On May 8th, Montreal Dio & United Church Studies at Dio had its first convocation as an ecumenical college. It was a joyful celebration of unity and the accomplishments of the college’s graduates.
Along with several cash prizes awarded to students for their various academic and pastoral accomplishments over the year, two honours were extended to people outside the college whose ministries have positively impacted the wider church.
The Rev. Patricia Lisson received the honorary Doctorate of Divinity in recognition of her decades-long social-justice informed ministry. Currently the chair-person for the Canadian chapter of the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines, and recently retired Executive Director of St. Columba House in Montreal, Patricia’s ministry has consistently gone beyond the church walls and into the communities in which she ministers.
The Craig Chaplin Award, formerly of the United Theological College, was awarded to Ken DeLisle, a recently retired United Church minister. This award recognizes the life’s work of an LGBTQ+ minister and celebrates their courage and commitment to social justice. The college was delighted to celebrate Ken as the first openly gay person to complete diaconal ministry training for the United Church of Canada back in 1994, and an outstanding advocate for LGBTQ+ justice within and beyond the church.
Bishop Ogé Beauvoir, retired Suffragan Bishop of Haiti, gave the convocation address. He stressed the value of ecumenical formation for ministry in an ever-diversifying church and society and ended by encouraging graduates to seek not to be successful, but to be faithful.
The college community thanks all who attended for their enthusiasm and support.
