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Franciscan Friars of the Atonement
Aug 24, 2026
Fr. Damian MacPherson, SA
GARRISON, N.Y., Aug 24, 2026 /Standard Newswire/ — In an age marked by deep divisions among Christians and widening tensions between religious communities, the vision of Fr. Paul Wattson, SA remains both radical and profoundly relevant. Long before ecumenism became a formal priority of the Church, Fr. Paul dared to believe that Christ’s prayer “that they all may be one” was not merely a poetic aspiration, but a mandate demanding action, sacrifice, and hope. At the turn of the twentieth century, when suspicion and separation among Christians were often accepted as normal, Fr. Paul Wattson and Mother Lurana White founded the Society of the Atonement (Franciscan Friars and Sisters of the Atonement) at Graymoor in Garrison, New York. Their mission was extraordinary for its time: to dedicate their lives to reconciliation with God and the restoration of unity among Christians. What many might have considered impossible, Fr. Paul embraced with Franciscan simplicity and unwavering conviction.
His vision culminated in the establishment of the Octave of Prayer for Christian Unity in 1908, which eventually became the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and spread throughout the world. Yet Fr. Paul’s dream extended beyond theological dialogue. He understood that unity required encounter, friendship, humility, and a willingness to recognize God’s presence beyond the boundaries that people so often create. More than a hundred and twenty five years later, the Franciscan Friars and Sisters of the Atonement continue to embody that audacious vision. Their charism of at-one-ment reaches into ecumenical and interfaith dialogue, reconciliation, social justice, pastoral ministry, and service to those who are marginalized. One particularly compelling example of this living legacy can be found in the ministry of Fr. Damian MacPherson, SA.
A Charism Without Boundaries
Fr. Damian served for seventeen years as Director for Ecumenical and Interfaith Affairs for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto, the largest Catholic archdiocese in Canada. He carried out that ministry in one of the world’s most religiously and culturally diverse cities. Toronto’s extraordinary diversity shaped the way Fr. Damian understood his vocation. Rather than allowing ecumenical work to become narrowly focused on relations among Christian denominations, he became increasingly attentive to the wider interfaith community surrounding him.
When asked what aspect of Fr. Paul Wattson’s vision has most influenced his own ministry, Fr. Damian went directly to the heart of the Atonement charism. “Hopefully, much like most Friars, including those whom have died and gone before us, I also believe that the Holy Spirit elected Paul Wattson as a recipient and faithful servant of the charism of at-one-ment,” he explained. For Fr. Damian, that charism is not something confined to a particular ministry or historical moment. “The charism of at-one-ment breaks open endless ways and means by which the works of peace and social justice should be exercised.” His conclusion is especially important: “The effect of the at-one-ment charism is specific and universal in its application.”
That understanding provides an important lens through which to view Fr. Damian’s own ministry. The mission of unity does not stop at the boundaries between Christian denominations. It reaches outward, to people of different religions, cultures, and experiences, and asks what can happen when people choose relationship rather than division.
The Ministry of Listening
During his seventeen years in Toronto, one of Fr. Damian’s greatest joys, and challenges, was learning to listen. He describes his work as creating opportunities for people from other Christian traditions and interfaith communities to speak openly about their beliefs and practices and then responding with “positive and constructive affirmation.” For Fr. Damian, dialogue begins with respect. His position within the Catholic community gave his listening a particular significance because the Catholic Church represented the largest religious community in Ontario and Canada generally.
Toronto’s diversity made that responsibility even more important. “Knowing that Toronto is the most ethnically diverse city in the world,” Fr. Damian reflected, “made me ever more conscious of not marginalizing, even my ecumenical outreach.” Instead, he became more conscious of the need “not to exclude the Interfaith world around me.” And sometimes building trust did not require elaborate programs or formal theological discussions. “My willingness to do the simplest things within the interfaith community gave unexpected credibility and acceptance of me,” he said. There is something deeply Franciscan in that observation. Unity is often built not through grand gestures, but through the ordinary work of showing up, listening, sharing life, and demonstrating that relationships matter.
When Unity Becomes Friendship
The fruit of that approach can be seen in the recognition Fr. Damian has received from people and institutions far beyond the Catholic Church. In 2017, he received the BMG (Berthrong, Muinnudin, Gregerson) Award for Interfaith Collaboration, recognizing his initiative, enthusiasm, and support for Muslim-Christian interfaith collaboration. In November 2024, the City of Toronto honored Fr. Damian for his dedication and service to people of all faiths and for his significant contribution to the ecumenical and interfaith movement. The recognition also acknowledged his role as founding president of the Toronto Area Interfaith Council. The Toronto Area Interfaith Council likewise recognized his long-term commitment to dialogue, cooperation, and unity.
But perhaps one of the most meaningful recognitions came from the Muslim community itself.
A regional Muslim community in Ontario hosted a banquet in Fr. Damian’s honor and presented him with a certificate recognizing his work. For Fr. Damian, the gesture carried particular significance. “The Muslim banquet in my honor and accompanying certificate of recognition was, I believe, the first of its kind in all of Canada,” he recalled. “Such a gesture did impress me greatly and was equally appreciated as a way and means of building new and productive bridges.” That is perhaps the most powerful measure of the success of an interfaith ministry: not how many meetings were held or how many statements were issued, but whether genuine relationships were formed.
Recognition and Responsibility
Fr. Damian’s work has continued to receive recognition. On April 9, 2025, he received, on behalf of the Canadian Interfaith Conversation, the King Charles III Coronation Medal for his outstanding service in fostering respect and understanding among religious traditions in Canada and for his contribution to the positive role faith communities play in Canadian civil society. Asked which of his recognitions has been most meaningful, Fr. Damian resisted choosing just one. “Each award, in their own way, has a measure of importance and meaning,” he said. He acknowledged the “serious measure of prestige” associated with the King Charles III Medal, while also noting the significance of recognition from the Mayor of Toronto and the Toronto Area Interfaith Council.
Yet these honors ultimately point beyond Fr. Damian himself. They are evidence that the work of reconciliation can have an impact far beyond the Church’s own institutional boundaries. They also demonstrate something important about Fr. Paul Wattson’s original vision: unity is not simply an internal concern for Christians. It can become a contribution to the common good of society.
Are We Still “At-It”?
And yet, Fr. Damian is not content simply to celebrate what has been accomplished. Asked what he believed would encourage Fr. Paul Wattson if he were alive today and able to see the work of the Franciscan Friars and Sisters of the Atonement, his answer was strikingly simple. “I suspect the greatest encouragement for Fr. Paul today is to give his support and recognition to the fact that we-are still-at-it.” But he immediately added a challenge. “He might wonder why there are certain doors we have not or are not willing to open. All of that is another issue.”
That observation may be one of the most important in the entire conversation. Fr. Paul Wattson was audacious precisely because he was willing to imagine what others could not yet see. To say that “we are still at it” is encouraging, but it is not enough. The legacy of a founder is not simply preserved by continuing the work he began. It is preserved by carrying his charism into places he himself could not have anticipated. The question, then, is not merely whether the Friars and Sisters are continuing Fr. Paul’s work. It is whether they are continuing to be as audacious as he was.
Hope for What Comes Next
For Fr. Damian, the answer ultimately comes down to hope. “Going forward, hope is what must never diminish,” he said, “but give ongoing perseverance to efforts and activities which produce positive and measured outcomes for all involved.” That hope is particularly important in a world where religious divisions, political polarization, cultural tensions, and misunderstanding can make genuine dialogue increasingly difficult. And yet Fr. Damian offers a sober warning as well.
When asked what advice he would give to young Catholics and Christians who want to become builders of unity, he responded candidly: “To the youth of today, I believe they should be given an open and honest hearing.” Then came the harder assessment: “Frankly, on this very issue, I see no new evidence and I do believe we are losing ground.” It is a challenging conclusion, but perhaps an appropriately Franciscan one. Fr. Paul Wattson did not establish the Society of the Atonement because unity was easy. He did so because it was difficult, and because he believed difficulty was not an excuse for abandoning the Gospel’s call.
The Work Continues
More than 125 years after the founding of Graymoor, the work of at-one-ment continues. The Franciscan Friars and Sisters of the Atonement carry that mission through ecumenical and interfaith dialogue, pastoral ministry, social outreach, education, service to those experiencing poverty and addiction, and countless relationships formed across boundaries of difference. Fr. Damian MacPherson’s ministry offers one particularly powerful example. His awards and recognitions are significant, but his deeper legacy may be found in the relationships he cultivated: the people who were listened to, the communities that learned to trust one another, the doors that opened, and the bridges that were built.
That is the audacity of Fr. Paul Wattson’s vision.
He believed that division did not have to have the final word.
He believed that Christians could become instruments of reconciliation.
He believed that unity was worth dedicating a life to.
And more than a century later, men and women of the Atonement are still at it. The challenge now is to ask where the next door is, and whether we have the courage to open it.
For Fr. Paul Wattson, unity was never simply an idea. It was a vocation. For the Franciscan Friars and Sisters of the Atonement, it remains a mission. And for a divided world, it remains an audacious hope.
The story of Fr. Paul Wattson, and the witness of Friars such as Fr. Damian MacPherson, reminds us that unity is not something we simply inherit. It is something we must continue to pursue, with courage, humility, and hope.
To learn more about the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement, their history, ministries, vocation, and continuing mission of reconciliation and unity, visit www.atonementfriars.org.
SOURCE Franciscan Friars of the Atonement
CONTACT: communications@atonementfriars.org