Five novices enter the novitiate

Five novices who entered the novitiate of Montreal on August 18th

But before we present them, here is a little presentation that explains what the novitiate is for the Jesuits.

Aaron Jerard Alquiros Timbol

Aaron, 22, migrated to Canada from the Philippines in 2002. He graduated from the University of Toronto in 2018 with a major in Political Science and minors in Philosophy and Spanish. While in school, Aaron was an active member of St. Anne’s youth ministry and was as an altar server at St. Mary’s parish, both in Brampton, Ontario. He enjoys listening to classical music, reading and singing karaoke.

Yun Tan (Joseph) Leung

Joseph, 26, was born in Hong Kong, and grew up in Metro Vancouver. He graduated from Simon Fraser University in British Columbia with a bachelor’s in Software Systems. In 2015, he moved to Seattle, Washington to work as Software Development Engineer for Amazon. Outside of work, Joseph volunteered at L’Arche Seattle, where he encountered Jesuits who inspired him with their zeal and love. Joseph loves praying the Rosary, learning new languages, and hiking with friends over banter. (Canada Province)

William Mbilinyi

William, 37, earned a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from Urbaniana University in Rome and an MA in Public Administration from Mzumbe University in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. He has been working as a volunteer at St Roch Parish in Toronto, which serves the Swahili speaking community. Working with young people on campus and at the parish, as well as teaching catechism, organizing retreats, pilgrimages, and leading prayer groups is his passion. He was inspired by the Jesuits scholastics while doing his M.Div. at Regis College, Toronto. He enjoys sports, listening to gospel music, socializing and singing.

Joseph Haley

Joseph, 30, earned a bachelor’s in Philosophy and Political Science at the University of Waterloo in Waterloo, Ontario. After university, he worked on farms in Canada, Iceland, and the United Kingdom and later as an HVAC technician in Guelph, Ontario. He was inspired to explore his Jesuit vocation while spending time with the Jesuits at Martyr’s Shrine in Midland, Ontario. He enjoys reading and making music, and has a particular passion for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Edwin Gathara

Edwin, 22, attended a Catholic high school in Muranga, Kenya. He was active in the Catholic Action, a Catholic youth community as the chairman. He enjoyed altar serving and teaching it to others both at school and in his home parish in Nairobi. More recently he worked in Toronto as a customer service representative with Canadian Tire. Edwin enjoys cycling, listening to music, and dancing with family and friends.

Do you want to learn more about vocations to the Society of Jesus? Visit www.beajesuit.org for more information.