The Newman Team
Liam Farrer, Director
Liam Farrer was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta. He holds a Masters of Arts in English from the University of Alberta and a Masters of Arts in Theology from the University of St. Michael’s College. His theses were on the spirituality of chivalry in the legends of King Arthur and how the Canadian theologian Fr. Bernard Lonergan, SJ, can help us understand how St. Bonaventure communicated the Franciscan charism. He is currently completing his Ph.D. at the Regis-St. Michael’s Faculty of Theology at the University of Toronto. His dissertation is on the doctrine of theosis in St. Thomas Aquinas’ Commentary on the Psalms. He is a Junior Scholar at the Lonergan Research Institute and the Recording Secretary of the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada and Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishop’s Ecumenical Dialogue. In his limited spare time, Liam enjoys playing tabletop games and watching baseball (he is a fervent supporter of the idea of bringing the Expos back.) The son of two Montrealers, Liam feels grateful to now call “La Metropole” home and to serve as Director of The Newman Centre of McGill University.
Email: director@newmancentre.org
Rev. Dr. Anthony Atansi, Chaplain
Fr. Anthony Chukwuemeka Atansi is a priest of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Awka, Nigeria. He obtained a Doctor of Sacred Theology (Ph.D. and S.T.D) in 2020, with the greatest distinction, from KU Leuven, Belgium. His doctoral dissertation is entitled "Christ, the Image of Social Transformation: Towards a Transformative Christology in the African Context". He was a Research Fellow at the Centre for World Catholicism and Intercultural Theology of DePaul University, Chicago, USA. He brings to Newman years of pastoral and academic experience in Nigeria, Belgium and United States of America.
Email: chaplain@newmancentre.org
Julie Moon, Administrative Coordinator
Julie Moon moved to Montreal in September 2021 from Hyde Park, NY where she served as Co-Director of Mariapolis Luminosa, a little town and retreat centre of the Focolare Movement. She is an engineer by training and studied social and religious science at the Istituto Internazionale Mystici Corporis in Florence, Italy. She has more than 13 years of experience in mentoring and working with teens and young adults as a youth coordinator of the Focolare Movement in Vancouver, BC and Toronto, ON. She greatly values encounter, dialogue and inclusion in providing guidance to young adults in their intellectual, social and spiritual journey.
Email: coordinator@newmancentre.org
Thomas Yakey Jr., Music Coordinator
Thomas Yakey Jr grew up in Rhode Island, USA. After receiving a BA in Music History in a BM in Music Education from Rhode Island College, Thomas moved to Montreal this year to study Musicology at the Schulich School of Music of McGill University. Thomas enjoys studying sacred music of the Renaissance which helped to strengthen and understand his faith. His current research is investigating the funeral rites of the French monarchs Charles VIII, Louis XII, and Anne of Brittany. Thomas has been a choir member at churches of both the traditional latin and ordinary form of the mass and loves talking music of all times and places.
Email: music@newmancentre.org
Dr. Spencer Boudreau, Ombudsperson
Dr. Boudreau is the ombudsperson of the Newman Centre. He retired from McGill in 2013 where he served as Director of Student Teaching and as Associate Dean of Students in the Faculty of Education and as Ombudsperson for Students. His research interests and publications include the subject of religious education in public and private schools. He was a member of the Catholic Committee of the Ministry of Education during the debate surrounding the place of religion in Quebec schools.