About Us

“Dialogue is the art of conversation across boundaries of difference.”

— Dr. Mary Boys, SNJM

Mission

Through its activities, the Fraser Centre aims to facilitate research projects, scholarly and popular publications, public lectures, and community-based workshops that enrich the public discourse on the impact of faith in society.

Established in January 2018, the Msgr. John Mary Fraser Centre for Practical Theology is a dedicated space to explore the relationship between theology and public life.

Responding to our college’s pluralistic context, the Fraser Centre is envisioned as a platform for dialogue, crossing boundaries of difference by engaging scholars, practitioners, and community leaders from diverse cultural backgrounds in the study of issues of concern for faith communities and their members.

Inspired by the principles of Jesuit Education and infused with Ignatian Spirituality, the Fraser Centre fosters dialogue and cooperation through innovative theological reflection. We respond to this mandate by developing programmes, research, and educational resources that enhance the public’s literacy on the theological underpinnings of inter-religious dialogue. Through its activities, the Fraser Centre aims to facilitate research projects, scholarly and popular publications, public lectures, and community-based workshops that enrich the public discourse on the impact of faith in society.

Through its activities, the Fraser Centre aims to facilitate research projects, scholarly and popular publications, public lectures, and community-based workshops that enrich the public discourse on the impact of faith in society.

Established in January 2018, the Msgr. John Mary Fraser Centre for Practical Theology is a dedicated space to explore the relationship between theology and public life. Responding to our college’s pluralistic context, the Fraser Centre is envisioned as a platform for dialogue, crossing boundaries of difference by engaging scholars, practitioners, and community leaders from diverse cultural backgrounds in the study of issues of concern for faith communities and their members.

Inspired by the principles of Jesuit Education and infused with Ignatian Spirituality, the Fraser Centre fosters dialogue and cooperation through
innovative theological reflection. We respond to this mandate by developing programmes, research, and educational resources that enhance the public’s literacy on the theological underpinnings of inter-religious dialogue. Through its activities, the Fraser Centre aims to facilitate research projects, scholarly and popular publications, public lectures, and community-based workshops that enrich the public discourse on the impact of faith in society.

Vision

The Msgr. John Mary Fraser Centre for Practical Theology will work in concert with the holder of the endowed chair to engage issues such as religiously inspired violence; intolerance; Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, and religious ignorance. There are many themes that are not explicitly religious, but which call for a religious response. These include but are certainly not limited to: immigration, refugees, homelessness, and sexual violence. Although its primary mission will be one of fostering interreligious dialogue and cooperation, it would also address contemporary issues of social justice, contemporary atheism, and secularism.

In its contribution to building a tolerant, respectful, and cooperative multi-cultural community, the Fraser Centre will utilize guest speakers, panel discussions, and publication of informative booklets, study guides, and pamphlets. To aid in this, the Centre will build a small library of reference works and studies, which would include the papers and works of Ovey Mohammed SJ.

The programming offered by the Msgr. John Mary Fraser Centre of Practical Theology and the Scarboro Missions Chair of Inter-religious Dialogue was made possible through the Scarboro Missions Legacy. Scarboro Missions is a Society of Apostolic Life of Canadian Catholics, priests and laity, motivated by the Spirit and dedicated to the person, teaching and missions of Jesus Christ as expressed in his words: “I have come that they may have life and have it to the full” (John 10:10). The Scarboro Missions Legacy seeks to further its ministry work by providing financial assistance to deserving organizations with like-minded objectives.