Directors at Manresa


Michael Coutts

Fr. Michael Coutts, SJ

Fr. Michael Coutts, S.J. is a Jesuit belonging to the Canadian Province. He is a past Director of Manresa Retreat House and previously, he worked in the Parish of Our Lady of Lourdes — Toronto. Before that he worked for 10 seasons at the Martyrs’ Shrine in Midland Ontario. Most of his priestly life, he has been working in Parishes as well as facilitating retreats.

Fr. Henk van Meijel, SJ

Fr. Henk van Meijel, SJ is the director of Manresa.  Henk joined the Society of Jesus in 2006 at age 50, after having been proprietor for 25 years of a small business, and about five years of coordinating youth ministry. His initial spiritual direction formation was at Loyola House, Guelph, Ontario. He has a Master of Divinity degree from Regis College, Toronto. He worked at the Jesuit Native apostolate on Manitoulin Island, whereupon he studied at the University of Divinity, Melbourne, Australia, with an emphasis on Ignatian leadership and pastoral counselling.

Philip Shano

Fr. Philip Shano, S.J.

Fr. Philip Shano, S.J. has been a Canadian Jesuit since 1978. Ordained in 1988, he spent many years working with the ministry of the Spiritual Exercises in Guelph, Ontario, has been involved in Jesuit governance, and Novice Director at the Jesuit Novitiate in St. Paul, Minnesota. Fr. Shano occasionally helps with programmes at Manresa.

Invited Directors


Kevin Kelly

Fr. Kevin Kelly, S.J.

Fr. Kevin Kelly, SJ grew up in Ottawa and entered the Society of Jesus in 2011 after working for 12 years at a multinational pharmaceutical company where he held a number of leadership positions in Canada, the US and Europe. He was ordained a priest in May 2020.  Kevin’s interests include spiritual direction, integrating Ignatian spirituality into the business context, and working with those in recovery from addiction. Kevin is a member of the Ignatian Spirituality Project in Toronto, a retreat program that supports those in recovery who have experienced homelessness.  Fr. Kevin is the Director of the Jesuit Retreat Centre in Montreal, Villa St. Martin.

John O'Brien

Fr. John D. O’Brien, S.J.

Fr. John O’Brien, S.J. has given many retreats centered on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, particularly for young adults seeking to know the will of God in their lives and come to greater intimacy with Jesus. He is the Assistant for Vocations for the Jesuit Province of Canada, and resides in Toronto.

Sr. Mary Rowell, csj

Sister Mary Rowell is a Sister of St. Joseph in Canada. She is based at Villa St. Joseph Ecology and Spirituality Centre in Cobourg, Ontario where she leads retreats and courses and is a spiritual director. She also provides retreats, workshops and facilitation services across Canada and the United States. Formerly a nurse and nurse educator, Sister Mary has worked in health care and education around the world.  Sister Mary holds a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and a Masters in Medical Law and Ethics from the University of London, U.K. and a Doctorate in Theology from the University of Durham, U.K. where her research focused on the interface of bioethics and theology.

Les Miller

Is an author and presenter from Richmond Hill, ON. He is a consultant with Pearson Canada’s Growing in Faith, Growing in Christ and an instructor and advisor with the Archdiocese of Toronto’s online Catechist formation program.  He was Religious Education Coordinator for Y.C.D.S.B., as well as adjunct professor and lecturer at the University of Toronto, York University and Niagara University. He contributed to the Canadian Bishops Grade 12 In Search of the Good, and the Ontario Bishops, World Religions: A Canadian Catholic Perspective. Les is author or co-author of many published books including Words for the Journey, the 25 Questions series, Foundations of Our Faith, and A Catholic Teacher’s Companion through NovalisHis book of prayers and photographs, Northern Light (2020) uses the practice of Via Natura to provide impressions of the Canadian spiritual landscape.

Trevor Scott, SJ

Fr. Trevor Scott, SJ

Trevor Scott, S.J. was ordained priest in 2013 with the Society of Jesus. After his theological studies at Toronto’s Regis College in the Autumn of 2014, Trevor was assigned to work in the Ignatian spirituality apostolate. His ministry in the spirituality apostolate consisted in creating and conducting Ignatian based retreats and spirituality workshops, as well as providing spiritual direction to individual people. Trevor also served as the Ecclesial Assistant to the Christian Life Community (CLC) of Canada – an international lay religious association whose members strive to live out the Ignatian charism in their daily lives; Over the last year,  Trevor attended his Tertianship year in Dublin, Ireland. Upon his recent return to Canada Trevor has been with the Jesuit Forum for Social Faith and Justice in Toronto as Director for Ignatian Identity and Mission.

Robert Foliot

Fr. Robert Foliot, S.J.

Fr. Robert Foliot, S.J. entered the Society of Jesus in 1962 and was ordained in 1973. He has been the pastor of Jesuit parishes and served as the Superior for Jesuit Communities across Canada for over 30 years. He has done much of his ministry in multi-cultural settings, lived and worked with First Nations people and is fluent in French and Spanish. He is presently at the Martyrs’ Shrine in Midland, ON.

Br. Guy Consolmagno SJ

Br. Guy Consolmagno SJ

Br. Guy is known as “The Pope’s Astronomer”, as the Director of the Vatican Observatory and President of the Vatican Observatory Foundation.  He is the author of popular books including “Turn Left at Orion” (with Dan Davis), and “Would you Baptize an Extraterrestrial?” (with Paul Mueller, SJ).  Pope Francis named Brother Consolmagno the Director of the Vatican Observatory in September 2015. 

Fr. James Kelly, SJ

Fr. James Kelly, SJ, (MA, MDiv., ThM, STL) has considerable experience in pastoral care in a health care setting. Fr. Jim recently returned to Manresa after several years as pastor on Manitoulin Island.

Fr. Jean Francky Guerrier, SJ

Haitian Jesuit, member of the Province of Canada and Haiti. He joined the Jesuit order in Haiti in 2009.  His studies have included philosophy and humanities. He was missioned to Toronto for his theological studies at Regis College.  Fr. Francky was ordained to the priesthood in June 2021 in Port-au-Prince. He is an expert in communication and Ignatian discernment. He is also a well-known listener. He currently hosts the podcast “Talking with Francky” via Salt and Light Media Toronto, interviewing personalities such as the Dean of Regis College, Sr. Susan Wood and His Eminence Cardinal Collins 

He is fluent in French, Spanish, English and Haitian Creole. He served as the communication and advocacy officer and project coordinator at the Jesuit Migrant Service in Haiti, providing humanitarian assistance to urban refugees and asylum seekers in Port-au-Prince.

Fr. Winston Rye

Fr. J. Winston Rye, S.J. has been a Jesuit for 61 years and was involved in High School work for 22 years, Director of the Martyrs’ Shrine for 4 years and Treasurer and Director of Development of the Jesuit Province as well as Secretary for the Province.  Presently, he is Minister (assistant to the Rector) of Regis Jesuit Community.  He celebrated 50 years a priest in June of 2021

Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB

Ordained in 1986, is a member of the Congregation of St. Basil (Basilian Fathers), a biblical scholar, lecturer, author and retreat director. A graduate of St John Fisher College (Rochester), Regis College (Toronto), the Pontifical Biblical Institute (Rome), and the Ecole Biblique et Archéologique Française (Jerusalem), he has lectured across Canada, the USA, Ireland and in Israel. He was formerly Pastor and Executive Director of the Newman Centre Catholic Mission at the University of Toronto, National Director and CEO of World Youth Day 2002 in Canada and the founding CEO of the Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation in Canada.

Board Members


Fr. Henk van Meijel, SJ

Katherine Mustachi

Kay Ahn

Fr. Philip Shano, SJ

Fr. Trevor Scott SJ

Mary Kelly

Tomy Valookaran

Catherine Von Zuben

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