About Chaplaincy at St. Francis Xavier
Mr. Ali
The goal of chaplaincy at St. Francis Xavier is to help our staff and students grow in their relationship with God and to provide opportunities for them to truly live out their faith. As a chaplain, I also strive to help them recognize their incredible value that is rooted in their identity in Christ, and discover the wonderful plan that He has for their lives. It has been (and continues to be) an absolute privilege to be able to minister to this beautiful school community.
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A little about me: my wife and I have been married for 3 years, and are happily residing somewhere in Orleans. We belong to Divine Infant parish (which is also somewhere in Orleans). Kathryn (the wife that I mentioned) works for a non-profit organization who helps put together sponsorships for refugees. Some of my hobbies are: [basic] carpentry, designing and building escape rooms, camping, canoeing, evangelizing, and collecting comics. Prior to being a chaplaincy leader with CDSBEO I was an elementary school chaplaincy leader with the Niagara Catholic District School Board. I have also been a youth minister and a seminarian at various points throughout my life. I had the privilege of studying civil engineering at Ryerson University in Toronto for three years, as well as philosophy (Bachelor of Thomistic Thought) at the Oratory (St. Philip Seminary), and I received my black belt in Jesus (master of theological studies) at the University of Toronto (St. Augustine's Seminary). I have to say, I love this role, and it truly is a pleasure serving the staff, students and families in this community.
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A short message to students and staff: during this pandemic, our mental health situation has changed radically - we have less opportunity to connect with others; fear and anxiety has become so much more prevalent; and it is a lot easier for us to feel disconnected from our purpose and direction in life. Not to mention the many issues that have arisen from lost jobs and increased financial burdens. If you are feeling like you need someone to talk to about what is going on in your life, or to seek some guidance, please feel free to reach out to me below. =)
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Once again, thank you, and God bless you in all that you do ✟
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AMDG