Board of Directors
Catholic Conscience is blessed with an outstanding board of directors. Each of our directors brings unique talents, passions, and perspectives, and shares them generously in defining and implementing our strategic vision.
Cardinal Thomas Collins
Director. Joined April, 2023.
Cardinal Thomas Collins was born in Guelph, Ontario. His father was circulation manager of the Guelph Mercury newspaper, and his mother a legal secretary. He and his two sisters grew up in the shade of the Church of Our Lady, where he attended and served morning Mass. Having considered teaching and the law, he was inspired by a Grade 11 English teacher to enter the priesthood.
He was ordained a priest on 5 May 1973. He holds a BA and MA in English, and a BA in theology. In 1978 he studied in Rome, specializing in sacred scripture and the Book of Revelations at the Pontifical Bible Institute, and in 1986 he received a doctorate in theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University.
On 25 March 1997 he was appointed coadjutor Bishop of Saint Paul in Alberta. He received episcopal ordination on 14 May 1997, and on 30 June 1997, he became Bishop. He has served as rector of Saint Peter’s Seminary, London, Canada, president of the National Theological Commission of the Bishops’ Conference, president of the National Commission for Ecumenism, president of the Conference of Bishops of Alberta, president of Saint Joseph’s College Board of Governors at the University of Alberta.
On 18 February 1999 he was appointed coadjutor Bishop of Edmonton and later succeeded as Archbishop of Edmonton on 7 June of the same year. In 2001, while in Edmonton he was named Apostolic Administrator of Saint Paul and held these positions until he was appointed Archbishop of Toronto on 16 December 2006.
He has also served as Chancellor of the University of Saint Michael’s College, the Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies in Toronto, and the Saint Monica Institute for Education and Evangelization, and as Chair of the Board of Governors of Saint Augustine’s Seminary and of the Redemptoris Mater Missionary Seminary.
In 2008 he was elected president of the Ontario Conference of Catholic Bishops.
He has assisted the Holy Father as an Apostolic Visitor in Ireland (2010) and also as the Delegate of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith for Anglicanorum Coetibus (providing for personal ordinariates for Anglicans entering into full communion with the Catholic Church).
He also participated in the Synod of Bishops at a Special Assembly for the Middle East in October 2010. He participated in the XIV Ordinary General Assembly on The Vocation and Mission of the Family in the Church and Contemporary World (October 2015).
He participated in the conclave of March 2013, which elected Pope Francis.
His Eminence was created and proclaimed Cardinal by Benedict XVI in the consistory of 18 February 2012, of the Title of San Patrizio (Saint Patrick).
Among his other works, in 2021 Cardinal Collins created the Saint Monica Institute for Education and Evangelization, a unique Institute for the formation of lay Catholics. On 25 March 2023 he handed the Archdioces of Toronto to Archbishop-elect Francis Leo.
His Eminence remains active as a member of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches. In April 2023 Catholic Conscience was delighted to welcome His Eminence to membership on our board. We congratulate him on 50 years of inspired priesthood, and look forward to working with him as he continues to express his love for Christ and humanity.
Myron Rogal
Director. Joined February, 2023.
Myron Rogal is married with four children and resides in Vonda, Saskatchewan. With a background in philosophy and theology, Myron has been serving the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon since 2009 and worked in parish youth ministry prior to that.
With past positions in vocations and scripture studies, Myron currently coordinates the Office of Justice and Peace and has a passion for the application of the Social
Teaching of the Catholic Church at all levels of society. While recently entering the adventure of farming, most of Myron’s time outside of work is spent playing with his kids and volunteering on various local and national boards. Some of Myron’s most preferred pastimes are reading, traveling, enjoying the majesty of God’s creation and bringing people together of diverging viewpoints.
Luke Stocking
Director. Joined March 2020.
Luke Stocking was born in Toronto but grew up on a 50 acre farm in a town called Uxbridge.
Today, he works for Development and Peace – Caritas Canada, the international solidarity movement of the Catholic Church in Canada. Luke was first involved with the movement as a high school student at the age of 16, when D&P had a special campaign to end sweatshop labour. He joined the staff of D&P in November 2006 as the Central Ontario Animator and served in that role for 12 years, working to inspire, educate and organize Canadian Catholics and all people of good will to bring the Gospel Call to international solidarity to life. He has led trips for volunteer members to visit D&P partners in Zambia, the Philippines, Paraguay and Ethiopia.
Today he is the Deputy Director of Public Engagement and the face of D&P’s leadership team for the Ontario and Atlantic regions.
Luke has a Master of Arts in Theology from St. Michael’s at the University of Toronto with a focus on Catholic Social Teaching.
He is happily married with two children and lives in the Junction neighbourhood of Toronto. He sees himself as blessed to be able to support his family while living his vocation, which is living and giving witness to the social justice message of the Catholic Faith.
Lisa Melanson
Director. Joined March 2020.
Lisa Melanson’s family came to Canada in 1604, and with a short disruption has been here ever since. Having studied at Dalhousie and Cambridge Universities, she has been a US and Canadian intellectual property lawyer for more than 20 years and is currently a partner at one of Canada’s largest and most prestigious law firms. Since 2017 she has been ranked among the top 250 women intellectual property lawyers in the world.
In addition to her work with Catholic Conscience, Lisa has served in direct and supporting roles for several boards, including the parish council at St Patrick’s Church in Toronto and Toronto Standard Condominium Corporation 1598.
Matthew Marquardt
Founder & Executive Director. Joined 2014.
Matthew serves concurrently as executive director of the civic education organization Catholic Conscience and the Saint Monica Institute for Education and Evangelization, a lay vocational institute of the Archdiocese of Toronto. This affords Matthew ample opportunity to indulge his passion for sharing the truth and the beauty of Christ and his Church, with the goal of building the voice of the Church as a gentle moral shepherd for society.
Prior to founding Catholic Conscience and joining the Saint Monica Institute, Matthew served for more than 25 years as a US and Canadian business lawyer, and before that as an aerospace engineer and an inner-city police officer. As a high-school volunteer experience he served as a flight line crewman with a US Naval Reserve fighter squardon.