and draws on both disciplines to carry out her role in ministry operations at Divine Renovation Ministry. She lives with her husband and their two daughters in Halifax.
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Elizabeth Craig is a wife, mother, baker, runner, reader, and serial comma enthusiast. A cradle Catholic, she didn’t truly encounter Jesus until she became involved with Catholic Christian Outreach in university – which changed everything. Elizabeth lives in Halifax with her husband and two daughters, where she works as a freelance copy editor and proofreader and tries to live out the Gospel through word, deed, and liturgically inspired recipes.
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Sister Gemma MacLeod has been a member of the Franciscans of Halifax for 13 years, and is part of the faith community at St Francis and St Clare of Assisi Parish. She has worked in pastoral ministry throughout the diocese as well as working with students at several of the local universities. She is currently finishing her MEd in Counselling and is passionate about walking with people in their journey of healing through counselling and spiritual direction. In her spare time, she loves to read and dance.
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Jenna Young met Jesus at a Steubenville Conference in 2008 and has been trying her best to follow Him ever since. An eternal student with a background in philosophy, theology, law, and international development, she currently works as an executive assistant with Divine Renovation Ministry. She and her husband live in Halifax and she can usually be found with Starbucks in one hand and a library book in the other.
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Kate Mosher's earliest memory of her Catholic faith was singing the lyrics, "sing a new song unto the Lord, singing Alleluia" very seriously, very literally, and very early in the morning. Now, she can still be found singing Alleluias at St. Francis and St. Clare of Assisi parish. She is also the Creative Specialist at Chalice, which makes her sound much more like the Holy Spirit than the photo/video content creator she is. She can usually be found out for a walk and listening to a podcast, so she comes equipped for her role on the Ora podcast team.
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Kendra Lynn began an intentional journey with Christ via Steubenville Atlantic and various CCO initiatives, and grew further in trust and love through community and formation at St. Therese Institute of Faith & Mission. In the following years, she finished her undergrad, married a wonderful man, and (by God's grace) completed her master's in a global pandemic. She now works as an OT, supporting mental health and wellness through gardening interventions. Kendra delights in spending quality time with friends and family, encountering Beauty, gaining and sharing knowledge, and filling spaces with art, books, and plants.
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Kim Tan is a creature of habit: you’re guaranteed to find a half-written novel in her purse, a stack of books on her nightstand, a guitar on her couch, and at least three kinds of ice cream in her freezer. But most often, you’ll find her somewhere in the vicinity of a pipe organ. Music and music ministry have been life-giving blessings in Kim’s life, inextricably woven together with her faith, community, and worship. When she’s not singing, playing, or napping in the organ loft, Kim loves being with friends and family and works in healthcare.
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Lindsay Elford is enjoying the beautiful intimacy of learning to embrace what God wants to create in and through her (Instagram: @thinveilart). She is a wife, mother, auntie, artist, nurse, and knitter, and loves prayer through music and coffee with friends. In awe of the Living Word of God, she is daily deepening her understanding of what it truly means to trust and obey! Lindsay has travelled from faithlessness, to being received, along with her husband and two children, into the Roman Catholic Church in 2015, which she would describe as the joy of returning home after a long time away.
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Lisa Matheson began a few tentative steps toward a relationship with Jesus in January 2019. Since then, her life has taken on a whole new meaning and direction - with Jesus at the center. Before the pandemic, she enjoyed travelling to new places and adventurous hikes in the mountains. When she's not at work in her day job as an I.T. product owner, she can be found at Saint Benedict Parish (her second home), spending time with friends, or out training for her next marathon.
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Lisa Wing wears many hats and answers to many titles that provide a glimpse into who she is - Mom, |
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Lori MacDonald had her life turned right-side up in 2015 when she encountered the Holy Spirit in the Saint Benedict Parish chapel. A single mother of two children, she has since been provided with a family in faith who sustain and inspire her journey. When she is not chugging coffee at her son's basketball/baseball games, she is chugging coffee at her daughter's voice or Taekwondo performances. She can also be found studying for her Master's in Counselling Psychology, walking with friends, or teaching preschoolers with autism for IWK Health.
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Michaelina Dawson Otoo is originally from Ghana and was raised Catholic. She developed a passion for serving through the lector and singing ministries at Mary Mother of Good Counsel Parish in Ghana. In 2016, she relocated to the Cayman Islands, where she actively served in various church ministries, including Readers, Christ the Redeemer Music Ministry, and the Missionary Families of Christ Ministry. She has a degree in Psychology, an MBA in HRM, and is pursuing a master’s degree in PR at MSVU. Michaelina enjoys uplifting others which she does when she sings with the Saint Benedict Parish choir on Sunday nights.
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Michelynne Gomez is a native Haligonian, wife to Simon, and a self-proclaimed disabilities advocate. A former occupational therapist, she now lives on the other side of the clinician-patient relationship alongside her 5 totally awesome kids. A number of years ago God promised her that He still heals, and she finally believes it. She's passionate about literacy and writing, loves deep conversation, and finds the human condition endlessly fascinating. She can often be found hiking, skiing, and swimming alongside her family.
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Noreen Smith, her husband, and their four mostly adult kids live, more or less together in Halifax. She had the barest beginnings of a conversation with God in a Scarborough parish when she was 7. This shifted to a private correspondence with Aslan in Narnia until at age 16, she started an open, rambling, passionate discourse with Jesus that took her through different places, decades and denominations. Then she dropped into Saint Benedict and wept at the presence of the Holy Spirit. Over the next year, He let her know, in no uncertain terms, that she was home.
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Patty Viscount had an encounter with the Holy Spirit during the Alpha Course in 2007. That encounter changed and softened her heart from being wary and skeptical of Christianity to experiencing Jesus’s love as a beloved daughter. She came into the Catholic Church the following year and is deeply grateful to her Sisters in Christ who continue to gently teach and guide her with love and charity. Patty is married to Dcn. David and they have two adult (just!) children. She enjoys any activity that takes her outdoors and on rainy days spends many peaceful hours painting landscapes.
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Rebecca D'mello moved to Halifax 6 years ago as a student at Dalhousie University. She is originally from Mumbai, India. She completed her Master's in English and is currently pursuing her Diploma in the New Evangelization from The Atlantic School of Theology. She is a full-time teacher at Halifax Christian Academy and she loves her job. Her students bring her tremendous joy. As a first-generation immigrant, she had her biggest faith realization when she moved continents. When everything seemed unfamiliar and new, walking into a Catholic Church is what brought her comfort and a sense of home.
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Rachel Chiasson is a single mother of one. Originally from New Brunswick, Rachel moved to Halifax in 2006 due to her work. She joined Saint Benedict Parish in late 2017 and encountered the Lord's unconditional love in 2018. Ever since, she has strived to put the Lord in the center of her life and in the center of her heart. She has come to know and understand that whatever comes her way in life, the Lord will always be by her side and He will never forsake her. With this newfound peace Rachel continues to walk and grow with the Lord.
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Ronnie Noonan-Birch grew up in a Catholic school system but only came to know a personal relationship with God as an adult. She is a theology enthusiast who appreciates books that delve into the complex relationship between humans and the Divine. Ronnie seeks God's presence in the natural world through outdoor recreation like scuba diving and skiing but also through her career as a scientist. She never tires of exploring the intricacy and wonder of God's creation. Ronnie is a proud parishioner of Saint Benedict Parish where she and her husband married in 2021.
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Sandy Graves is a cradle Catholic whose relationship with Christ came alive through a personal encounter with Him in music. Her journey eventually led her to a beautiful, sacramental marriage to Doug also gaining the title of “wicked stepmonster” to two sons. Most recently, she became Nanny to the “most beautiful girl in the world” ™ through whom God has shown her what unconditional love really feels like. Sandy works as a public servant for the Province of Nova Scotia, lives with Doug in Cow Bay where they worship at Christ the King parish, and serve together in the Hearts of Worship music ministry.
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Shelly Fillmore was raised Catholic, but left the faith in her early teen years. After several challenging years, her life was truly blessed and she returned to her journey towards a relationship with Jesus in 2022. She has truly found her purpose: Jesus. A wife, mother, coffee drinker and avid reader, she finds her greatest joy in bringing Jesus into her daily life with family and being surrounded by her faith family of beautiful, inspiring women.
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Stephanie Potter and her loving husband Tim have been married for nearly 12 years and in that time they have welcomed 7 delightful children. Stephanie came to faith through John Paul II’s World Youth Day in Rome and has been a parishioner of Saint Benedict Parish (and its founding Churches) for around 30 years. She joyfully works full time in the Lord’s service through the Christian Medical and Dental Society of Canada and is a part-time MA student at the Atlantic School of Theology.
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Tanya LeRue was regularly found attending Mass on Sundays, but it was always against her own free will. That all changed in 1994 after a pilgrimage to Medjugorje and a powerful encounter with the Holy Spirit. Following that, she knew without a doubt that first… there IS a God, and second… He loves her! This changed everything. She became a real evangelist, sharing her faith with anyone who would listen, but especially investing in her two kids. She had a 23 year nursing career until she was called into full time ministry at Saint Benedict Parish. Tanya is currently a member of the Women’s Church Leader Accelerator.
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Sister Teresa MacDonald discovered God’s unconditional love on a parish retreat when she was
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Theresa Langley owes a great deal of gratitude to Queen’s University Catholic Chaplaincy who inspired her reconversion to Christ in her undergrad. It was there she met her husband, Stewart. She studied Environmental Studies and Global Development during her Masters and has a passion for women’s health and ethics relating to care work. She also has a passion for fashion and travel, and believes in the unique power of the female voice in the Catholic Church.
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