Situated in the heart of one of the world’s most diverse cities, we are a Roman Catholic organization rooted in the Dominican tradition and the spirit of Vatican II. We are a collaborative community committed to the exploration and proclamation of the mystery of God’s Word in history in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, and multi-religious context. In keeping with the vision of St. Dominic we engage the Other in constructive and critical dialogue for the benefit of the church and society.
We accomplish our work through seminars, workshops, conferences, and the Vatican II Research Institute.
Situated in the heart of one of the world’s most diverse cities, we are a Roman Catholic organization rooted in the Dominican tradition and the spirit of Vatican II. We are a collaborative community committed to the exploration and proclamation of the mystery of God’s Word in history in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, and multi-religious context. In keeping with the vision of St. Dominic we engage the Other in constructive and critical dialogue for the benefit of the church and society.
Our mission is one of conformity to and reflection on the Word of God expressed through three commitments. First, we are committed to promoting quality liturgical preaching and literacy within the Roman Catholic ecclesial context and in the wider ecumenical community. Second, we are committed to fostering spaces for encountering the Word through dialogue with the academy, other religions and those who seek meaning in contemporary culture. Third, we are committed to sharing with others the fruits of the Dominican Order’s eight-hundred year old tradition of engagement with the Word.
We highly value and appreciate collaborative ministry in the church today. Our theological analysis of contemporary culture includes the integration of liberation, feminist, and ecological perspectives and the insights of postcolonial and diversity studies. We value the diversity reflected in the constitution of our Institute, in terms of language, culture, and gender as well as in our programs. In our theological analysis of culture we endeavour to read the ‘signs of the times’ for the benefit of the mission of the Church.
Our identity is focused on bringing about the multiplicities of life: multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, multi-religious. We embrace the Liturgy of the Church as the Source-and-Summit of the Christian life. Through a greater sense of Dialogue, we embrace the diversity of the Church and the Kingdom of God.
Recognizing the charism of the Dominican order, we aim to promote quality Liturgical preaching and literacy within the Roman Catholic and wider ecclesial context. We foster spaces for encountering the Word through dialogue with academia, other denominations, and the wider community. We aim to share the wealth of the 800 year-old Dominican Tradition.
Above all, we desire to be collaborative, contemporary, and diverse. We value theological analysis dealing with contemporary issues: liberation and feminist theologies, eco-theology, post-colonial and diversity theologies. Revelation is inculturated through the experience of the Church, and we seek to develop and promote this truth.
Dr. Minlib Dallh is a Dominican friar, a member of the Southern Province of the USA. His research focuses on comparative mysticism, women mystics, and love-mysticism in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. He holds a DPhil from the University of Exeter (UK). His teaching and research interests extend to early Dominican friars’ involvement with Islamic studies and Sufi confreries in Sub-Saharan Africa. His first book is entitled The Sufi and the Friar: A Mystical Encounter of Two Men of God in the Abode of Islam (SUNY Press 2017). His second book is, Sufi Women Mystics: Models of Sanctity, Erudition and Political Leadership (Routledge, 2023).
Michael Pirri joined the Dominican Institute of Toronto in 2018 as a Program Coordinator. Michael helps facilitate conferences and manages communications and marketing at the Dominican Institute.
He currently serves at St. Aidan’s in the Beach as Coordinator of Music Ministries.Michael is also the Chair of the Toronto chapter of the Royal School of Church Music Canada, and has served on the nationwide Executive Board of the same institution since 2012 where he works to further the work of music in the Church. He recently completed his Master of Sacred Music at The University of Toronto.
Dr. Dias, Darren, OP Executive Director at the Toronto School of Theology (TST), PhD (St Michael’s)
Dr. Michael Attridge, Director of the Vatican II Research Institute, PhD (St Michael’s)
Dr. Michael O’Connor, Associate Professor at St. Michael’s, DPhil (Oriel College, Oxford), and STB, STL (Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome),
Dr. Minlib Dallh, OP, DPhil, (University of Exeter, UK)
Michael Pirri