Jesuit Development Office
Ordinations and Final Vows
Dan Kelly, S.J.
On Saturday, August 30, 2008, the Most Rev. Archbishop Anthony Mancini, Archbishop of Halifax, Nova Scotia, ordained to the priesthood Fr. Daniel Kelly, S.J., at St. Mary’s Basilica in Halifax. The following day, Fr. Kelly celebrated his first Mass, a Mass of Thanksgiving at St. Patrick’s Church in Halifax.
Dan entered the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) in 2002, having already completed most of the requirements for ordination within the diocesan seminary, thereby expediting his move toward ordination within the Society.
Dan was born in 1966, the youngest of nine children, and grew up in the Ottawa valley. He entered the seminary first for the diocese of Pembroke and later for the archdiocese of Ottawa. However, his discernment led him to understand his vocation differently and to seek entry in the Society of Jesus.
Dan lives in Halifax serving as the Chaplain of St. Mary’s University and as a member of the Halifax Jesuit Centre for Ignatian Spirituality.
Elton Fernandes, S.J.
Elton Fernandes, 33, entered the Society of Jesus in 1999 and completed his two-year novitiate at St. Paul, Minnesota. His family roots are in India. Growing up in the multicultural environs of Toronto, however, led to friendships that inspired an interest in Chinese culture. After his novitiate, he was assigned to Cardoner House for philosophical studies. He was then missioned to China Province to continue his formation there. He began by studying Mandarin for two years in Taipei, and later, in Beijing. He returned to Taiwan for regency, serving in palliative care and prison ministry. Threeyear theology studies followed, at the Jesuit faculty of theology in Taipei. During his studies, he gained pastoral experience with a university community, CLC and a Taiwanese aboriginal community. Elton was ordained a priest in Toronto on April 18, 2009. He is currently completing a master’s degree at Regis College, focusing on the spirituality of compassion, and serving at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Chinese Catholic Church in Toronto.
Jeffrey Burwell, S.J.
I entered the Society of Jesus in 1997 after having completed four years of study at the University of Regina. I was not entirely sure whether Jesuit life was altogether what God had in mind for me and my entrance into the Novitiate was somewhat tentative. My family never bothered to clean out my bedroom at home, and most of my friends thought that I would return to the city within a few months. Nevertheless, I encountered quite profoundly a way of being with others and living in the world that transformed me. My heart was touched by a world that many will never experience—a world where the blind can see things I could not, where the poor have riches beyond what most could imagine, and where the mute speak with both vulnerability and the most real of human tenderness.
When the time came for me to take vows as a Jesuit scholastic, there was no doubt in my mind that this would be the life that I choose to live.
Saint Augustine wrote, “You made us for yourself and our hearts are restless until we find rest in you.”
John Meehan, S.J.
A native of Antigonish, N.S., John entered the Society of Jesus in 2000 after studies in history and international relations in Canada, Britain and the United States. He first met Jesuits while working and living with handicapped people at l’Arche in Trosly, France. Since entering the Society, he has worked with First Nations in Seattle, atrisk youth in Mississippi and prison inmates in Saskatchewan. His doctoral thesis on Canadian-Japanese relations was published in English in 2004 and in Japanese in 2006. Currently he is finishing a history of Sino-Canadian relations and about to begin a project on Vatican relations with China. As a deacon and soon a priest in the Society, he feels called to the educational and international apostolates, seeking to encourage greater dialogue among world religions and cultures. As a Jesuit, he is inspired by the many occasions in which academic, secular exchanges have moved to the level of spiritual conversation. He sees a great need for such an awareness in academic life today, bringing to such places the Jesuit charism of finding God in all things. A singer and pianist, John enjoys music and the joy it gives to others.
Teofilo “Teo” Ugaban
Teofilo “Teo” Ugaban, SJ, was born in Dagupan City, Philippines. He immigrated to Vancouver, British Columbia, with his parents and two brothers in 1990. His parents continue their work as Registered Nurses in the Lower Mainland. Teo studied at The University of British Columbia, which is where he met the Jesuits.
He worked as a catechist in Tucson, Arizona, with Yaqui Native Americans. Teo was involved in youth ministry with the Salesians of Don Bosco and in the Diocese of Vancouver. His exploration of religious life and priesthood led him to the Society of Jesus at the age of 19. At 22, he entered the Jesuit Novitiate in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 2000. Upon taking his vows, he continued his studies at the University of Toronto, focusing on Philosophy and Jewish Studies. For his Regency, Teo taught at Loyola High School in Montréal. In 2005, he also helped organize a group from Loyola to attend the World Youth Day celebration in Cologne, Germany. Currently, he is studying theology at Regis College in preparation for ordained ministry.
Teo passionately believes that “being a Jesuit is a privilege and a gift.” His talent in the visual arts has allowed him to share his artistic gifts in Canada and in the United States. Last year, he opened his seventh art exhibition at Our Lady of Lourdes Jesuit parish in Toronto. He enjoys tennis and treating his Jesuit brothers with his culinary gifts.