New Faculty Appointments & Transitions
March 25, 2025
Msgr. Robert Nusca, President is pleased to announce the following appointments to St. Augustine’s Seminary Formation and Academic Faculties:
Fr. Scott Birchall has been appointed Rector of St. Augustine’s Seminary by the Board of Governors, upon the recommendation of His Eminence Frank Cardinal Leo. Prior to his ordination, Fr. Birchall obtained a Bachelor of Environmental Studies (B.E.S.) from the University of Waterloo and a Master of Science in Planning (M.Sc. Pl.) from the University of Toronto, where he focused on affordable housing policy. Following the completion of his planning studies, Fr. Scott worked in both the public (municipal) and private sectors. He entered St. Augustine’s Seminary in 2008 and obtained a Bachelor of Sacred Theology (S.T.B.) and a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) in 2014. He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Toronto in 2014. After his ordination, he served as an Associate Pastor at Merciful Redeemer Parish in Mississauga.
In 2017, Fr. Birchall assumed his role as Director of Discipleship Formation (Serra House) at St. Augustine’s Seminary and began his Doctor of Ministry studies at the Catholic University of America, and completed his doctoral studies in 2021. Fr. Birchall was appointed as the Director of Pastoral Formation and the Director of Field Education for St. Augustine’s Seminary in 2021. He was responsible for the building and renovation of Serra House in downtown Toronto. He continues to serve as an Assistant Professor at St. Augustine’s Seminary, where his research focuses include culture, Generation Z, and changing human formation needs within seminary formation. Fr. Birchall is currently the Chair of the Archdiocese of Toronto Priests Retreat Committee, is a member of the Archdiocese of Toronto Priest Council, the St. Michael’s University Collegium, and is the Chaplain of the Couples For Christ, Western Region.
Dr. Josephine Lombardi has been appointed Academic Dean of St. Augustine’s Seminary by the Board of Governors, upon the recommendation of His Eminence Frank Cardinal Leo. Dr. Lombardi is an award-winning author and educator who has worked as a parish minister, university campus minister, high school chaplaincy leader, teacher through O.E.C.T.A., Professor of Religious Education at Brock University, a retreat facilitator, faith formation consultant, and program coordinator in the Diocese of Hamilton. Dr. Lombardi was hired by St. Augustine’s Seminary in 2005 and has served in a variety of roles as: Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs, Dean of Students, Associate Professor of Pastoral and Systematic Theology, and Director of Lay Formation. She was the Director/Professor of Field Education for 10 years. She has worked in media, including radio and television, and has served as an advisor to the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops in the areas of doctrine and Catholic-Muslim relations. Her books, On Earth as it is in Heaven and Experts in Humanity, have been featured on Salt & Light TV. Experts in Humanity was awarded first place in the category of Family Life by the Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada in 2017. She is the Series Theologian for the new Religious Education resource for grades 1 through 8, “Growing in Faith, Growing in Christ” for Catholic School Boards in Ontario, Alberta, and Saskatchewan. In 2023, she was honoured with the award “Outstanding Leadership in Education” by Education 2.0. Dr. Lombardi is the founder of the Experts in Humanity Project.
Fr. Janil Joseph Chakkiath has been appointed as Vice-Rector of the Seminary. He belongs to the Order of the Most Holy Trinity, also known as the Trinitarians. Fr. Janil was born in Kerala, India. After completing his Novitiate in 2000, Fr. Janil made his Solemn Profession in 2006 with the Trinitarian Order and was ordained to the priesthood in January 2008. After spending a year in parish ministry, Fr. Janil was appointed as the Director of Vocations for the Trinitarians in India from 2009 to 2012. Following this position, Fr. Janil was sent to work with the Trinitarian mission in Montreal, Canada, where he committed himself to learning the French language and served in various ministries of the Trinitarians. During this time, Fr. Janil was also assigned to St. Patrick’s Basilica in Montreal, where he served as Associate Pastor until 2018. Following his time in Montreal, in 2019, Fr. Janil was assigned to work at DeMatha Catholic School, a private Catholic school run by the Trinitarians in Maryland, U.S.A. The following year, his Superiors appointed him to be the Director of Formation in the Trinitarian Seminary in Bangalore, India. In 2022, Fr. Janil once again found himself back in Canada, this time in the Archdiocese of Toronto, at St. Patrick’s Parish in Markham, where he served as Associate Pastor until January 2025. Currently, Fr. Janil serves as Administrator at St. Patrick’s in Markham.
Fr. Innocent Okozi has been appointed as Director of Configuration Stage. Fr. Innocent Okozi is a priest of the Archdiocese of Toronto and was ordained in 1995. He was formerly a member of the Society of African Missions (SMA Fathers), Nigeria Province, an international missionary community founded in Lyon, France in 1856. He completed his priestly formation in Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire. He has ministered as a missionary, Pastor, and Associate Pastor to diverse populations in Africa and the United States, including in the Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey, and the Diocese of Portland, Maine. He graduated from the Counseling Psychology Doctoral program at Seton Hall University, New Jersey, in 2010, and taught there as an Adjunct Professor. He is a Licensed Professional Counselor in New Jersey and a Board-Certified Counselor in the United States. He joined the Southdown Institute in April 2020 as a member of the clinical team, which serves clergy, women, and men in religious life, as well as lay ecclesial ministers from both the Catholic Church and various Christian denominations. He has written and published several articles in academic journals and has presented at both local and international conferences. He is fluent in French and a few African languages. Currently, he serves as Associate Pastor at St. John Vianney Parish in Barrie.
Fr. Charles Egbulefu C.C.E. has been appointed Director of Discipleship Stage. Fr. Charles Kelechi Egbulefu C.C.E. was born in Nigeria and was ordained a priest for the religious Congregation of Christ the Emmanuel in 2011. After completing his doctoral studies in dogmatic theology in 2014, he continued in his part-time ministry in the Vatican Sistine Chapel as a Spiritual Chaplain until the spring of 2015, when he was sent to the Archdiocese of Toronto, Canada, for a parish pastoral mission. Since then, he has served at St. Ignatius Loyola Church, Mississauga and at Transfiguration of Our Lord Church, Etobicoke. During the first four years of his pastoral ministry, he taught for two years in the Diaconate Program at St. Augustine’s Seminary. Alongside his pastoral work at the Transfiguration of Our Lord Parish in Etobicoke, he taught the Theology of the Sacraments of the Church in the S.T.B. program at St. Augustine’s Seminary.
Currently, Fr. Charles is a full-time faculty member of St. Augustine’s, serving as a Formator and Assistant Professor of Systematic Theology. In the Seminary as a Formator, he has served both as an Assistant to the Director of the Propaedeutic Stage/Spiritual Year of Formation 2021-2022, and as Assistant to the Director of the Discipleship Stage of Formation from 2022-2025. He is fluent in English, Italian, and Igbo, and is learning Spanish.
Fr. Roy Farrell has been appointed Director of Spiritual Formation. Fr. Roy was born in Marystown, Newfoundland. After completing degrees in Education and Arts at Memorial University, he entered the priestly formation program at St. Augustine’s Seminary. Fr. Roy was ordained on May 8, 1999. He served various parish communities within the Archdiocese, including Epiphany of Our Lord Parish, St. Isaac Jogues Parish, St. Elizabeth Seton Parish, St. Lawrence Martyr Parish, and currently serves at St. Paul the Apostle Parish. He had the opportunity to further enhance his pastoral ministry by taking sabbaticals at the Pontifical North American College and St. Meinrad Seminary. To better serve the needs of the faithful, Fr. Roy earned a Master of Arts in Theology at Holy Apostles Seminary and later a Certificate in Spiritual Direction from the Avila Institute.
Fr. John Abad will be on sabbatical for one year and will continue to serve as a full-time Professor at the Seminary. Alongside his demanding role as Academic Dean, Fr. John has been very instrumental in implementing the Licentiate in Theology and Patristic Studies program. We are most grateful for the priestly formation, academic insights, and guidance that he has provided in support of the mission of the Seminary. His leadership skills and creativity have been essential in raising the profile of St. Augustine’s Seminary.
TRANSITIONS
Fr. Michael Corpus has been appointed Director, Newman Centre Catholic Mission. He has served exceptionally well in his role as Vice-Rector, Director of Liturgy, and Formation Advisor. Fr Michael made significant contributions to the priestly formation program and the administrative operations of the Seminary.
Fr. Edwin Gonsalves has been appointed Rector of St. Michael’s Cathedral. He will complete his term on April 30, 2025. Fr. Edwin has provided thoughtful guidance, direction, and leadership in addition to fraternal support in his time as Rector, for which we are most grateful.
Please join me in offering our prayers and best wishes for all those who are now entering into a period of transition during the coming months. We give thanks to all members of the St. Augustine’s Seminary community for their continued support.
All of these appointments are effective June 25, 2025.