How it all began?

It all began with a love of learning and the desire of deepening one’s  relationship with Christ!

Some years ago, while sipping my coffee in a local coffee shop on a Saturday morning, I saw a few fellow parishioners who were enjoying their cup of Joe, reading the local paper, chatting away about parish news and community news.  I had this aha moment of why weren’t we all sitting in our church Parish Centre, sharing information with each other?

As a cradle Catholic, I have always felt that I adopted a lot of “traditions” without asking, going along with the motions.  I am quite sure there are meanings behind a lot of those traditions.  If they were taught to me when I was in elementary school, I am sorry to say I did not retain much from those years.  I was also confident that I was not the only Catholic in this predicament of ignorance.  If professionals need to take courses or attend seminars for continuing education points for the renewal of their status every year, it makes sense to me that Catholics should have a good system for their “continuing education.”

In December of 2011, with the question “Why does the church talk about Mary if Jesus is our Savior?”, I organized the first WHY@Breakfast talk in Waterloo, Ontario.  It was a very enjoyable experience where everyone learned something new, cleared up myths, and all the while enjoying fellowship over a good breakfast! Since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020, all events at WHY@Breakfast have been presented online. While attendees now enjoy their own breakfast at home, the online presentations remain to be excellent learning opportunities and time for fellowship.

I hope WHY@Breakfast presentations and events may be useful for us to build our relationships with Christ. Presentations and events are offered by WHY@Breakfast with a Catholic perspective, but many of our events are suitable for the wider Christian community. 

Therese C Y Lee

About Therese

I am a wife, a mother, and proudly Catholic. I have a curious soul. I graduated from University of Waterloo with a doctorate in Mathematics. My main research was in the field of Combinatorics & Optimization.  I am also a pianist and a soprano. I believe in the power of music in reaching the deeper parts of our soul. I tried to share my skills as a church musician of 28 years and now happily contribute to other ministries. As a church musician, I was intrigued by the lyrics of the hymns and was eager to have a deeper understanding of the Liturgy.   Five years ago, I completed the Certificate of Pastoral Ministry program at St. Peter’s Seminary, London, Ontario. The program helped me grow in faith, to be more aware of my spirituality, and to have a better understanding of the Catholic teachings.  Presently, I am enrolled in the Spiritual Direction program with the Haden Institute, in the hope that I may gain some tools and be a helpful spiritual companion for others who are on their journey seeking God and cultivating a deeper relationship with Christ. During this time of the pandemic when we are burdened with challenges and grief, it is important to have a safe space to tell our stories and tend to our souls. I am, therefore, looking forward to facilitating Group Spiritual Direction with another Haden graduate at WHY@Breakfast. I look forward to accompanying others on their faith journeys!