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We're Better Together  Video - Jan 31st 2026

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We're Better Together  Video - Jan 31st 2026

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We're Better Together: Mary Jo's 80th Birthday

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Thank you for the invitation to Mary Jo’s 80th on Jan. 31, 2026.   I have registered for the Zoom.  Above is a photo of Mary Jo with myself (left) and the late Bishop Remi De Roo, taken in 1992, for the publication of our book In the Eye of the Catholic Storm, published by HarperCollins. The book was a dialogue among the three of us on the 30th anniversary of the Opening of the Second Vatican Council.  I have treasured this photo and the time I was able to spend with Mary Jo. Her work on behalf of the refugees and vulnerable has been a blessing to Canada and the world.  Happy Birthday, Mary Jo!

Hon. Douglas Roche, O.C.
http://douglasroche.ca

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Hi Mary Jo, what a great opportunity to salute you on behalf of your birthday! May the blessing you have been and you are to so many people rest upon you and stay with you! We can hardly add anything to what has already been said, and rightly so, in your honor. "Memories of war - promises of peace" to us is much more than the title of one of your books. Peace and friendship have come to life among us thanks to you and your mother and sister. Let us celebrate more than 40 years of sharing our stories and sharing life!

"We are better together" - Amen!

At the border called hope:

Gratefully yours,

Julie and Johannes

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Blessings on your 80th. Wow, what a full life of being a person for others. And there have been many, me included. This picture was taken in early 1995 at Rosemary's birthday. From left to right, Mary Jo, Brian, Rosemary, Peter (live-in volunteers from Minnesota), me Norbert, and Lorne.

Happy Birthday!

Norbert

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This is Verene, Jean Marie, Maureen, Jayden, Lisa and Jonathan, from Gatineau,Quebec.

We are happy to wish you a blessed 80 th birthday 🎉

You are a special person in our life especially Jayden and I; Jayden was born in 2006 when I was living with you in the Wanda Road house 🏠

You were like our mom! Your mom, who was living with you by then was like our grandma!🙏

Looking back now 19 years later, I can't thank you and Romero House enough!

You were our stepping stone in Starting a life in Canada.

You deserve a long life, for you are that cornerstone to many others 🙌🙌

We will always cherish your deep dedication, genuine unconditional love, kindness, compassion and support to immigrants and refugees.

We love you so so much and we pray that the God you serve will keep you safe and healthy 👏

Blessings from above;

Happy Birthday 🥳 again Mary Jo😘😘😘😘😘😘

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Happy Birthday, Mary Jo and please be assured that 80 is a very small number when we pause to reflect on the accomplishments racked-up by you  in that space of time. In the Romero House interval alone, your leadership, kindness and example are but a few qualities obvious to all.

But, my real purpose here is to express my gratitude to Mary Jo for her  key role in attracting me to involvement in the Romero House community as a volunteer for over a dozen years.

On a personal note, it was Mary Jo and her vision,  work ethic and reflected joy in the Romero House team & community which prompted  me to step forward after a career in corporate-commercial life. It turned  out to be  a great decision for me to actively work as a volunteer for a dozen years. I often think back on how my early years in the RH Boor St. front-office when I, as receptionist had the privilege of being one of the first persons to  encounter a bewildered "stranger" struggling to communicate & ask for "welcome"

But enough about me, today we honour with gratitude the birthday of our founder Mary Jo. Thank you sincerely for the gifts you have given to us, your life's efforts, friendship,  love and Romero House.

Happy Birthday, Mary Jo

Joe Schmidt

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Dear Mary Jo,

Happy Birthday! May you be surrounded by the joys of community and celebration!

Thank you for your vision and your steadfastness in modelling a solidarity based in community. I am so grateful to have experienced this way of working and living together.

The knowledge and connections I gained through my time at Romero House continue to shape my life, and to ripple out and shape the lives of other refugees and their supporters I’ve worked with since. Your impact is greater than you will ever know.

Happy, happy birthday!

Brenna Sobanski

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I remember hearing Mary Jo speak at our church, St. Cuthberts, in Hamilton probaby around the late 1990s. When we moved to Toronto in 2005 we discovered that we were living right beside the Centre, and were so happy to start participating with Romero House, Mary Jo and the whole community. Mary Jo, thank-you for your leadership, inspiration, and wisdom over many years. It has changed our lives. Also thanks for water at the marathon waterstation... many times.

Matt (and Linda)

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Thank you for sharing the gift of your life. 

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Thank you for sharing the gift of your life. 

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My dear Mary Jo,

How wonderful and magical is to know someone as wonderful and inspirational like you.

Thanks for home and friendship. Your light has saved many of us.

I love you.

Paola Gomez

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Kathryn, Mary Jo, Jenn, and Alexa in Ciudad Juárez

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Things will never be the same - in the best possible way!

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Things will never be the same - in the best possible way!

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It is no exaggeration to say that Mary Jo altered the course of my life. When I relocated to Canada, I wanted to volunteer at Romero House because it operated from a whole-person, whole-community perspective that I had felt was missing when I worked at an immigrant serving agency in another country. Romero House was also a lovely source of community for me, who was a newcomer to Canada but also otherwise very busy parenting and studying for my degree.

As the years of volunteering passed, Mary Jo invited me to participate in various networks and activities. Through those efforts, I met people working in solidarity with refugees around Canada and around the world. Those connections have been a source of learning and inspiration (just like Mary Jo herself is!). From there was the effect of a snowball rolling down a mountain - conducting research that is continuing to have an impact and working with cherished colleagues to start a network that brings together refugee-serving agencies around a common issue, which has helped spread critical information and reduced harm for many people on the move. None of this would have happened without the connections made by Mary Jo.

The Mary Jo quote that I come back to over and over again (although she said it better than I will): "There are times when you have to paddle hard just to stay in place." May those times be rare!

Mary Jo, thank you for your kindness and your laugh, and for bringing people together in all kinds of ways. Happy 80th birthday!

My very best,

Kathryn (and the whole Dennler Family)

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I met Mary Jo in the fall of 2015, when I first arrived in Toronto after the 81st PEN International annual congress held in Quebec City. Everything was new and uncertain, but from the very beginning, she welcomed me with incredible generosity and care. What started as guidance quickly grew into something much deeper—Mary Jo became my godmother, and a steady source of encouragement, wisdom, and strength.

She helped pave the way for my life in Canada, standing beside me through every transition and challenge. Whether it was practical support, thoughtful advice, or simply believing in me when I needed it most, Mary was always there. Her kindness shaped my journey in this country, and it’s something I carry with deep gratitude to this day.Happy 80th birthday Mary Jo.

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New perspective memory, about Romero house annual street party at Wanda street in Toronto!

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Always ready for an adventure.

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September 1998 - Romero House Orientation

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A flood of memories come back as I look through pictures from when I lived at Romero House. Community is hard, and so beautiful. Romero House is much more than a place or a mandate. It's made up of all the people who have come through it's open doors, bringing talents, hopes, griefs, and a willingness to be neighbours. But it started with you, Mary Jo, trusting and believing in the power of connection. Thank you for your vision, hard work, and joy. Thank you for putting your trust in us, the young'uns, who came to Romero House with big ideas, enthusiasm, and little experience. You gave us a chance to learn as we went and to be a part of something that would change the course of each of our lives.

Happy Birthday!

Paola

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On the dock at Camp Romero, pen in hand and camera at your side while the children splash and play in the water.

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For a dear friend who leads with justice and love, Mary Jo Leddy

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For a dear friend who leads with justice and love, Mary Jo Leddy

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Happy Birthday, my dear friend. It’s hard to put into words how much our years of friendship mean to me. We’ve grown, stumbled, and laughed until we couldn’t breathe, through moments that shaped who we are today. No matter how much time passes or how life changes, knowing you’re part of my story brings me comfort and joy. Your strength, integrity, and unwavering commitment to justice have always inspired me. You show up for others with such generosity and courage, often putting the needs of the world ahead of your own, and it’s impossible not to admire the way you live your values every day. Through all the changes life has brought, our friendship has remained a steady source of comfort, laughter, and truth. I’m deeply grateful for your heart, your voice, and the way you make the world more humane just by being in it. May this year give back to you even a fraction of what you so selflessly give to others. You deserve rest, joy, and all the love you’ve earned many times over.

With love,

Ghidei and family

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Happy Happy Birthday Mary Jo,

What a joy it has been to work and volunteer with you. You have influenced our lives in so many wonderful ways- making us better people and walking forward together. Even better you surpass all surprises bringing so much joy and laughter to those around you 🙏💗🙏. ( Here’s to dreaming of that red convertible!!)

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Mary Jo and me in 2001 at Romero House / The 2001 / 2002 crew

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Dear Mary Jo,

Happy Birthday! 80 is quite an age. 80 memorable years of making a difference to so may lives. I got to know Mary Jo in 2001 when I first came to Romero House for a year of service. But my family has been friends with the Leddys for a long time.

What Mary Jo taught me was be thankful for all the little things. And be a light for others - not necessarily in all the big things. Just make people smile a little when you can. Celebrate the good things in life. It doesn't have to be in big style, but with the heart.

Two of the sayings stuck are: "Life is what happend while you are busy making other plans." and "It takes a village to raise a child." Now that I have children of my own I would add: If you don't have a village, take the extended family.

I met Mary Jo first when I was quite young so her wisdom has shaped my life. Thank you Mary Jo for doing so. Thank you for teaching me to look at the good in people, to be strong in a quiet way, to stick to my principles and be a light for others. I have always been amazed by your dedication and all the things you did in your life. Thank you!

Happy Birthday from the whole Bruckner-Kirchberg family.

Anna

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PEN  Canada’s writers in exile winter social gathering at Romero house! February 18th 2024!

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Hello Mary Jo,

Happy birthday! So grateful for the years I got to spend at Romero House, working alongside and learning from you. Grateful for your book recommendations, your support in getting into grad school, and for your example of a life being lived differently. Have a wonderful party, wish I could be there!

Michelle Ball

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MJ_517_1977_Editor-Nun Mary Jo Leddy, right looks over an edition of the Catholic New Times with Christine Belza, the only paid worker on the controversial new Toronto tabloid church newspaper244306

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"New Catholic tabloid in Toronto gives the news others won't print" (Toronto Star, May 21, 1977)

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"New Catholic tabloid in Toronto gives the news others won't print" (Toronto Star, May 21, 1977)

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Courtesy of Toronto Public Library Digital Archives

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This is my favourite photo,

Mary Leckie

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MJ_Jan23_1992_Douglas Roche, Sister Mary Jo Leddy and Bishop Remi De Roo wrote In The Eye Of The Catholic Storm

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Photo courtesy of Toronto public library digital archives of Toronto Star

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Mary Jo Leddy, 1979, Editor of Catholic New Times

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Mary Jo Leddy, 1979, Editor of Catholic New Times

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Courtesy of Toronto Public Library digital archives of Toronto Star

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Dear Mary Jo,

As I looked back a lot of photos and writings, I just had to admire, how much I received from you, and not just I but many of us. The Spririt of God formed me through you. Through your trust I became adult, I learned to live in the present and to see always a hope in every suffering, trembling and hard situation. Thank you for that and thank you for your steady and radical grattitude in all circumstances. Thank you that you are a wonderful instrument of God through that a lot of miracles happened in many lives.

Lóránt Horváth-Varga

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Mary Jo relating our time on pilgrimage in El Salvador made up of  Romero House officials, friends and volunteers to pay homage to Saint Oscar Romero. 

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Dear Mary Jo,

I'm attaching the link to a short video of a speech you gave in April 2019 on my book launch.  In your hilarious address you recall some wonderful memories of Romero House delegation’s visit to El Salvador that Shirin and I were fortunate to be a part of.   The visit  remains a cherished memory for us both.

A very Happy 80th Birthday Mary Jo and many joyous, healthy and fulfilled returns.

With love,

Shirin and Shahid Akhtar

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Mary Jo,

I’m sorry I can’t attend your birthday party in person, but I will be there in spirit. This In his book Aflame (2025) Pico Iyer friendship in these words: « we are glimpsing the hidden architecture of the world: no convergence is coincidence and every moment seems to observe a hidden logic. Everything makes sense and life becomes a shining web of correspondences." I take the occasion of your 80th birthday to name, give thanks for and celebrate the shining web of correspondences we've shared and which have given me a glimpse of the hidden architecture of our world. I remember («remember » in Spanish is « recorder » = to pass through the heart again) many such moments that I've listed in a longer letter I will send you.

This birthday celebration comes exactly when we all need it. It is an affirmation of the ecumenical vision —- justice for the whole inhabited world. It is a reminder of the power of community. It is an opportunity for “radical gratitude". You have helped so many, including me, “recognize what we have rather than what we don’t and enabled us to awaken to another way of being, another kind of economy, the great economy of grace in which each person is of infinite value and worth." (by MJL in Radical Gratitude)

Michael

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A collective tribute from the Writers in Exile community, featuring heartfelt messages of gratitude celebrating Mary Jo Leddy’s 80th birthday and her lifelong commitment to refugees, writers, and human dignity.

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With Gratitude: Writers in Exile Celebrate Mary Jo Leddy’s 80th Birthday

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At Massey College (April 3, 2014) and the PEN Canada AGM (September 4, 2013)

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Happy 80th Birthday, Mary Jo! May God’s abundant blessings surround you today and always.

I first met you at PEN Canada in early 2011, after my arrival in Canada from Sri Lanka on the Ocean Lady in October 2009. From that moment on, your kindness became a quiet strength in my life. You gave me confidence when I needed it most, guided me with compassion, nourished me in every sense, and raised your voice so that my family was able to be reunited with me in Canada.

My gratitude has no end. Thank you—for your courage, your love, and your unwavering support. This message comes from the bottom of my heart, and from my family as well. God bless you always.

Maaran (& Ramiya )

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..with family, friends, and good food and drinks. Happy 80th Birthday Mary Jo!!

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2021 my sons birthday

It’s soo much emotional for me to have been part of this amazing family call Romero house

Thank you, Mary Jo, for being an angel to so many immigrants who, upon arrival, felt alone and very afraid. Thank you for fighting like a lioness for people's rights. I wish that God grants you many more years of life, health, and the love of those around you. God bless your life, your path, and your rising each morning. We love you very much. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

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Mary Jo and Marilyn Legge at Victoria University Convocation, May 2019

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Mary Jo and Marilyn Legge at Victoria University Convocation, May 2019

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Mary Jo and Jack Costello at Manresa Centre, Pickering, November 2025

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Mary Jo and Jack Costello at Manresa Centre, Pickering, November 2025

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Volunteers the Romero Water Station, Scotia Charity Challenge 2013 

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Happy 80th , Mary Jo !!

I am so grateful to have had the privilege to walk with you and Romero in so many ways:

volunteering at the Centre and on the Romero Board, walking in solidarity with the people of El Salvador in Romero's 2010 Pilgrimage, sharing in the many aspects of the work and play at Romero over the years.

Your vision and commitment to Romero and beyond Romero continue to inspire me.

With love and gratitude,

Kathy B.

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Dear Mary Jo,

I met you as a seminary student in about 2012 and had the privilege of taking a Christian pilgrimage to Auschwitz under your leadership. You later attended my ordination as a pastor in Mennonite Church Eastern Canada. After we did a book study on The Other Face of God my church sponsored 2 refugee families - first a family from Myanmar and then a Palestinian family who had fled to Syria, just before the wars.

Although I have left ministry, I am so grateful for your ongoing integrity and commitment to showing with your life what it looks like to be a follower of Jesus. In a time when so many church leaders and mentors have disappointed, you continue to remain a role model to me, and I thank you deeply for that. You prepared your students well for the world we live in today.

Thank you for believing in me. I will keep trying to pay it forward.

By the way one of the moments in my life I’m most proud of was when you told someone I was an activist!

With my deep gratitude

Alicia Good (and hello also from Billy, Natalia and Josiah!)

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We plant the seeds that one day will grow.

The seeds you planted many years ago inspired a young Korean to found a refugee centre in Korea, which became the bridge that connected me to Romero House.

Thanks to your vision and dedication, I found a new home and many new families, and I am eternally grateful. The families and my friends I met through Romero House are true blessings.

Thank you for your encouragement, wisdom, and prayers whenever I face a wall I cannot break through. You taught me to climb it up, instead of breaking it, so I can see a bigger world.

Happy Birthday Mary Jo, and I look forward to having crepes with you soon!

You Sung Chae

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Mary Jo – 2017 Romero Summer Camp & 2022 Wanda Street Party

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Mary Jo – 2017 Romero Summer Camp & 2022 Wanda Street Party

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Photographs taken at the 2017 Romero Summer Camp and the 2022 Wanda Street Party.

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Happy birthday Mary Jo!! Thank you for the way you have consistently included young people in your way of being. I am no longer that young, but I know that there are so many of us whose lives have been changed by knowing you. Thank you for your generosity, care, example, and faith. You taught me that we don’t need to be perfectly prepared in order to do good work - we can simply begin.

Love, Sarah Villiger-Klaas

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Happy Birthday Mary Jo! I am so grateful for the time spent living and learning alongside you. You are an example to me of someone who has been attentive enough to recognize a summoning, and courageous enough to step into it. This courage, I sense, is a daily choice, to show up again and again with care, commitment, gratitude and humour - with emphasis on the humour! You have reminded me that laughter and playfulness provide the nourishment for we need to sustain resistance, and to create communities of belonging.

With love, Anika Reynar

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Love from Erin and Djillali in Kamloops

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John and Lynn haley and my forever Romero family…. Mary Jo you changed our lives forever gifting us with our Romero family

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John and Lynn haley and my forever Romero family…. Mary Jo you changed our lives forever gifting us with our Romero family

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Pilgrims on a long journey with our God and with each other. …. Reaching beyond what seemed impossible..

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Pilgrims on a long journey with our God and with each other. …. Reaching beyond what seemed impossible..

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On a rooftop of our RomeroHouse… together in simple ways always reaching for ways to bring the heavens to earth to be shared

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On a rooftop of our RomeroHouse… together in simple ways always reaching for ways to bring the heavens to earth to be shared

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Jeanne Louise juste had to send her love

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Jeanne Louise juste had to send her love

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The spirit and mission of Romero House must transcend distance, time and forever roadblocks of society . From the first days of Romero House to this very day 35 years later… the gift of Romero must be shared with passion, hope and faith… this is what Mary Jo has taught me!

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Sharing Romero House in British Columbia 

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Sharing Romero House in British Columbia 

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To the amazing Mary Joe on her 80th birthday!

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To the amazing Mary Joe on her 80th birthday!

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They say home is where the heart is, and you proved that to me the moment I arrived in Canada. Thank you for your incredible generosity and for being such a bright light in my journey. 80 years of making the world a better place is definitely something to celebrate!

Wishing you the most wonderful birthday yet.

Dilek

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Love and gratitude from John Haley in heaven … you mentored him in his years as refugee judge!

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Love and gratitude from John Haley in heaven … you mentored him in his years as refugee judge!

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Dear Mary Jo,

Happy birthday! I hope you enjoy a wonderful day of good cake and celebration.

I hope you don’t mind if I take this moment to thank you for your gentle and effective guidance during my internship at Romero House back in 2014/15. I was so eager to find my way into the humanitarian sector, and my time at Romero House gave me that, and so much more.

Many of my professional and personal experiences have been shaped by the community you built, the words you shared, and the care you offered at every opportunity.

Your energy, light, and love continue to shine through all of us.

With deep gratitude,
Gemma

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You have been such a guiding light in my life. Helping me reunite with my dad in Canada changed my life in ways I can never fully put into words. I’ve always looked up to you, and your compassion and strength continue to inspire me every day. I’m so thankful for you and wish you the happiest of birthdays.

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Birthday hugs and blessings

from Marilyn (Stroeder) Olsen

from your ED Feehan days. :)

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Thank you Mary Jo for your wisdom and inspiration.

A few that stay with me:

- Where you are, determines what you hear.

- Focus on what you are For, not what you are against

- Sometimes we are doing good but just "Dead as a doornail", got to move and be alive

Life is better together. Happy 80th Birthday!

love,

Lori (Neale)

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Working alongside you, Mary Jo -- teaching refugees at Romero House and mentoring PEN Canada's Writers in Exile -- has been truly inspiring. Getting to know you has been one of the honours of my life.

Thank you and palju õnne (Happy Birthday in Estonian),

Anneli Andre-Barrett

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It's been an honour - and a great pleasure! - to be your friend all these years. You make the world a better place!

Love,

Barbara Gordon

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With deep gratitude and warm hearts, Alembrhan and my family celebrate this special day in your life. Your compassion, wisdom, and unwavering commitment to justice have touched our lives in unforgettable ways. During our time at Romero House, we felt the strength of your vision and the warmth of the community you helped build.

May this day bring you the same peace, joy, and love that you have so generously shared with others. You are a true light in this world.

With love and appreciation,

Alembrhan and my family

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Your life is a beautiful reflection of a lifetime filled with love, kindness, and wisdom — gifts you have shared so generously with everyone around you.

From the very beginning, when I arrived in Canada and met you, you ,along with the Romero family , filled the empty space of family in my heart. Your warmth, care, and generosity helped me feel welcomed, safe, and truly at home in a new country.

You have always been more than a supportive presence to me.

You have been a true role model —

in compassion, resilience, and unconditional love for others.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being such an important part of my life and for showing me that family is not only defined by blood, but by love, presence, and genuine connection.

Wishing you continued health, peace, and many joyful moments ahead.

You are deeply appreciated and truly cherished 💖

With love and gratitude,

Aram&Mehdi

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Happy birthday Mary Jo!  I wish you many more healthy and productive ones.  You have been an inspiration and a role model on how to live one's life in the service of others.  With great affection, Jeanette Goldman

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Happy birthday Mary Jo!  I wish you many more healthy and productive ones.  You have been an inspiration and a role model on how to live one's life in the service of others.  With great affection, Jeanette Goldman

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Dear Mary Jo,

Happy Birthday! Thank you for the gift that was my internship at Romero House and all of the wonderful lessons and relationships that came from it. Your example of living with compassion and kindness has stayed with me long after my time with Romero House came to a close. Wishing you many blessings today and in the years to come.

Sincerely, Andrea Scapinello (nee Weerdenburg)

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June 1993 - The Sanctuary Coalition held a press conference at the Church of the Holy Trinity in downtown Toronto They undertook a “Civil Initiative to Protect Refugees” making it clear that they would not abandon the twenty-three cases they had identified as deserving refugee status even thought those cases had been rejected by the IRB.

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Original Paper and Appendices PDF] A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE SANCTUARY COALITION 1993-2019 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND Prior to World War II, Canada's immigration polices were very selective. Most immigrants came from the UK or northern and eastern Europe. A notorious example of this policy occurred in 1939, when a boatload of desperate Jewish refugees arrived in Canada.

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Dear Mary Jo,

I'd love to be able to be at your party but I am still in the hospital after a Humpty Dumpty like-fall seven weeks ago.

My thoughts will be with you and all who will gather. You have done so much to contribute to the quality of life in our society, especially, for the well-being of  refugees and children. My collaboration with you in each of these areas remains one of the high points of my life.

God bless you all

Rabbi Arthur

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Sending best wishes to you, Mary Jo, on this special birthday. I join in wishing you blessings as you celebrate these 80 years of living with such faithful commitment, speaking and acting to address the pressing needs of our times.

With many good memories of the days at CNT. Great to have crossed paths on that part of the journey.

Will be celebrating with you in spirit on Jan. 31.

In gratitude,

Katie O'Mara

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Happy 80th Birthday Mary Jo! We are so grateful for the gift of your life to us and to the world.  We have many formative memories of time spent with you from Sonya’s time on the Romero staff and board, and from our family participation at street parties and camp.  I remember you once saying to us RH staff and interns that it was important to cultivate the spiritual resources that would sustain us in the work we wanted to do and the life we wanted to live.  Perhaps not a small amount of that spiritual wisdom is captured in your Romero Camp rules for fishing. You instructed the youngest anglers that to be successful they needed to 1) Be quiet 2) Be still 3) Be Attentive 4) Be Patient. Pretty good rules, whether one is trying to catch a few fish or angling for deeper wisdom, both human and divine.

With love and gratitude – Sonya, Ron, Sophia & Rebecca Wu-Winter

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Dear Mary Jo,

The title of your book “Radical Gratitude”aptly describes the way we feel about your presence in the world. Your life of loving kindness towards others inspires us. May God continue to bless you on this milestone birthday and well into the future.

Love Michael & Barbara McMorrow

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Dear Mary Jo,

I am so grateful for your mentorship over these last several years. Your image of that rusty bowl as the church—filled with holes but still a vessel we need to carry life to others—has helped to guide my vocation.

Your words before defending my dissertation continue to keep me grounded: “remember, this is not your most important work; the important work is yet to come.”

I have come to see that it’s not what you have written or spoken that has been your most important work. Your most important work is who you are. You have given us the greatest gift one person can give another: their attention. This act of love fundamentally reshapes our moral vision. In seeing us, in loving us, you have taught us how to see and how to love each other. And this has empowered all of us to say to the darkness: “we beg to differ.”

Happy birthday Mary Jo—we are so grateful for the gift of these 80 years.

Your student,

Jeff

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Nomination Letter for Victoria University to Award Mary Jo Letty the Honorary Doctor of Divinity, by Marilyn Legge, 2019 (photo above)

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Nomination Letter for Victoria University to Award Mary Jo Letty the Honorary Doctor of Divinity, by Marilyn Legge, 2019 (photo above)

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Mary Jo Leddy’s passion for common good is evident in her work as a teacher, writer, and editor devoted to justice and peace. She is active in human rights issues and the peace movement.  In 1973, she was the founding editor of the Catholic New Times. She is also the author of significant books whose titles articulate her vocation:  Say to the Darkness We Beg to Differ (Lester and Orpen Denys, finalist City of Toronto Book Award), Reweaving Religious Life: Beyond the Liberal Model (Twenty Third Publications, 1990), At the Border Called Hope: Where Refugees are Neighbours (HarperCollins, 1997 and Radical Gratitude (Orbis Books, 2002, finalist for the Trillium Award,) and The Other Face of God: When the Stranger Calls Us Home (Orbis 2011). Her intellectual and moral stature is also evident through ecumenical and inter-religious solidarity and in her teaching. For example, her Toronto School of Theology course “Doing Theology in Canadian Context” teaches by example how to listen to voices from the margins and how to sustain public witness.

In a recent interview for the United Church Observer, Mardi Tindal asked her: “How might the church respond creatively to re-enter the public square and embody hope?” Leddy replied that “[f]irst we need to notice where the public square continues to function. Like the street. Like public broadcasting. There are spaces and places where significant care for the common good continues…Over and above that, what the churches have to bring is a sense of why it matters that [the public square] functions.” Mary Jo also advocates this moral vision as “the biblical view that we are made to be together…We share a life together, and we share a world that we are responsible for. . . So in this time when — politically speaking — the public square is not working, part of our task is to recall why it has to work.” So she reminds us that it is because that is how we are meant to be.

Because of her moral vision, courage and tenacity for shaping common good, because of her wisdom and compassion, and as a woman who lives with faith, hope and love in various publics, Mary Jo calls us to add our work and witness for interdependency and planetary survival – and to do something, to take a stand, to join all who forge those bonds of personal and public good.

In short, Dr. Leddy inspires and edifies us to seek “a new global commons” of shared public spaces dedicated to a less violent, more mutual and sustainable common life. Professor Leddy’s vocation of listening to and walking with people who are invisible and ignored shows us all how to embody real solidarity with one another and how to act together for well-being. Therefore, I whole-heartedly nominate Professor Mary Jo Leddy for the Honorary D.D. of Victoria University at Emmanuel College’s Convocation.

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Mary Jo,

I have only known you personally for these last few years since our family moved to Toronto--but I know I have a friend for life. You welcomed me with that infectious love of yours that won't let anyone go without knowing they belong. Your invitation of welcome to refugees into Canada is a testimony to all those who've known you and know of you. I've had professors from across North America who know of my desire to support refugees in Canada say, "You're in Toronto! Well, you must meet Mary Jo Leddy. She's a legend." There's not enough space or words that will be able to reflect how much you have done for so many people. With all that all us can muster up across these pages, we say collectively, thank you for welcoming all persons with love and compassion and care. You've loved us so well. And we love you.

Jaylynn Byassee

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Happy 80th Birthday Mary Jo! We feel so blessed to have been inspired by you and worked alongside you as interns in 2012-2014. Thank you for guiding us through the joys and challenges of true community- we have such fond memories of good conversations, joyful liturgies, and lots of laughter. We wish you a joyful birthday; may you be blessed with good health and great company as you celebrate this incredible milestone.

Love from,

Erika Toffelmire and Cameron Klapwyk

P.S. Our son Levi (6 years old) thinks that you look like the "queen on the coins." :)

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Canadian Council of Refugees

In Canada, we speak many languages, come from many places, and across our differences, we look out for each other. It’s time we join together and show where we stand: in support of a future where all families can thrive.

Our Canada includes immigrants and refugees. If you agree we’re better together, you can add your name to this campaign, https://bettertogethercanada.ca/take-action/

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Dear Mary Jo

It has been one of the great joys of my retirement to have the opportunity to be part of the Romero House community and to work with you and to spend many lunches together with you, RH staff and other volunteers. I wish you all the best for a very Happy Birthday and for a great year to come full of good health, happiness and contentment. You are a great example to all of us!

Harold Wright

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Thank you, Mary Jo for all of it!

From long ago writing for Catholic New Times, to Marches, Romero House, Romero Masses, Retreats, every one of your books, the Wendell Berry course, Lula Lounge fundraisers, all the way to working with you on our Poetry, Prayer and the Political Moment course last year.

How full our lives have been because of you.

I remember you quoting Catholic Worker Peter Maurin,

"Our job is to give people opportunities to do good and to be good." You have done your job well and Francis and I thank you for all the opportunities you have given us. His years on the Board were important to him. And now we get to celebrate you. A party! You are very good at celebrating and at having parties.

Our gratitude and our blessings,

Susie and Francis

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I thank Mary Jo, Jack Costello, Mary Power and everyone who gave us support throughout our stay at 175 Keele St in 1991. You were like our family and were there for us in bad and good times.

I wish you, Mary Jo, a very happy and a blessed 80th Birthday celebration!!!

May God give you good health, peace, love and joy during her Birthday and always!!! With lots of love ❤️❤️🙏🙏❤️❤️🙏🙏

Mulu

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Dear Mary Jo, your warm smile fills this loving tribute to you for your 80th birthday. You were one of my leaders during my summer internship at Romero House in 2011. I am grateful to have lived in your community of faith, learning and sharing. You were my teacher for a course at Regis College that took us to Berlin and Auschwitz in 2012. Thank you for your patience as I grappled with my unfinished paper. You were a light at my Mother’s funeral in 2014. I try to follow your caring and compassionate example through my work at Martin Luther Church in South Etobicoke. We continue to be neighbours. I wish you many more shared meals, prayers and stories.

Marlena Muller

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Dear Mary Jo:

Your spirit, sparkle and smile have been a joy and a blessing over all the years I have had the privilege of knowing and collaborating with you in the Sanctuary group and Romero House.

Thank you being an inspiration to me and to so many! Your steadfast love and advocacy for refugees is remarkable.

Lots of love,

Kristin

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Wishing you a lovely day, Mary Jo! My time at Romero House has had such a profound impact on my life - from my career choice to how I choose to spend my time outside of work. I will be forever grateful for your leadership in social justice in Canada and I know so many across the country feel exactly the same way. Enjoy the celebration!

Celine McGarvey

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Dear Mary Jo,

Now that you have reached this milestone, I would like to thank you for your very significant contributions to helping refugees, promoting human rights, building a thriving community, and for being an effective communicator always, and a fierce fighter for justice when necessary. You are an inspiration!

I am thankful for having had the opportunity to collaborate with you over several decades in helping refugees in different ways. And I am honoured to be counted among your many friends.

I am especially grateful for your promotion of interfaith understanding and cooperation. I experienced that firsthand.

Finally, I am grateful that my late wife Edna was also part of the Romero team for many years. Your presence at her funeral service was something I will always remember.

Happy 80th birthday and many more to come.

With love and blessings,

B'shalom,

Peter

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Happy 80th Mary Jo.

Thank you for the joy and sense of purpose that you brought to Wanda Road some 40 years ago. You were our lifetime favourite neighbor... and activist. Your continuing warm friendship ever since has been a valued source of happiness and inspiration both for Georgia and for me. As a childhood refugee myself, I carry especially great appreciation, in fact love, for the work you have been doing. For who you are, what you do and for your friendship I can only describe my feeling as "radical gratitude".

With love,

Gerry Helleiner

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Dear Mary Jo,

Wishing you the happiest of birthdays on this wonderful milestone! I consider myself privileged to have crossed paths with you over the course of many years. You are an inspiration and beacon of moral imagination, commitment and courage. Happy birthday dear friend ...and here's to sharing many more. lots love, Sharry (Aiken)

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with love to Mary Jo on your 80th ! -  David Walsh

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with love to Mary Jo on your 80th ! -  David Walsh

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Mary Jo – you have been an inspiration in so many efforts to support the most vulnerable, and your imagination knows no bounds as you look for ways to take on the power brokers and support the most vulnerable in our city.  It has been a joy to be a part of your troubadour – making lots of noise and being faithful where it counts.

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My dear Jo,

There are no words that can capture the place you hold in my life and in my heart. Over 48years you have been sister, mentor, guide , advocate, friend and soulmate. We are faith-filled and faithful . You have given me roots and wings .. rooted in God and wings to fly freely wherever the Spirit has led me. You shared your dream of Romero House right from our early moments on Keelewhere we prayed. Danced. Wept and hoped!

As it was in the beginning, is now and forever shall be … we share we share the love of our God. Of our neighbours and of our forever friendship. Blessings lynn Scott Haley

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with gratitude for life and friendship shared in so many over the years. Happy Birthday

Maureen Sager

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Gathered together in Saskatoon, we want to wish you our very best, and God's choicest blessings for your 80th Birthday. We are grateful for the gift of you in our lives, to the world and to Sion. May all the good you have loved, encouraged, brought to birth and cared for be returned to you a hundredfold! A blessing from Sion! Mazeltov! With our love and prayers - Sisters of Sion - Audrey Gerwing, Audrey Doetzel, Bernadette O'Reilly, Diane Willey, Pauline Greenizan, Darlene DeMong, Virginia Scissons, Jocelyn Monette, Isabel Lewis, Margie McGrath, Stephanie Schmidts, Donna Purdy, with Mary Babic and in the days just past, from above, Josie Germaine and Margaret Hughes. All our love - a blessing on your head and toes!

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Thank you for being a woman of faith, justice and love!

Marie-Noëlle

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You continue to inspire so many to work together to provide a welcoming home for refugees in Canada.

With deepest love and respect,

Mary Smart 💕🙏💕

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Love, hugs and solidarity on this special day, Carol Rittner, RSM Forty Fort, PA USA

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Dear Mary Jo,

Thank you for being a quiet, powerful prophet. As a fellow Saskatchwanite, I am proud of you. - and very grateful.

Ron Rolheiser

San Antonio, Texas

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Happy Birthday MJ "Dolly"

Warm love and hugs from the Arctic. Wishing you many blessed and healthful years to come.

Tembie

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Proud to be one of Ghidey's 5. Good to see you all and be part of the party online. Happy Birthday and many blessings to you, Mary Jo.

Ibtisam

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Blessings on this great day to celebrate you , Mary Jo. Thanks to you and the Holy One for the gift of you in my life, for the spiritual exercises of all types and encouragement always.

Love from me and your Sisters in Sion

Mary B Baaaaabeeeeeeck

Blessings!

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Erin and Djillali Khelouiati (Kamloops), Shawn and Janice Sanford Beck (Saskatoon), Anna Brueckner (Germany), Carol Rittner (Pennsylvania), Doug Roche (Edmonton), Ron Rolheiser (San Antonio), Lynn Haley (BC), Ibtisam, Shannon Leddy (Vancouver), Hanns Thomae, Jenn McIntyre (Halifax), Lorant Horvath-Vargas, Karen Walsh-O'Leary, Odile Gaudet (Costa Rica), Marilyn Olsen, Mary Babic, Iptisam

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My "bouquet" to you Mary Jo

Mary Jo Leddy’s 80th Birthday Celebration

“We Are Better Together”

January 31, 2026

Stephen Bede Scharper

I needed a job.

It was April 1981. I was finishing my third year at St. Michael's College, University of Toronto, and I had to make money over the summer, so I called the Catholic New Times.

A gentleman answered the phone, and I asked if they had any summer openings. The man said no. Nada. Case closed. Full stop.

Deep sigh.

“But let me take your name and phone number, just in case,” he said.

I was deflated; I had really, really wanted to work at the Catholic New Times.

As co-editor of The Mike, the St. Mike's student newspaper, I regarded the New Times as both beacon and template, reporting on such critical issues as the role of the church in liberation movements across Latin America, including Archbishop Oscar Romero's valiant human rights stand in El Salvador, the faith-based anti-apartheid movement of Archbishop Desmond Tutu in South Africa, Sister Rosalie Bertell's tireless anti-nuclear advocacy, the Canadian women religious-led Nestle's boycott, Indigenous rights, women's liberation, and global peace movements.

New Times was an independent, intrepid, independent Catholic voice during a tumultuous time, and I wanted to be a part of it.

I was thus delightedly surprised when, two weeks later, I got a call from none other than the founding editor, Sister Mary Jo Leddy!

She said she was taking a summer sabbatical to work on her thesis, and the New Times needed someone to work with the venerable Janet Somerville as co-editor.

It was Thursday. She said, ‘Can you come by around 2:00 PM on Monday for an interview?’

Excited and apprehensive, I hastily put together a dossier of personal propaganda and slid it under the New Times office door on the third floor of Saint Paul Catholic School at 80 Sackville St. in Toronto.

When I met with Mary Jo that Monday, she said, “Stephen, this is not an interview. I've checked your references and gone over your materials. You're hired.” (And this was pre-Internet; she did all that sleuthing without Google!)

So began a 45-year relationship with Mary Jo, who morphed from iconic role model into a fun-loving and steadfast friend.

In co-founding the New Times, Mary Jo underscored for all of us that liberation theology from Latin America and the global South needed to be rooted in Canadian soil; it needed to have expression in an independent, bold, faith-infused, Canadian media context.

She was among the first to sound the alarm about a declining American Empire. She was ever courageous, but never reckless, in her pursuit of justice and peace, prayerful and persistent in her preferential option for those sidelined by the shark-toothed, “greed is good,” neoliberal anschluss of North American culture.

Courage. Kindness. Friendship.

These were the quietly glowing gifts Mary Jo offered to a callow undergraduate 45 years ago, and the gifts she continues to offer to all of us here. Now. Today.

Mary Jo, we love you.

Happy Birthday.

Stephen Bede Scharper, Ph.D.