GT20 Main Speaker: Fr. Eric Mah
GT20 is excited to have confirmed Fr. Eric Mah as the keynote speaker for the weekend!
Currently the pastor at St. Joseph the Worker Parish in Oshawa, Fr. Eric was ordained in 2011 and, in addition to the regular duties of being a pastor, is the chaplain at Ontario Tech, Durham College and Trent Durham. He was born and raised in Vancouver, and practiced law in Toronto prior to joining the seminary. Fr. Eric enjoys writing reflections on movies, bringing out Christian themes and allegories. In this regard, he is most known for his reflection on Frozen, found here.
Workshop Speakers
We have 12 workshop speakers this year for GT!
Fr. Kevin Belgrave
Fr. Kevin Belgrave is the Director of the Institute of Theology at St. Augustine’s Seminary where he also teaches a number of courses in moral theology, including bioethics, foundations of moral theology, human sexuality and Catholic social teachings. Fr. Belgrave received his Doctorate in Moral Theology from the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome in 2014. In addition to his responsibilities at St. Augustine’s, Fr. Belgrave is actively involved in ongoing consultation and pastoral work for the Archdiocese of Toronto in a number of areas related to moral theology.
Fr. Francis Ching
Hi everybody, I’m Fr. Francis Ching, a member of the Society of the Companions of the Cross. Currently I’m based in Toronto, doing full time missionary work and training lay people to be better evangelizers. I’m the Spiritual Advisor of GT. I was a GT camper like yourself 1993-1998, and came as a priest since 2005 for almost every year. I’m legally blind but thanks to God, I can still do almost everything a priest is required to do. God’s amazing!
Hilton Chiu
Hilton Chiu was born and raised in Richmond Hill, Ontario. After completing undergraduate studies in Biology and graduate studies in Molecular Genetics-Neurobiology at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, he discerned that God was calling him to consider the Catholic priesthood, and ultimately, closer discipleship so to know His love for him. Soon after, he entered St. Augustine’s Seminary of Toronto as a seminarian for the Archdiocese of Kingston. He completed one year of intensive philosophical studies in his first year of formation and continued on to the Spirituality Year in his second year. After two years of beautiful spiritual growth, deep interior silence, fraternity, and intimacy with the Lord, he freely and peacefully discerned that he was being called on another vocational path. He is currently completing his Master of Theological Studies at St. Augustine’s Seminary/University of Toronto and looks forward to the next great adventure of love with the Lord. In his spare time, you may find him hanging out at the local coffee shop, cooking up a storm, or going on a spontaneous adventure. His ideal day would be being out on the lake in a kayak and reading his favourite book while munching on some chocolate-coated coffee beans!
Deacon Peter Fan
Coordinating a parish, Deacon Peter Fan got to know the evolution of the parish community. As the academic director for Deacon Formation in Ottawa and Eastern Ontario, he also got to learn the process whereby a lay person discerns to be a deacon and go through the different stages in formation before being ordained. He has been working with the homeless in a soup kitchen for the last 10 years, offering Liturgy of the Word, and interacting with those who come by.
Fr. Edmund Lo
Fr. Edmund Lo is a priest from the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). Prior to joining the Jesuits, he completed his Master’s degree in neuroscience. He attained a licentiate in theology (STL) from Regis College at the University of Toronto. He was the keynote speaker for ECCCLC/ GT in 2014. He is currently the assistant to the novice master at the Jesuit Novitiate, as well as the vocations promoter for the Canadian Jesuits.
Fr. Matt McCarthy
Fr. Matt McCarthy was born and raised in Brampton where he attended elementary and high school. He completed his undergrad in 2009 studying kinesiology at York University. As a priest, he had previously ministered at Holy Family Parish in Whitby and most recently at St. Michael’s Cathedral Basilica in Toronto. As of August 2020, he will be ministering as the Vocations Director for the Archdiocese of Toronto. When he’s not doing priestly things, he likes to pray, watch YouTube videos, play any sport and enjoy a good musical jam session.
Fr. David Purcell, C.Ss.R.
Fr. David Purcell C.Ss.R. was born in Edmonton, Alberta. He completed a Bachelor of Science in Engineering in 1978 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1984. He served in parish ministry in Western Canada. Fr. David obtained a Master of Pastoral Counselling and a Ph.D. in Counselling Psychology. Currently he is a co-ordinator for the Canadian Redemptorist vocation ministry. Fr. David loves to get involved with sharing of faith in Jesus, through retreats, parish programs, and the charismatic renewal. He attended his first GT in 2013, and has travelled to the local groups of Chinese Catholic Communities in Montréal, Toronto, Hamilton, and London. Last year he was able to attend the Western CCCLC held near Vancouver.
Deacon Anthony Wong
Deacon Anthony Wong was ordained at Saint Michael Cathedral in June 2018 by Cardinal Thomas Collins after spending five years in Saint Augustine’s Seminary. He holds a diploma in Theological Studies and professionally he is an Architect, Urban Designer and Planner. He has four children and is currently assigned to Saint Francis Xavier Church in Mississauga and facilitates a marriage preparation course for couples and leads a Bible Study Course on the Gospel of Mark.
Phoebe and Eric Wong
Phoebe and Eric Wong were involved in the GT community several years ago. They got married two years ago and have been busy trying to figure out what adulthood is all about. They are passionate about Christ-centered lives, nursing and software engineering!
Sr. Alberta Zhan
Sr. Alberta Zhan was born in Ningde in the province of Fujian. She heard God’s call at the age of 12, but she had no clue of where she could go in order to respond to God’s call until 2005, when God showed her the way to join the Dominican Congregation. After taking her first vows in 2008, Sr Alberta was sent to the Philippines where she earned a Bachelor and a Master in Theology, majoring in Consecrated Life. She also completed a program in Spiritual Direction before she professed her perpetual vows in 2016. In 2017, she arrived in Canada to work at the Chinese Martyrs Catholic Church in Markham in Ontario. She previously joined GT in 2017 and 2019. Although we are unable to gather physically this year, God is still present among us, and His grace is abundant. Let’s open our hearts to receive it. God bless us all.
Jeremy Zou
Jeremy Zou is a seminarian at St Augustine’s Seminary, studying for the diocesan priesthood for the Archdiocese of Toronto. He is entering his 4th year (of seven) of formation, aka 2nd theology. His favourite part of being Catholic is the universal call to holiness and being made in the image of Love: from these, it necessarily means the meaning of life is to be loved and to be formed into Jesus Christ. St. John Paul II and St. Mother Teresa are his close inspirations in this journey of love and formation. He is a gym rat, avid reader (sci-fi and history), and loves producing concept art with pens.
Katie Zou
Katie Zou is the Youth Minister at St. Agnes Tsao Catholic Church. She recently graduated with a Masters of Arts in Catechetics and Evangelization from the Franciscan University of Steubenville. Her greatest loves are the Mass and Eucharistic Adoration (as every girl’s first love should be Jesus). Other loves the Lord gave her (which she loves to share): Theology of the Body, Scripture, iconography, G.K. Chesterton, Tolkien, Star Wars and story writing.