The Very Rev. Dr. Marion Pardy (’97) awarded for leadership among interfaith communities

The following is an excerpt from The United Church of Canada’s article, “Dr. Pardy nominated for her interfaith and guaranteed living income (GLI) work,” published on February 4, 2025. Click here to read the full article.


Diwali celebration, Hindu Temple, St. John’s, NL, Nov. 2, 2024. From left: Marion Pardy, Chair, Religious Social Action Coalition; Jai Ganesh, President, Hindu Temple; Joanne Thompson, MP, St. John’s East. Credit: Marion Pardy.

“The Very Rev. Dr. Marion Pardy, 37th Moderator of The United Church of Canada, will receive the King Charles Coronation Medal in recognition of her leadership and commitment to interfaith community service. This is not her first medal of recognition; in 2013, the Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador awarded Dr. Pardy a Queen’s Jubilee Medal in recognition of her contributions to church and community.

‘From pew to pulpit, to public officials, to public and social media; from synagogue to mosque, to temple, to Gurdwara, Dr. Pardy has spent years in education, consciousness-raising, advocacy and solidarity,’ says Haseen Khan, executive member with the Canadian Interfaith Conversation, who initiated the nomination on behalf of the Religious Social Action Coalition, of which he also is one of the directors. ‘[Her work highlights] for society the benefits of the pluralistic nature of our country and the necessity for appreciation and understanding of all religions, noting that the many paths to the Divine command respect from all.’”


Read the full article