Now that we are well into 2022, we’d like to take a look back at some of the events we were celebrating at St. Mike’s in December and January of this academic year.
- With the help of the Vice-President’s Working Group on Indigenous Awareness, the University of St. Michael’s College has begun to consider the priorities from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action on which we would like to focus. The working group received a list of suggested priorities and ideas from various departments, including the Dean’s Office, Campus Ministry, Facilities, Kelly Library, and more. The group has met to discuss these and plan to move forward with prioritizing the Calls to Action in our community.
- A working committee has been struck under the leadership of Campus Ministry director Sonal Castelino to begin the process of engaging in Pope Francis’ Synod on Synodality. Listening circles will be held in the coming weeks.
- St. Mike’s welcomed Melodie Buhagiar and Lisa Gleva to the community. Melodie serves as the Director of the President’s Office and Secretary to Collegium. Lisa is our new Executive Director of Advancement.
- More than 130 people joined in the virtual launch of 170 Years of Service: A Collection of Essays on the History and Mission of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto. The book contains several contributions from St. Mike’s faculty and alumni.
- For Let’s Talk Day on January 26, SMCSU and the Dean’s Office held an online Mental Health Seminar, and then offered a virtual screening of the film The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
- Congratulations to recent Faculty of Theology MDiv graduate Maria Drossos on her appointment as Director of the Metropolitan’s Office in Boston.
- Our friends at Regis College celebrated doctoral candidate Erica Siu Mui Lee, who recently passed her doctoral dissertation defense titled “Exploring the Contributions of Bernard Lonergan and Peter Phan to A Christian Trinitarian Approach to Religious Pluralism” with no corrections.
- In collaboration with U of T’s Campus Security, Campus Ministry collected 12 boxes of winter accessories for St. Basil’s Out of the Cold and $1,580 in gift cards for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.
- Meanwhile, for the second year in a row, Joe Maiato rallied his Facilities and Housekeeping colleagues and ran also ran a fundraiser for the local Out of the Cold. The generosity of his department helped him raise $595! Well done, Joe!
- Students, faculty and staff came together—outside—to celebrate with a Christmas Festival in early December. A good time was had by all—and perhaps a Beaver Tail or two…
- As well, two socially distanced dinners—the Commuter Christmas Dinner and the Residence Formal—were held to celebrate the end of term.