Leadership Announcement
8 October 2025
Re: Leadership Announcement – Canadian Catholic Bioethics Institute
My Dear Brothers and Sisters,
On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Catholic Bioethics Institute (CCBI), I would like to share news of the retirement of Dr. Moira McQueen and the appointment of Mr. Eoin Connolly as Executive Director and Dr. Patricia Murphy as Program Director.
I invite you to refer to the attached detailed announcement from the CCBI providing additional information regarding these most qualified individuals.
As noted in the CCBI communique (see attached), we wish to extend immense gratitude to Dr. McQueen for her outstanding contributions to the Catholic community locally, nationally and globally, over so many years. May she enjoy a well-deserved retirement as we give thanks for her tremendous leadership and tireless efforts to serve the Church.
We also welcome with great joy Mr. Connolly and Dr. Murphy, who will share their many gifts and talents to propel the CCBI forward at a time where faith-infused research, education and guidance on ethical issues is urgently needed to support our clergy, healthcare professionals, educators and Catholics throughout the country. Both individuals have commenced most recently their work with the CCBI and Dr. McQueen will be available as a liaison where required to ensure a smooth transition.
Let us give thanks for all those who have guided the CCBI faithfully for so many years as we pray for this next chapter of ministry and service to God’s people to be filled with inspiration, ardour and abundant fruit.
Sincerely yours in Jesus with Mary,
Frank Cardinal Leo
Metropolitan Archbishop of Toronto
October 8, 2025
Leadership Announcement: The Canadian Catholic Bioethics Institute
The Canadian Catholic Bioethics Institute (CCBI) announces the retirement of its esteemed Executive Director, Dr. Moira McQueen, and the appointment of Eoin Connolly as Executive Director and Dr. Patricia Murphy as Program Director.
Dr. McQueen has served as Executive Director since 2004, leading the CCBI with unwavering dedication, wisdom, and a profound commitment to building an authentic Culture of Life. With her extensive background in law, moral theology and education, she has been a guiding force in serving the Institute’s mission “to promote and protect the dignity of the human person through interdisciplinary ethics research and through education in healthcare and life sciences.”
She has addressed critical bioethical issues, including palliative and end-of-life care, reproductive technologies, stem cell research, genetics, and emerging topics such as artificial intelligence and synthetic biology with a commitment to the Catholic understanding of the human person.
And from 1994 to 2023, Dr. McQueen was also an Adjunct Professor of Moral Theology at the University of St. Michael’s College Faculty of Theology.
Under Dr. McQueen’s leadership, the CCBI has become a vital resource for research, education, and community engagement. It has offered courses, webinars, and consultations to clergy, laity, medical professionals, students, healthcare institutions, and the broader Canadian public.
Notably, Dr. McQueen’s appointment by Pope Francis to the International Theological Commission from 2014 to 2019 underscored her global impact as a scholar and advocate for the dignity of every person, regardless of age or status.
Dr. McQueen’s interdisciplinary approach, combining theology, law, and medicine, has fostered meaningful dialogue and collaboration across diverse communities. Her work with the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, school boards, and media outlets has amplified the CCBI’s efforts to share the Gospel of Life.
Mr. Eoin Connolly succeeds Dr. McQueen, with his extensive experience in philosophy and clinical ethics. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from the University of St. Michael’s College, completed a Masters in Bioethics at the Catholic University of Leuven and a fellowship in Clinical and Organizational Ethics at the University of Toronto Joint Centre for Bioethics. Mr. Connolly is a leading bioethicist and has provided front-line ethics services for over twenty years at Sinai Health, Trillium Health Partners, and Unity Health in Toronto (Providence Healthcare, St. Joseph’s Health Centre and St. Michael’s Hospital). He brings a wealth of knowledge regarding the practical issues that face patients and families every day in healthcare.
He is an Adjunct Lecturer at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health and the Joint Centre for Bioethics at the University of Toronto, where he contributes to education and scholarship in bioethics.
Mr. Connolly’s connection to the CCBI dates back to 2001, when he served as a researcher at the Institute, contributing to its early initiatives in bioethical analysis. His publications encompass works on end-of-life care, organizational ethics, the professionalization of the practicing health care ethicists and Roman Catholic bioethics. His collaborative projects have been dedicated to promoting human dignity, compassion, and justice in healthcare, values that are integral to Catholic bioethics, making him an ideal leader to guide the CCBI into its next chapter.
Dr. Murphy joins the CCBI with a distinguished background in Catholic moral theology, including in the ever-more complex area of bioethics. She brings a wealth of expertise and a deep commitment to advancing the Institute’s mission. A graduate of the Christianity and Culture Program at the University of St. Michael’s College, Dr. Murphy earned her PhD in Theology from Boston College; her dissertation explored St. Thomas Aquinas’ teachings on the vice of acedia or “sloth.” She is an Associate Professor of Moral Theology at St. Augustine’s Seminary in Toronto. Since 2004, Dr. Murphy has taught courses at St. Augustine’s on the foundations of moral theology, bioethics, human sexuality and marriage and the philosophy of Catholic education. Her students include seminarians, men in the Permanent Diaconate Formation Program and lay women and men at St. Augustine’s Institute of Theology. She speaks regularly on a range of moral questions to a variety of audiences.
As Program Director, Dr. Murphy will oversee the development and delivery of the CCBI’s educational initiatives, including webinars, workshops, parish courses and community outreach. Her passion for sharing the Catholic moral vision and bioethics education — and her ability to connect with diverse audiences — will strengthen the Institute’s commitment to supporting clergy, healthcare professionals, educators, and the public. Dr Murphy will also continue to teach at St. Augustine’s.
As Dr. McQueen steps into retirement, the CCBI Board of Directors, chaired by His Eminence Frank Cardinal Leo, expresses its deepest gratitude for her leadership and contributions. We invite the community to join us in celebrating Dr. McQueen’s remarkable tenure and wishing her God’s blessings in this new chapter of her life.
The CCBI Board of Directors also extends its warm welcome to Mr. Connolly and Dr. Murphy and expresses confidence in their ability to build upon Dr. McQueen’s legacy while continuing to advance the mission of the CCBI.
For inquiries, please contact the Canadian Catholic Bioethics Institute at bioethics.usmc@utoronto.ca or (416) 353-4224.
About the Canadian Catholic Bioethics Institute
The CCBI, founded in 2000, engages in research and education in bioethics from a Roman
Catholic perspective, serving as a vital resource for clergy, healthcare professionals, educators, and the public. Affiliated with the University of St. Michael’s College, the Institute is dedicated to fostering ethical dialogue and advancing the dignity of the human person.
Cardinal Leo’s Message for the Archdiocesan Day for Palliative Care
Posted : Oct-23-2025
Message for the Archdiocesan Day for Palliative Care
26 October 2025
His Eminence Frank Cardinal Leo
Metropolitan Archbishop of Toronto
I am writing to you in anticipation of the upcoming Archdiocesan Day for Palliative Care which was introduced last March and to be observed on the last Sunday of October throughout the Archdiocese of Toronto. This new observance is born out of a deep pastoral concern for those who suffer and for those approaching the end of life. It is my hope that this day will inspire every parish community to pray, reflect, and act with renewed compassion toward those in need of comfort, dignity, and accompaniment in their final journey. It is imperative that we raise awareness and encourage prayerful dialogue among the faithful and the larger community about what to do when someone we love is suffering, especially in a life-threatening manner. With its proximity to the month of November when we remember those who have gone before us, the Archdiocesan Day for Palliative Care connects the suffering of this world and in our bodies and souls, with the hope that we have in the world to come. [Full Text]
Brochure on Palliative Care and a Catholic Response to Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide
Prayers of the Faithful for the Archdiocesan Day for Palliative Care
Frequently Asked Questions about Palliative Care
Further Resources For the Archdiocesan Day for Palliative Care