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I am a Canadian Jesuit priest starting work in Winnipeg at St. Paul’s High School. I grew up Catholic. When I was 18 years old, I wasn’t sure if I believed anymore. But Catholic Christian Outreach, a student movement in Canada, came to my parish the summer I turned 18. They taught me through faith studies that God wanted a personal relationship with me and the choice was mine whether or not to invite Jesus to the centre of my life.

So I invited Jesus to the centre of my life, even though I wasn’t even sure if I believed in God.

At that moment, I did not feel changed. But my life slowly began to change.

I began to read scripture as a letter written to me from God. I saw God’s presence in others in a deep way. I began receiving spiritual direction and immersing myself in my CCO community at the University of Ottawa. I met Sebastian Muggeridge, a fellow student at uOttawa. He was looking for a room to rent, and there was one free where I was living. We became roommates for three years and grew in our faith together. We were both ordained priests this year!

Three months after making the decision to make Jesus the centre of my life, I realized my life had never been so fulfilled and life had never made so much sense. I wanted then to share this relationship with Jesus with others.

I started to feel called to the priesthood, since I loved missionary work. In my last year of undergrad, I went on a Come and See weekend with the Jesuits of Canada. It was there that I felt a deep call within my heart to become a Jesuit. The religious charism of the Society of Jesus (official name of the Jesuits) is to be radically obedient and available to go anywhere, do anything, at any time for the greater glory of God, just as Christ was obedient even unto death on a cross.

I joined the Jesuits after undergrad in 2015. Through missionary activity, community life, and intense studies, the Jesuits have taught me how to grow in the joy and love of the Gospel. I am very much looking forward to ministering at a Parish and a Jesuit High School in Winnipeg this Fall.

Fr. Marc-André

Isabella Orlando