Our Community.

Alan Ma, Program Director
As program director, Alan combines his expertise as a coach and social service worker with his Christian faith in order to guide others as they draw closer to God through service. He is responsible for arranging service placements, facilitating the reflective aspect of the program, organizing activities for the interns, and otherwise guiding them throughout the summer.
Alan describes himself as “a Christian, father, Asian-Canadian, educator, and community organizer whose commitment to demonstrating God's love is manifested in service and work amongst marginalized communities in our society”. Trained first as an educator and coach, his main philosophy when it comes to working with youth is that of "guided discovery through experiential learning". "I see myself more so as a facilitator to learning than a traditional teacher," he says. "Learning through trial and error, and experiencing the consequences of decisions is the true hallmark of a lesson learned. However, I do believe there is an important role in walking alongside one another. We participate as a body by supporting others in their learning journey."
Alan's interest in social service work began twenty years ago when he interned with a missional organization in Toronto. He became connected to the organization through the church he was attending while living there. "I vividly remember the day when I was confronted with the reality of our fallen world – living in a city of abundance but witnessing the day-to-day suffering and lack of access of the many." Over the following two decades he became certified as a teacher and as a coach, and eventually began using those skills in the non-profit sector where he honed his craft first at the local then the national level. "I worked with community residents and collectively reshaped programs and services. I built up organizational and communal capacities. And I mentored the young people that came through our doors. To this day, I am honoured that many alumni of the organizations I worked with are still open to listening to *some* of my discounted wisdom."
It was his church membership that led Alan into social service work and is a huge part of why he continues to do the work that he does. He stresses the importance of remaining in Him. “God is constantly at work, and we are merely invited to participate. Whenever our fallible nature gets the best of us, we stray and become enamored by the invitation. We become dangerously consumed by the work. We hold tightly to the image as saviours as if we were the redeemer Himself. This is a constant tension that we must wrestle and seek the Spirit’s strength in returning to Him and submitting before him. I participate where He permits.”
This summer, Alan is excited to walk alongside other Christians in their journey with God. "It is my hope that all the interns may draw closer to God the Father, the Son and the Spirit during their placements. Through the application of their faith in this community setting, I hope they will experience the different attributes of God and be led by the Spirit to discern potential paths and vocations for their future."

2025 Program Mentors.

Clara Maranzano

Clara Maranzano was born in Argentina where she earned a degree as a French teacher (French as a second language) and worked also as a French-Spanish translator. In 2008, Clara and her family came to Montreal through the immigration program offered by Quebec. She obtained later a Bachelor of Arts degree from Concordia University, in translation (English to French), and then responded to a strong sense of vocation by joining the ranks of all those who aspire to fully live their discipleship in the ministry of the Church. She obtained a Bachelor of Theology from McGill University and a Master of Divinity from the Presbyterian College. Although not ordained, Clara understands her work in Dio (and previously in the Séminaire Uni) as part of the ministry that God intends for her to develop at this point of her life, and she enjoys immensely the contact with the students in the context of the Seminary.

Diane Wood

Diane Wood is a lifelong learner and teacher. She spent her childhood in Japan, has traveled and lived in many different regions and cultural settings. She brought very young French students from Virginia on a winter field trip to Québec in 2000, where she experienced a deep and surprising love of the people and place. She completed a master’s degree in French and Francophone Studies, specializing in Québec Studies at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She has lived in Montreal since 2012, training to become a spiritual director at the Ignatian Spirituality Centre. She earned a second master’s degree, in Theological Studies, at Concordia University in 2018, where her thesis focused on the work of Teilhard de Chardin as a spiritual bridge to secular seekers in Québec. Diane works at a family law firm and volunteers as a spiritual director. Wife, mother, grandmother–she loves dogs, dark chocolate melting in her mouth, walking, yoga, and reading as many books as humanly possible.

Testimonials.

Tashiana Boodhoo

MMI has enabled me to live the Montreal city life through a lens of profuse honesty and acceptance of what has been, is, and can be. I embarked on this journey with an expectation of it being just another job, but what I ended up receiving was so much more than I could have asked for.
Katherine Mallet

I received so much care, wisdom and guidance from the MMI leaders which deepened my walk with God, helping me better serve others. I learned and experienced so many invaluable things in this program that I will apply and treasure in the future.
Kevin Therrien

The MMI program’s theological reflections helped me see a whole new perspective on trusting God’s plan. Overall, it was an experience of a lifetime and it has helped grow my faith exponentially.