With the end of the spring term come farewells as students write exams and say goodbye to the campus– in some cases for the last time before graduation. It’s also a time for renewal as the return of the spring weather brings our gardens to life. This year, the season also brought a chance to view a rare celestial event. Here’s a glimpse of what St. Mike’s celebrated in March and April.
Fr. Dan Donovan Honoured by Arts Community— The Toronto Friends of the Visual Arts has named Fr. Dan Donovan the recipient of the 2024 Founders Achievement Award. The award celebrates a person who, over time, has made an exceptional contribution to the visual arts community. Over the years, Fr. Donovan has assembled a collection of more than 400 works of mostly contemporary Canadian art. Various pieces of the Donovan Collection, donated by Fr Donovan to the University of St. Michael’s College, can be found across the St. Michael’s campus.
Ann Dooley Receives Ireland Funds Canada Award — After a four-year break due to the pandemic, the Ireland Funds Canada St. Patrick’s Day Luncheon returned on March 8. This year’s luncheon was in support of the University of St. Michael’s College, which has long been a beacon for the Celtic community in Toronto. Ann Dooley, Professor Emerita of Celtic Studies and Medieval Studies, was the inaugural recipient of the Ireland Funds Canada Distinguished Leadership Award for her many years of work at the heart of the St. Michael’s Celtic Studies program
St. Mike’s Raises the Irish Flag at City Hall—Speaking of St. Patrick’s Day, Celtic Studies Professor Pa Sheehan was given the honour of raising the Irish flag at Toronto’s City Hall in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day festivities that included Micheál Martin, Ireland’s Deputy Prime Minister.
Relaunch of Kelly Library’s Print Studio — The Kelly Library’s Print Studio officially relaunched on March 21 with a lecture by Victoria College Principal Angela Esterhammer titled “Stranger than Fiction: Scottish Emigrants and Print Culture in the 1820s”, followed by a printing demonstration by Kit MacNeil, who serves as College Printer at Massey College and is also a guest lecturer in St. Michael’s Book & Media Studies Program.
St. Mike’s Research Colloquium a Success— Once again, St. Mike’s Research Colloquium proved to be both entertaining and informative. Held on March 23, the event showcased research and presentation skills of St. Michael’s students. The event mirrors the experience of an academic conference, where students write and submit an abstract as part of the application process and then present their research to an audience, field questions from attendees, and receive feedback from faculty respondents.
#ArchivesAtoZ — The Kelly Library’s special collections and social media teams took part in an Ontario Archives campaign to highlight archival, manuscript, and rare book materials. Each day focused on a particular letter of the alphabet. The Kelly Library’s ArchivesAtoZ posts are all on Instagram. S, for instance, stood for Scarboro Missions and Sisters of Service records, while T stood for Textiles and included a photograph of the episcopal vestments of Bishop Kenneth Turner. The campaign tied in with the Archives Association of Ontario’s Archives Awareness week in the first week of April.
St. Mike’s Student Wins Dean for a Day — St. Mike’s student Camila Justino traded places with Arts & Science Dean Melanie Woodin for a day, offering Camila an inside look into the world of administration at the University of Toronto. As part of the swap, St. Michael’s welcomed Dean Woodin to campus. Her trip included visits to the Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies, the John M. Kelly Library, and a brief stop in Odette Hall to say hello to St. Mike’s Principal Irene Morra.
Spring Campus Clean Up — Clean SMC, a student-led initiative focused on sustainability and creating a culture that cares for our common home, organized a campus-wide clean-0up on Earth Day. More than 30 people joined these efforts to keep our campus beautiful.
Solar Eclipse — Regis St. Michael’s students took a break from final exams to enjoy some pizza while trying to catch a glimpse of the solar eclipse between cloudy breaks.
Critical Conversations in Catholic Education — The second installment of the Critical Conversations in Catholic Education was held on April 17 in partnership with Durham Catholic District School Board. In this workshop, speakers Dr. Adam Hincks, SJ, Dr. Jean-Pierre Fortin, and Mary Anne Francalanza fcJ, explored questions of science, theology and suffering in light of the climate crisis and eco-anxiety.
2023-2024 St. Mike’s Yearbook Released — The Yearbook Committee is proud to share that the 2023-24 yearbook has arrived. It features pages of the Christmas Market, formals, weekly club events, award recipients and SMC graduates. Its release was celebrated with a launch party on April 25 in the COOP. Purchase your yearbook today!
Regis St. Michael’s Commissioning Mass — The Commissioning Mass is a high point of the Regis St. Michael’s Faculty of Theology year. Regis President Gordon Rixon, SJ presided as the community came together to pray for graduating students.
Father Norm Tanck Celebrates 50 Years of Priesthood — St. Basil’s parishioners celebrated the 50th anniversary of ordination of Fr. Norm Tanck, CSB, Associate Pastor. Ordained a Basilian priest in April 1974, he has served in campus and parish ministries in Rochester and Toronto. To mark the milestone, a special coffee hour was held following Mass on April 28.