Retreat Staff

Bill Clarke, SJ

Bill Clarke

Bill Clarke SJ has been doing the ministry of spiritual accompaniment of individuals and communities since his ordination in 1966. He came to Guelph in 1980 to be part of the Ignatius Farm Community; since then has been a chaplain and friend to many l’Arche communities. He joined the directing team at Loyola House in 2002 where he continues to accompany individuals and communities here and elsewhere in the country. He is the author of The Face of Friendship (Novalis, 2004).

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Daniel Leckman, SJ

Born in Laval, Quebec, Daniel found God during his years studying at History and Russian Studies at McGill University. In 2006, he discovered his call to become a Jesuit Brother. Since joining the Jesuits in 2009 he has lived in Montreal, Guelph, at Wikwemikong (Manitoulin Island), Caracas (Venezuela), and Toronto, where he completed a Masters in Theological Studies (MTS) at Regis College. He joined the Ignatius Jesuit Centre as a spiritual director in 2015.

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Eric Jensen, SJ

Eric Jensen

Eric Jensen was born in Montreal, graduated from Loyola College, taught at Catholic High School of Montreal, and joined the Jesuits. He has an MA in English Literature. He studied theology at Regis College, Toronto, and did Tertianship with John English. He taught at Loyola High School (Montreal), and St. Paul’s High School (Winnipeg). He spent 16 years at St. Ignatius Parish (Winnipeg), ten as Pastor. In 2002 he returned to Guelph as a spiritual director. He authored Entering Christ’s Prayer (Ave Maria, 2007), Ignatius Loyola and You (Novalis, 2018), A Passionate Jesus in Holy Week (Novalis, 2021), and From Forgiveness to Healing (Novalis, 2022). 

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Greg Kennedy

Greg Kennedy would like best to describe himself as a poet…someone attentive to beauty and mystery. His advanced degrees in philosophy and theology have sharpened his love of asking the kind of questions that open up growth in freedom. Originally drawn to the Ignatius Jesuit Centre by its organic agriculture, Greg has lived and worked here full time as a spiritual director since 2017. His spirituality is Creation-based, taking seriously the joys of being embodied/incarnate in a world full of beauty and challenge. Walking is his favorite way of getting around and he enjoys playing guitar when he sits down.

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Madeleine Gregg, fcJ

Sr. Madeleine Gregg, a Faithful Companion of Jesus (fcJ), was born in Madison, Wisconsin, USA and grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

As an undergraduate, she spent her third year in Bologna, Italy, where she encountered a vibrant Catholic parish and was baptized. During that time she felt called to teach elementary school especially with children who had a few strikes against them. After completing her  Master’s in Special Education and teaching in special education classrooms, Madeline figured out that everyone has a couple of strikes against them. She then felt called to the religious life, entered the convent with the Faithful Companions of Jesus and taught in New England for about a decade. After completing her Doctorate at the University of Pittsburgh (Cognitive Studies in Education), the next 22 years she spent on faculty, moving up to Professor of Teacher Education, at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Before moving to Guelph, she was on staff for 7 years at the FCJ Retreat Centre in Calgary, Alberta.

Madeleine currently serves as a spiritual director at Loyola House, focusing on retreats and evening programs. She values Ignatian spirituality and delights in observing how God opens people to greater freedom, greater joy, and a greater capacity for life through Ignatian retreats. Madeleine is always ready to respond to new initiatives with enthusiasm and joy!

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Monika Wiesner

Monika was born and raised in Toronto. She graduated from Women’s College Hospital School of Nursing and spent over 30 years in the profession she loved. Her experience in oncology, ICU and obstetrics highlighted her career. In 2004 she was ordained as a Lutheran pastor and spent the next 18 years in congregations in the Waterloo region. After completing her spiritual direction training, she was invited to offer spiritual support at Hospice Waterloo Region.

Today she enjoys offering spiritual direction at Loyola House. She also enjoys photography, travelling, and reading.

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Paul Panaretos, SJ

Paul Panaretos

Paul was born in Detroit, Michigan. He entered the Society of Jesus as a priest. He is a member of the United States Midwest Province. Paul did an internship in the Spiritual Exercises as a novice and remained involved with them in retreat, parish and spiritual accompaniment ministries with laity and clergy. He earned theological degrees from Yale and Loyola-Chicago. Paul enjoys swimming, walking, cooking and theatre. He joined the retreat staff in 2016. 

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Philip Shano, SJ

Born and raised in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Philip Shano began his Jesuit life in 1978, at the Jesuit Novitiate at Ignatius College (now Orchard Park). After the normal Jesuit formation, he was ordained in 1988. Soon after, he was assigned to the ministry at Loyola House, living once again at Ignatius College. That period in Guelph came to an end in 2001 and he spent the next 23 years in a variety of Jesuit works in Canada and the USA. Philip found that his assignments, including those internal to Jesuit life, benefitted from his experience of Ignatian spirituality. His work used the Spiritual Exercises, whether he was engaged in spiritual formation, leadership, teaching, spiritual direction  or writing.

As of the fall of 2023, he is once again involved with Ignatius Jesuit Centre and the ministry of the Exercises. Our land has been a consistent factor in his Jesuit life. Formerly an avid runner, Philip is now content to be more leisurely in exploring our land, to read, and to connect with a wide range of friends and colleagues.

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William Mbilinyi, SJ

William was born, raised and grew up in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, East Africa. He has a sense of humour, loves singing, listening to music and playing local music instruments. He likes taking long walks, doing various physical and spiritual exercises. He enjoys getting into dialogue on any subject matter with an open mind. William is very passionate about ecology, social justice, interfaith dialogue and life’s adventures; that is why he ended up here at IJC.

Working on a farm, with refugees & migrants, campus ministry; studies in the fields of philosophy, international relations & diplomacy, public administration, divinity, theology and spiritual direction training have given him much experience needed in directing retreats and understanding cultural differences. William loves learning new things, getting new experiences and challenges that life is bringing in each and every day.

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