St.Michael’s
Volume 52 Number 1 Spring 2013
stmikes.utoronto.ca
university of St. Michael’s College in the university of Toronto Alumni Magazine
CHESTERTON
COLLECTION
A collector’s treasure sheds new light
on the British author’s rich life
Contents
St.Michael’s
The University of St. Michael’s
College Alumni Magazine
PuBLiShED BY
Leslie Belzak
Director of Alumni Affairs,
University of St. Michael’s College
10
08
EDiTOR
Mechtild Hoppenrath
10
COPY EDiTORS
J. Barrett Healy, Fr. Robert Madden 5T2,
Betty Noakes, Debra Matthews
FiNAL READ
J.P. Antonacci 0T7
CAMPuS NOTES & SNAPShOT
Sophia Fanioudakis 1T2
14
CONTRiBuTORS
Richard Alway 6T2, Michael Attridge
Charles Foran 8T3, Andy Lubinsky 7T9
Ed Monahan 4T9, Megan O’Connor
Adam Wang, Talia Zajac 0T6
DiSTRiBuTiON
Office of Alumni Affairs and Development
ART DiRECTiON & DESiGN
Fresh Art & Design Inc.
COVER
Photo of Chesterton: PA- The Canadian Press,
Reproduction of the MacKinnon Chesterton
Collection courtesy of Hugh MacKinnon
and photographed by Geoff George
22
Publication Mail Agreement
No: 40068944
20
Please send comments, corrections and
enquiries to the Office of
Alumni Affairs and Development
University of St. Michael’s College
81 St. Mary Street,
Toronto, ON M5S 1J4
Telephone: 416-926-7260
Fax: 416-926-2339
Email: smc.alumniaffairs@utoronto.ca
Alumni, friends and students of
St. Michael’s College
receive this magazine free of charge.
Visit our website at stmikes.utoronto.ca
2 Spring 2013 St. Michael’s
04
08
27
Campus Notes
Five Decades Later
Vatican II and the University of St. Michael’s College
By Michael Attridge
Teaching to Teach
CTEP: an evolving mission for St. Michael’s College
By Megan O’Connor
14
A Life to Remember
16
Chesterton Collection
20
28
29
In Print
Father Robert J. Madden CSB 5T2, 1928-2013
By Richard Alway 6T2
A collector’s treasure added to the Kelly’s existing volumes
sheds new light on the British author’s rich life
By Charles Foran 8T3
Honours
Bulletin Board
Columns
03
The View from elmsley place
Successfully Launched
22
GiVinG
25
alumni associaTion
26
firsT fliGhT
27
snapshoT
35
arT on campus
A Family Decision
Boundless Efforts
EcoSense Strikes Gold
At the Kelly Café with Cristina Peter
Late Afternoon Sun
The View from elmsley place
Successfully Launched
Photo: Sheila eaton
S
pring is always a busy time on campus as the final flurry
Campaign in September we have raised the bar on the level of acof exams and papers give way to the annual exodus as students
tivity between the College and our Alumni/friends. Robert Edgett,
rush off to summer placements , new jobs and unlimited opour Executive Director of Alumni Affairs and Development and his
portunities as well as some challenges for those who are about to
team have been out on the road taking the message of our success
graduate. This year we will be conferring some 750 undergraduate
to our graduates both near and far. Under his direction Alumni
degrees on a significant number of very exceptional young people. and Development has also put considerable resources into improvThis is a marked increase
ing and reinvigorating their
over the 620 in the class
communication plans and
of 2012. Many of you may
materials as well as engagbe surprised to hear that St.
ing in social media. These
Michael’s is now the largest
effort have had obvious reundergraduate College on
turns as you will see in our
the St. George Campus of
Campaign Report which is
the University of Toronto.
included in this edition of
We have more than 4,800
the magazine.
students which is quite a
New life and renewal
remarkable change from
seem to be synonymous
our rather modest beginwith Spring! This year no
nings in 1852 with a handmatter where you are on St.
full of students, a vibrant
Michael’s campus you will
mission and the determisee signs of progress and
nation to succeed.
revitalization. The ColAt the College, this has
lege is undertaking some
been a very busy academic
structural projects over the
year. In September we study friendly patio outside The Dodig family student commons “The coop”
summer dealing with some
successfully launched our
less exciting things such as
USMC 1 Cornerstone Program which was the successful culminadrainage and overland water flow and more exciting projects like
tion of a number of years of intense planning and organization by wireless connectivity in all our buildings, improved disability access
all concerned. This innovative program focuses on students’ active
in our older buildings (made possible by a generous donor gift) and
engagement in social justice initiatives from both an academic and the creation of a student outdoor patio space in front of the Dodig
experiential perspective. We are delighted to report that both the
Family Student Commons “The COOP”.
student and community response to this new program has been overWhatever we do on campus, whether it be improvements
whelmingly positive. Our plans include the growth and expansion to our programs or to our student space we are always conof USMC 1 Cornerstone to include the other facets of the College
scious that it is only through the generosity and support of our
programs. To make this and many other ambitious plans a reality, Alumni and friends that many of these projects and dreams
Professor Domenico Pietropaolo, Principal and Vice-President (Acacan be realized. From all of us at the University of St. Michael’s
demic) and his team have been hard at work developing a new long
College, faculty, staff and students – our heartfelt gratitude!
term strategic plan for both the undergraduate program and the John
M. Kelly Library.
Prof. Anne Anderson csj, President and Vice-Chancellor
With the successful launch of our Boundless Community
University of St. Michael’s College
St. Michael’s Spring 2013 3
Campus Notes
The Demon BarBer
of fleeT STreeT
Photo: Sandro Pehar
For two weeks at the end of
November and beginning
of December, The Demon
Barber of Fleet Street,
Mr. Sweeney Todd,
fascinated and frightened
audiences in Hart House
Theatre. Presented by
the St. Michael’s College
Student Union, this musical
brought Victorian London
to Toronto and filled theatre
seats night after night with
alumni, staff and students,
looking to enter the world
of Sweeney Todd’s madness. The campus and social
media sites have been abuzz
with rave reviews about the
cast and performance.
4 Spring 2013 St. Michael’s
the group performed music
from the court of Ferdinando
de’ Medici, Grand Duke of
Tuscany, to a rapt audience.
Stay tuned for future Principal’s Music Series concerts at
St. Mike’s.
Photo: Ming lin
SanTa ClauS
Boozer Brown faCe-off
From October 24 to 27,
alumni, students, faculty and
friends of St. Mike’s crowded
into Kelly Café for some great
deals at the ninth annual SMC
Book Sale. The sale raised
$30,700, all of which goes
back into the library to help
improve the library’s collection, upgrade its furniture and
more. While this great sale
only happens once a year, the
50¢ book table in the Café
is stocked year-round with
many books on a wide range
of topics.
aria Di fiorenza
November 13 marked the
second performance in the
four-part Principal’s Music Series by Musicians in
Ordinary. In this concert,
Photo: ann huM-BaStedo
liBrary Book Sale
On October 13, alumni and students faced off once again
for the annual Boozer Brown Football Game. While this
time the teams contained a mix of students and alumni, the
competition was still fierce. The alumni team had a huge
42-7 lead by the half, but with the appearance of several additional students in the second half, the student team came
back to make it 42-35. Time ran out before the underdogs
could complete their triumphant comeback, making this
year the alumni team’s sixth straight Boozer Brown win.
AFL legend Lex Byrd acted as referee and Frank Kielty 5T8
presented the trophy.
muSiC for PrinCely ChaPelS anD ChamBerS
Charbonnel Lounge provided an intimate setting on October 23 for the first of four concerts in the Principal’s Music
Series. That night, the Toronto-based group Musicians in
Ordinary performed sacred love songs of the early Baroque
period, demonstrating the timeless quality of the Renaissance and early Baroque music in which they specialize.
Santa came to town early on
November 18 to visit the families of St. Mike’s alumni and
friends at the Annual Santa
Claus Parade Party. Children
enjoyed face painting, crafts,
sweets, toys, and a chance
to sit on Santa’s lap before
heading out to the streets to
watch the Santa Claus Parade.
Never too soon to kick off the
Christmas season!
ChriSTmaS Tea
Christmas spirit was high on
December 5 as alumni and
friends gathered in Father Robert
Madden Hall for Christmas
treats and carols. Dr. Michael
O’Connor led a group of
St. Michael’s alumni, faculty and
students in the singing of traditional carols and the recitation of
some contemporary meditations
on the nativity scene. In memory
of Dr. Margaret O’Gara, Dr.
O’Connor played the Little
St. Michael’s Spring 2013 5
Campus Notes
Drummer Boy with the drum
she had donated to the Singing
Club, whose beautiful music
making was enjoyed by all, along
with tea and cookies.
“ChaNges iN irish sOCiety
as refleCted iN CONteMPOrary irish shOrt filMs”
Pub Night at the Maddy
St. Mike’s alumni, students
and staff got together at
the Maddy, a.k.a. Madison
Avenue Pub, on November 16
to celebrate the Annual Young
Alumni Pub Night. The turnout was big this year, thanks to
the increased efforts made by
the College to create enticing alumni events for recent
grads. Says Emily VanBerkum,
a graduate student and SMC
don, “it was a wonderful night
out with the SMC community. The Pub Night gives
young St. Mike’s alumni the
opportunity to build friendships that provide a support
system as they adjust to life
outside of university.”
thOMas berry award
On November 10, Dr. Mary Evelyn Tucker and Dr. John
Grim presented the Thomas Berry Award to Dr. Stephen
Dunn, founder of the Elliott Allen Institute for Theology and
Ecology, in recognition of his pioneering and significant contribution to advancing the late ecotheologian’s The Great Work
(Random House 1999.) Current EAITE Director Dr. Dennis
Patrick O’Hara 9T8 hosted the banquet and award ceremony.
The EAITE has been part of the Faculty of Theology at
USMC since 1991, allowing graduate students to complete
a specialization in theology and ecology. The first institute
to support masters and doctoral studies in eco-theology, the
EAITE continues to draw graduate students from around
the world. Among the dignitaries attending the event were:
Dr. Heather Eaton, St. Paul University, Ottawa 9T6; Dr. JaiDon Lee, Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 0T4; Dr. Ann
Marie Dalton, St. Mary’s University, Halifax, and Dr. Cristina
Vanin, St. Jerome’s University, Waterloo.
irish CeNsus ONliNe
On November 22, Catriona
Crowe, of the National Archives
of Ireland, shared the exciting
opportunities and implications
associated with the digitization
of the Irish Censuses of 1901
and 1911 through the joint
partnership of the Irish and
Canadian governments. Displaying census documents for
6 Spring 2013 St. Michael’s
such literary giants as Joyce and
Yeats, Catriona demonstrated
how easy it is to learn about the
past of Irish citizens in the early
1900s through the remarkably
detailed search system. Additionally, essays on the time period and big cities give a deeper
understanding of the culture
and history of Ireland. Try it out
at census.nationalarchives.ie.
Dr. Sarah O’Connor, of the
Celtic Studies Program, gave
a presentation on November
24 on the familiar themes in
Irish culture and the way these
changed in the 21st century.
She chose three contemporary
Irish short films to illustrate her
topics—the status of the Irish
language, the role of religion
and the migrant experience.
Tea followed the presentation as the audience members
mingled and discussed
Dr. O’Connor’s question as
to whether the definition of
“Irishness” has changed.
aluMNi at the rOM
On November 2, St. Mike’s
alumni and friends enjoyed the
ROM’s Friday Night Live event
at a significantly discounted
rate. Mingling with people from
le tout Toronto, SMC alumni
and friends sipped cocktails,
enjoyed live entertainment and
Revolution in Catholic Teaching
on Jews, 1933–1965 (Harvard
University Press 2012). Connelly focused on the radical
shift between the perception of
Jews prior to Vatican II and the
Vatican II statements promoting inter-religious dialogue
among Christians and Jews and
admonishing anti-Semitism.
ThoughTS on VaTiCan ii
browsed Ultimate Dinosaurs:
Giants of Gondwana, the special
exhibit on show.
Career neTworking
On January 29, USMC
alumni shared their expertise
with current students at the
Student Career Networking
Reception. They represented
the fields of Law, Marketing/
General Business, Healthcare,
Education, Politics, Media/
Public Relations, and Graduate Studies. The event was
packed with SMC students
who highly value the advice
from the alumni community.
furlong leCTure:
CaTholiC PerCePTionS of
JewS anD JuDaiSm Before
anD afTer VaTiCan ii
On October 28, Berkeley
professor John Connelly spoke
on Catholic perceptions of
Jews and Judaism before and
after Vatican II. Author of
From Enemy to Brother: The
John meagher leCTure: haS Theology BeCome an
oBSoleTe DiSTraCTion
On November 16, USMC’s Dr. Dennis O’Hara addressed
the potentially self-destructive ways of humanity, as previously
stated by Marquette University’s Dr. Daniel C. Maguire, in
a lecture discussing whether theology, and by extension the
Church and Christianity, is offering a sufficient, informed
response to the current crisis of humanity or whether it is
just an obsolete distraction.
This year’s Annual Lenten
Twilight Retreat was held on
March 5. The night began
with dinner in Charbonnel
Lounge followed by Mass in
St. Mike’s Chapel, celebrated by
Fr. François Mifsud, OP. During
the reflection, Dr. Michael Attridge of the Faculty of Theology
discussed Vatican II’s impact on
the Catholic faith and its effect
on dialogue within the Church,
with other Christian denominations, with other religions and
with the world. F
aPPoinTmenTS
Leaving the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Poland, Dr. Brent
Miles will take up a new Assistant
Professorship in Medieval Celtic Languages and Literatures at St. Michael’s
College and the Centre for Medieval
Studies at UofT, starting this July.
He previously held a post-doctoral
Dr. Brent miles
fellowship at University College, Cork,
and conducted research as a visiting scholar at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies.
St. Michael’s Spring 2013 7
THEOLOGY
FIVE
DE C A DE S
L AT E R
Vatican II and the University
of St. Michael’s College
By Michael Attridge
L
ast year, 2012, marked the 50th anniversary of the
opening of the Second Vatican Council. Often called Vatican II, it was a gathering of 2,500 bishops and religious
superiors in Rome in the fall each year from 1962 to 1965. Church
councils have happened at different times over the past 2,000 years,
although not frequently. The previous council, Vatican I, took place
almost a century earlier, but ended prematurely because of the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War. It never finished its agenda. This
was in fact Pope John XXIII’s reason for choosing the name Vatican
II—to show that one of its main goals was to complete the agenda
of Vatican I. (The last full council before Vatican II was the Council
of Trent, 400 years earlier.)
Vatican II provided the Church with an important and
timely opportunity to look at itself, to renew its teachings
in light of the modern world, and to speak more meaningfully to people today. Pope John XXIII, who called the
Council and opened it in 1962, often spoke of the need
for “aggiornamento,” or updating in the Church. As part
of this renewal effort, the Council produced sixteen documents on matters relating both to the internal aspects of
the Church—liturgy, the Church’s self-understanding,
clergy, bishops, laity, etc—and to its external relationships with other Christians, non-Christians (especially
the Jewish people) and the rest of the world. Although
these documents are now almost 50 years old, they are still
normative. In 2011, Pope Benedict spoke of the Council’s
texts as having central importance for Church life and said
that Vatican II remains a “sure compass” by which we take
our bearings in the 21st century.
Canadians had an important role to play in Vatican II. More
than one hundred Canadian bishops attended the Council, most of
them participating in all four sessions. Promoting such matters as
education, ecumenism, liturgical renewal, the role of the laity, stronger relations with non-Christians, religious freedom, social justice
and the importance of engaging the modern world were men like
Archbishop George Flahiff 2T6 , a Basilian Father; Cardinal Maurice
Roy; Metropolitan Maxim Hermaniuk; Fr. Gregory Baum OSA, a St.
Michael’s professor, Bishop Gerald Emmett Carter (later “Cardinal
Archbishop”), and especially Cardinal Paul-Émile Léger. Their concerns would influence society, culture and the Church after Vatican II.
The University of St. Michael’s College exemplifies an institution both shaped by the Council and reflective of its values—in its
people, its programs, its services and its life. The demographic of
our undergraduate student body has changed so that now many
young people of other religious traditions call St. Michael’s home.
The Faculty of Theology has seen increased numbers of non-Catholic
Christians, Catholic women and lay people studying theology as a
result of Vatican II.
The Council called for us to engage modern culture—art, literature, media—and the modern world. These are reflected in the
College’s undergraduate programs. St. Michael’s new, first-year
undergraduate Cornerstone program, with its focus on social justice,
echoes Vatican II’s concern for the world and for the needs of the poor.
In our graduate Faculty of Theology, the most significant changes
have been a partnership with the other denominational theological
colleges at the University of Toronto and the formation, in 1969,
of the Toronto School of Theology. This would not have been possible without the Council recognizing the importance of Christian
unity and the need for involvement in ecumenism. Other examples
include the Faculty’s emphasis on social and environmental concerns,
educational leadership, critical biblical scholarship, liturgy and, most
recently, Christianity’s dialogue with other world religions. Faculty
Vatican II provided the Church with an
important and timely opportunity to
look at itself, to renew its teachings in
light of the modern world, and to speak
more meaningfully to people today.
from both the College division and the Faculty of Theology have
been appointed by the Canadian bishops to national ecumenical and
interreligious dialogues.
One of the areas where Vatican II was felt most was in the liturgy.
If people were to compare the St. Basil’s, our Collegiate Church, of
1963 with that of 2013 they would be struck by the changes, both
physical and liturgical, most obviously, the celebration of the liturgy
in the language of the people.
Finally, true to the commitment to its Catholic identity informed
by the Council’s call for outreach and service to all peoples of the
world, St. Michael’s Campus Ministry serves and ministers to the
entire university community, including organizing and hosting liturgies and prayer services. In partnership with the multi-faith chaplains
at the University of Toronto, it also ensures that all people on campus
are welcomed and cared for. This year, following Pope Benedict’s
invitation to read the texts of the Second Vatican Council, Campus
Ministry has undertaken a Vatican II reading group for students. The
group gathers to re-read the Council’s documents today, in light of
the modern signs of the times.
Indeed, Vatican II has had a profound effect on the Church and
society over the decades. As the University moves forward into a
future full of hope, may the Council continue to be a guiding star. F
St. Michael’s Spring 2013 9
PROFILE
SacramentS
Vatican ii
catholic
education
in ontario
Scripture
andrew
Quittenton 1t2
moral
theology
chriStology
CTEP: an evolving mission for St. Michael’s College
world
religionS
church
hiStory
L
ay people have been teaching in Catholic schools for decades—
most with little formal training in theology. By the late 1990s, when
religion courses at high school began to count as pre-University credits, Catholic school boards saw a gap in their staff: too few people were able
to teach religious education (RE) in high school at the newly raised level
of academic rigour. Yet no Ontario program existed to meet the need. By
2003, Mark McGowan, then principal at St Michael’s College, saw a great
opportunity: “We have a strong program that teaches the academic study of
Christianity. Why not combine it with one of the finest teacher education
programs in the country?”
Photo: SoPhia FanioudakiS
By Megan O’Connor
chriSt &
culture
St. Michael’s Spring 2013 11
“We brainstormed. We looked
at celebrities and public figures.
We look at the Catechism in
the context of our own lives.
High school students
‘want it to become real.’”
- laura Mann-foster 1t2
“A good education
helps you respond to
the needs of others
– like feeling the
vibrations on a web.”
- andrew Quittenton 1t2
12 Spring 2013 St. Michael’s
The St. Michael’s/OISE program—a collaboration between the
Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) and the Christianity and Culture program at St. Michael’s—specifically trains students
to teach religion in high school. It follows the Concurrent Teacher
Education Program (CTEP) model: students take a teaching degree,
and gain practical experience in real classrooms, while studying toward
a bachelor of arts and science. They study such topics as Scripture,
Church History, Catholic Education in Ontario, Christology, Sacraments, Moral Theology, Vatican II and World Religions.
Currently, CTEP at St. Michael’s has 81 students enrolled at different stages in the five-year program. Les Miller has taught CTEP
students from the start. An OISE instructor in religious education,
he enjoys the fact that the St. Michael’s cohort is passionate about
their chosen field. “In my class they learn skills to teach RE,” Miller
says, “but they’re also drawing on rich content from their Christianity
and Culture classes.” He watches them change identity from student
to teacher. “It’s like being a midwife,” he laughs.
In 2012, the first cohort of eighteen St. Michael’s CTEP students
graduated with an HBA/HBSc and a BEd. They all have Religion
as a “first teachable” with a Major in Christianity and Culture. They
all have classroom experience—even before landing their first job. It
is a tough market for newly qualified teachers right now. Many are
moving toward jobs along unexpected paths. Here is what four new
SMC/CTEP grads are doing now:
Laura Mann-Foster 1T2 is an occasional teacher with the Toronto
Catholic District School Board (TCDSB). Recently hired as a “LongTerm Occasional” teacher at St. Joseph’s College School, she teaches classes
in Christ and Culture (Grade 10) and World Religions in Grade 11.
Mann-Foster speaks highly of the CTEP model. “The in-class
teaching is integrated so early in the program [in Year 2] that teaching, as a goal, underlies everything you do,” she explains. “You
view each course through that lens: ‘How can I use this in my
classroom? How can I engage my kids with this idea?’” The two
practicums—seven and five weeks each in a local school—helped
form her personality as a teacher, and she often finds strength in
the ethos of St. Michael’s: “If I get flustered on the job, I remind
myself to think of the big picture; the big questions of purpose. Do
my students care about equity and social justice? Are they stronger
in their faith? This is my mantra now.”
Mann-Foster is not much older than her students. She draws on
a shared culture as well as her own academic studies. In a class on the
transformative nature of Jesus’s love, she got the class talking about
their own society. “We brainstormed. We looked at celebrities and
public figures. We look at the Catechism in the context of our own
lives.” High school students “want it to become real.”
Andrew Quittenton 1T2 is now working on his master’s degree
in religious education at the Faculty of Theology at St. Michael’s. He
is also a regular at St. Michael’s College School, run by the Basilian
Fathers, where he teaches on a supply basis and coaches football.
Quittenton was inspired by his teachers in Christianity and Culture. “Knowledge is not just a commodity for them; it’s a way of
helping the community.” He liked the program’s Christ-centred approach, the focus on becoming a stronger witness to faith.
Faith formation, he believes, is central to his role as a teacher. “The
goal of the Catholic educator is to bring Christ into the heart of the
curriculum.” At one of his practicum schools, an auto teacher opened
the school shop to the neighbourhood. Students got real hands-on
experience, and the local people (many on low incomes) got free oil
changes. “A good education helps you respond to the needs of others—like feeling the vibrations on a web.”
Quittenton’s goal is to become a school principal; to help create a
strong, Catholic environment for his students “because they look to us.”
Amanda Fiume 1T2 left Ontario to teach in a Catholic school board
in Calgary, Alberta, where she is responsible for a class of 24 Grade 6
students. She sees the St. Michael’s/OISE program as one of a kind.
CTEP gave her the opportunity to explore her faith in a deep, historical,
and academic context; to study and teach religion among people who
hold its value in high regard—no lower, certainly, than math or science.
“Teachers with a specialized religion focus are few and far between,” she
says, “and yet they are the backbone of Catholic education.”
She also believes that the longer span of practicums and other field
placements—spread over four years, and in diverse contexts—gave
her an advantage. “I was able to jump into my career with two feet!”
Not all St. Michael’s CTEP students are destined to teach. Charles
Renshaw 1T2 is embarking on a career in broadcasting through a program at Humber College that will give him radio station work experience.
“I don’t regret my years in CTEP,” he says. “Understanding the
Christian tradition at this deep level has given me a stronger sense of my
own identity. I grew as a person at St. Michael’s.” He lists new strengths
he can take to any vocation: critical thinking, working with people
who hold diverse opinions, and writing well. He also speaks of the
camaraderie among his cohort, the shared resources and social events:
“We were small. We shared a goal, and our professors were on our side.”
Renshaw still sees teaching as a way to change lives—to help develop
young people “as human beings.” But his own passion for change and
performance is taking him elsewhere. CTEP at St. Michael’s gave him
a foothold to do whatever he chooses.
Dr. Michael O’Connor, the CTEP co-ordinator at St. Michael’s,
is very proud of his students. “I see them mature very quickly into
people who reflect on what they are doing in the classroom. They bring
critical minds, caring hearts, and a deep understanding of tradition
to all that they do. They have a lot to offer.”
The College plans to develop a new stream called “Christianity and
Education”, to hire a lecturer in Christian intellectual and pedagogical
traditions and to establish a Centre of Enquiry on Social Justice and
Liberal Education. According to Prof. Domenico Pietropaolo, Principal at St. Michael’s, “the College has always had a strong commitment
to education.” This brings responsibility: “We play a leading role in
training teachers in Ontario.” It also involves ongoing reflection—by
the College and its students—on the curriculum, on practice, and
on the Christian tradition itself. Here, St. Michael’s and its graduates
are well placed to lead. F
“Teachers with a
specialized religion
focus are few and far
between, ... and yet
they are the backbone
of Catholic education.”
- amanda Fiume 1t2
“We were small.
We shared a goal,
and our professors
were on our side.”
- Charles renshaw 1t2
St. Michael’s Spring 2013 13
A Life to Remember
Father Robert J. Madden CSB 5T2, 1928-2013
By Richard Alway 6T2
NO
institution is ever the lengthened
shadow of an individual. But in the case of
St. Michael’s College and Fr. Robert Madden
CSB 5T2, this is almost debatable. For more than six decades, their
identities grew and developed together, almost merging, until to
many observers, it became hard, if not impossible, to think of one
without the other.
Graduating from the College in 1952 in English literature, Bob
spent most of the next 60 years as a priest of the Congregation of
St. Basil serving the students, alumni and broader community of St.
Michael’s College, interrupted only briefly with sojourns in Windsor,
Vancouver and London, England.
After receiving his doctorate, he started teaching English literature at
St. Mike’s, sharing the introductory English 100 course with his older
brother, Jack, also a Basilian priest. A don in residence for many years,
Bob became close to successive generations of undergraduates, particularly
those who came to Toronto from the United States for the preliminary
“Western” year before enrolling in the University of Toronto.
A talented, award-winning teacher, Bob was the model of the priestteacher. His friendly manner, easy sense of fun and obvious concern
for each student, combined with a unique ability and willingness to
14 Spring 2013 St. Michael’s
listen to undergraduate anxieties and concerns, meant he was often
called for counsel, advice and spiritual guidance, and his role on
campus became increasingly pastoral.
Over the years, Bob witnessed the marriages of dozens of his former students all over the United States and Canada. He baptized
their children, welcomed those children to the campus when the
time came—and in turn, married many of them and baptized their
children. During a time of declining vocations to religious life, his
constant and active presence on campus came to epitomize the Basilian charism for growing numbers of alumni.
Early years at St. Michael’s coincided with sessions of the Second
Vatican Council. Bob enthusiastically embraced the Council and its
spirit, organizing student groups to study and discuss its documents
and taking over the famous weekly Sandbox Mass in the College
chapel under St. Basil’s Church, which was heavily attended by faculty
families and by many others from across the city eager to share in
the sense of optimism and hope for the future of their Church that
they found there.
Bob was always a proud American even though he lived most of
his life here. Growing up in Depression-era Detroit, he combined a
strong sense of what I term the specifically Irish preferential option
for the underdog, with a firm understanding that Catholic ideas of
the common good were highly compatible with the best in American
liberalism. He helped bring Cesar Chavez to Toronto and championed the cause of the migrant farm workers and, in doing so, he
gave seminarians and undergraduates from Southern Ontario and
upstate New York a sense of being part of something bigger, a great
cause, something that gave practical expression to the social justice
principles of Vatican II.
Bob Madden accepted appointment as Principal of St. Mark’s College at the University of British Columbia in the early 1980s. He
loved Vancouver, but after just two years, when asked, he returned
to Toronto and St. Michael’s, first to assist Fr. John Kelly in Alumni
Affairs, soon assuming the larger portfolio and title of Executive Director of Alumni Affairs and Development. This was the role in which
his strong pastoral skills and talent for cultivating lasting friendships
found broad expression.
At St. Michael’s, I had the privilege of working closely with Bob
for 18 years. I travelled with him to visit alumni all over Canada and
the United States. Often, the University of Toronto would organize
events for all Toronto graduates living in, say, the New York or Los
Angeles area. No matter who was present for UofT, President or
Chancellor, the most popular person in the room, the one people
wanted to see, talk to and re-connect with was Bob Madden. In a
small but real way, this phenomenon and the reasons for it reflected
the impact and outreach of his vocation as a priest.
On our trips, I particularly valued the private daily Mass he celebrated and in which I shared in modest hotel bedrooms from Rochester to Alexandria, Virginia and Los Angeles. They were occasions
of special grace for me that I still treasure.
“Father Madden,” as he was invariably referred to in that context,
became a valued colleague and friend to everyone at UofT working
in the alumni field. When he formally retired in 2001, his alumni
affairs colleagues across campus presented him with the gift of a trip
to Europe. His was a low-key, but constant and effective witness to
the deep faith that underpinned everything he did. It connected with
people and drew them to him.
St. Michael’s loved Bob and let him know it, always I must say to
his great personal embarrassment. In 2000, the auditorium of Carr
Hall was refurbished and re-named Father Robert Madden Hall. In
2001, the University of St. Michael’s College recognized him with
the degree of Doctor of Divinity honoris causa. The Father Robert
Madden Student Leadership Awards were established and on his 80th
birthday, alumni and Bob’s many friends organized a giant birthday
party and presented him with a cheque for what eventually became
a quarter of a million dollar endowment for student assistance that
bears his name. He built up Alumni Affairs and the Annual Appeal
at St. Michael’s to be the financial base for the College teaching programs and the physical renewal of much of the campus, including
construction of the new Sorbara residence. It is a considerable legacy.
Twice during his career Bob was asked to allow his name to be put
forward for the presidency of St. Michael’s. He did not want to do
it. Making friends, teaching, counselling, offering spiritual guidance,
and being a pastor, that was his true vocation. For me he was the very
model of the priest-teacher.
At the beginning of A Man for All Seasons, the ambitious Richard
Rich, who wants preferment, asks More what he should do. More replies he should become a teacher. “You’d be a fine teacher,” says More,
“perhaps even a great one.” Disappointed, Rich asks “But if I was, who
would know?” “Ah,” replies More, “you would know it, your pupils,
your friends—God. Not a bad public, that.” Rest in peace, Father. F
The above is an abbreviated version of the eulogy Richard Alway gave at
Fr. Madden’s wake service on February 19. Alway was President of the
University of St. Michael’s College from 1990 to 2008.
St. Michael’s Spring 2013 15
CHRISTIANITY AND CULTURE
Chesterton
ColleCtion
A collector’s treasure added to the Kelly’s existing volumes
sheds new light on the British author’s rich life
By Charles Foran 8T3
“T
here is no such thing on earth as
an uninteresting subject,” Gilbert Keith
Chesterton wrote, “the only thing that
can exist is an uninterested person.” A natural successor to Oscar Wilde for pithy aphorisms, Chesterton made this wry observation in 1905’s Heretics
with the certainty that he, at least, would never
lack for subjects. The great British biographer, poet,
playwright, social commentator, journalist and illustrator lived a reasonably long (1874–1936) and
almost unreasonably rich life. Everything about this
archetypal ‘man of letters,’ a giant of early 20th-century English literature, was out-sized—his talent
and interests, the variety and quality of his output,
his appetite for argument and capacity for friendship, even his famously corporeal self. He was the
very opposite of small, and proceeded accordingly.
Such a very interesting subject poses a range
of challenges for the biographer. On the upside,
Chesterton’s time on earth was amply recorded,
and easy enough to order into a coherent narrative.
On the downside, the amount of available material is staggering, and sometimes hard to weigh
16 Spring 2013 St. Michael’s
in significance. Literary biographies might seem
the self-evident sum of their subject’s career. They
are, but only after careful selection, and with the
understanding that it is as much the life itself—the
proverbial who, what, when, where and why of
singular talent and achievement—that draws readers to these often thick tomes. As well, the lives of
writers, unlike those of politicians or mountain
climbers, aren’t necessarily bursting with actual incident. Another long day, month, year, scribbling
away at the desk, is hard to render as high drama.
G.K. Chesterton has had his share of biographers, many of them excellent. As recently as 2011,
Ian Ker’s 747-page G.K. Chesterton laid claim to
the problematic title of ‘definitive.’ But for Ker, as
for any of his predecessors, there is the lingering
worry about whether they have found and digested
everything that is available, either ‘primary,’ i.e. by
Chesterton or his circle, or ‘secondary,’ meaning
works about him that may have unearthed treasures
on their own. Plus, an alarming third category:
primary material that has come to light since your
book appeared. As a biographer who recently spent
“BROWNING MEETS
HIS BIOGRAPHER IN
A BETTER WORLD.”
the sketch offers a haloed Browning
chasing his biographer in heaven,
hoping to beat him with a cane.
18 Spring 2013 St. Michael’s
THE DEBATER
In March 1892, The Debater, journal of the Junior Debating Club
at St. Paul’s School on Hammersmith Road, London, published its
second-ever volume. The journal opens with minutes of club meetings, including the results of chess games—G.K. Chesterton defeated
“Mr. Bentley” on February 6, but left his match with F. Bertrand
unfinished—and reports such as “Mr. d’Avigdor read a paper on
Longfellow.” Among the literary selections is the long poem Humanity
by the very same “G.K.C.” who also played chess.
“O’er the night-black city gazing, broken by the blaze and spark,”
begins the sonorous Humanity, “Where the light of human presence
seemed more ghastly than the dark.”
Noel McFerran, the theology librarian at the Kelly Library, values
The Debater for its early signalling of the importance of enduring, deep
friendships in the Chesterton’s life. He was renowned for his vast circle
of friends, among them Hilaire Belloc and Father John O’Connor,
the model for ‘Fr. Brown’ in the mystery novel series. But many
key friendships were formed early, notably with “Mr. Bentley,” and
“Mr. d’Avigdor,” one of two brothers at St. Paul’s. The d’Avigdors were
Jewish, and Chesterton was instrumental in making them welcome
into the club.
THE BENTLEY LETTERS
Between 1888 and 1896, while on holidays from school, GKC exchanged regular letters with “Dear Bentley” or “Dear Edward.” Just
fourteen when the correspondence began, the letters chart the steady
emergence of Chesterton’s literary sensibility—“I have been reading
Treasure Island again,” he writes in 1892, “and inferior though it is to
many of his books, I cannot help feeling it is a work of considerable
power”—and, in spots, his already crafted style as a visual artist. The
PhotoS: geoff geroge
four years writing, and then two years touring, a 738-page biography
of another out-sized author, Mordecai Richler, I can attest to the routine sinking feeling of meeting someone at an event with a great (and
previously unheard) Richler anecdote to relay, or a fascinating (and
previously unseen) Richler letter to share. The kindest conclusion is
that all biographies are works in progress, whether they know it or not.
The same is true of archives. The John M. Kelly Library at the
University of St. Michael’s College has an impressive G.K. Chesterton collection. It contains more than 3,000 volumes, including
first-edition books, pamphlets and sketchbooks, his contributions,
either of text or illustrations, to books, journals and magazines and
volumes about him, both biographical and critical. A few original
drawings aside, however, until recently the Kelly collection has been
lacking in more personal and private material, the stuff of potential
eureka moments for those nervous biographers. Now, thanks to
the generosity of Hugh MacKinnon 8T1, Chair of the University
of St. Michael’s College Collegium and Chairman and CEO of
Canadian law firm Bennett Jones, that is no longer the case. This
past summer, MacKinnon, who has been collecting Chesterton for a
decade, made a donation of more than 190 titles, 14 original drawings, 22 autographed letters and three holograph poems. According
to the appraiser, the donation includes “several very scarce and rare
titles,” many featuring illustrated dedications by the author, a “quite
unusual” set of original watercolours and ink drawings for his fabled
‘Toy Theatre,’ and “quite remarkable” early correspondence between
GKC and his friend, the journalist and author E.C. Bentley.
The MacKinnon donation, much of it previously dispersed among
private collections, will no doubt lure past, present and future Chesterton biographers to the Kelly Library. To lend a sense of its importance,
it is worth taking a closer look at five selections.
“I HAVE BEEN READING
TREASURE ISLAND AGAIN,”
HE WRITES IN 1892,“AND
INFERIOR THOUGH IT IS
TO MANY OF HIS BOOKS,
I CANNOT HELP FEELING
IT IS A WORK OF
CONSIDERABLE POWER.”
gifted teenager is trying out roles and attitudes in everything from
his opinions to his soon florid, elegant script. “Oh yes! Oh yes!” the
very first letter scrawls excitedly.
Letters are biographical gold: as close to ‘pure’ source material as one
is likely to find. The Bentley correspondence fills out the picture of the
emerging polymath, and it is, no surprise, a warm, endearing portrait.
ROBERT BROWNING
GKC’s ‘breakout’ publication, a biography of the Victorian poet Robert Browning, appeared in 1903. Though many first editions exist,
including in the Kelly collection, none feature such a remarkable
dedication, complete with whimsical illustration. “To my friends—
Mildred and Waldo,” Chesterton writes at the top, “from the Culprit.”
The sketch offers a haloed Browning chasing his biographer in heaven,
hoping to beat him with a cane. “Browning meets his biographer in
a better world,” reads the caption.
For Noel McFerran, this donation is a treasure of insight and
information. First, ‘Waldo’ is Waldo d’Avigdor, his former St. Paul’s
classmate. Their ongoing friendship nearly a decade after graduation
complicates the notion, which Chesterton scholars continue to combat, that the author was a practising anti-Semite. The drawing also
highlights his wit and self-deprecation, and, more interestingly, his
doubts about the ‘culprit’ biographer—certainly himself, but maybe
all biographers pretending authority over another life.
THE TOY THEATRE
Chesterton and his wife, Frances, had no children of their own. But
his love of toy theatres, a passion shared with Charles Dickens, ran
deep, and may have brought out the eternal boy in him. In toy theatre, he wrote, “things happen immeasurably more interesting than
in the real world.” He enjoyed scripting tales of St. George and the
Dragon, often for his nieces and nephews to perform, and designing
and painting the figures in ink and water colour.
The MacKinnon donation of 14 framed panels of original drawings
is a rare, valuable addition. The panel titled 4 Figures appears to tell
a story of a flag bearer, a king being hounded by a eunuch or dwarf,
plus a knight with a shield, all of whom are menaced by a snake.
Noel McFerran notes an “Eastern potentate” element to the typically
assured, distinctive drawings—maybe a tale from the Crusades or the
Arabian Nights?
ORTHODOXY
Chesterton signed his name to thousands of books. But as with the
inscribed Robert Browning, a dedicated copy of Orthodoxy, especially one
with such an enigmatic comment, is significant. “To Charles Bastable,”
reads the page-length inscription, “whose patron saint…is that almost
BUT NOT QUITE Socialist politician St. Charles Borromeo.” Then,
below the drawing of, presumably, the 16th-century reformist Italian
cardinal Borromeo: “I offer this version of Orthodoxy.” Bastable was
his wife’s cousin, and the book is a 1919 edition of his 1908 classic of
Christian apologetics. Why make the gift 11 years after first publication?
Out of what exchange—a passing remark, a lengthy dinner conversation—had the issue of Borromeo’s ‘socialism’ come up?
Neither Charles Bastable nor St. Charles Borromeo are mentioned in
Ian Ker’s excellent G.K. Chesterton. Ker might have seen the dedication
page somewhere and decided it wasn’t worth mentioning. Or he might
not have known of its existence. Thanks to the MacKinnon donation,
the ongoing project that is the life—any life—of Chesterton just got
that much more interesting. F
St. Michael’s Spring 2013 19
IN PRINT
The Life of St. Mike’s
A personal account about how St. Michael’s College became what
it is today, the e-book Teach Me Goodness, Truth and Understanding
is rich with student lore and historic detail
A
2008 DoCtor of saCreD letters honoris causa, eD
Monahan 4T9 spoke proudly about St. Michael’s College in
his Convocation address, five years ago, about its place in the
world of religious education. He remembered, as a student, “I was privileged to receive an academic formation that included both philosophy and
theology. We read primary sources and sought to understand them. Today,
this is what most students of theology do, and with better research tools.”
By the time he spoke with such fondness, he was already well into the
research and writing of Teach Me Goodness, Truth and Understanding,
soon to be published online. A faculty member of a number of universities,
Ed Monahan was president of Sudbury’s Laurentian University (19721977) and president of the Council of Ontario Universities (1977-1991)
whose history, from 1962-2000, he chronicled in a publication called
20 Spring 2013 St. Michael’s
Collective Autonomy. Following it, he gave the history of St. Michael’s
College his full attention.
Monahan’s latest book reflects his dedication to history and his affection for the College, covering the period from its beginnings in 1852 to
2005, presenting it in three parts: first as a petit séminaire, then as a
federated liberal arts college in the University of Toronto and lastly, its
1958 establishment as a university and subsequent development. While
the book draws on a wide variety of official documents, it comes to life
with the people mentioned in it who made the College the St. Mike’s of
today—the Basilian Fathers, the Loretto Sisters, the Sisters of St. Joseph,
professors, athletic coaches, dons and many others.
Academics always a priority, no college would thrive without room for
students to explore life’s other facets. The following excerpt tells Monahan’s
PhotoS: SMC arChiveS
By Ed Monahan 4T9
story of how the COOP came to be and what student life was like in war years, the music and dramatic societies of the three SMC colleges
the mid 1940s.
joined forces to become the St. Michael’s Music and Drama Society.
… In 1946, St. Michael’s enrolment passed the 700-mark, almost This society became the most successful club on the St. Michael’s
half of whom were in residence. The post-World War II period saw a campus, sponsoring monthly Sunday concerts in term that alternated
burgeoning of student activities. One of the most significant develwith those offered at Hart House. In the academic year 1945–46,
opments affecting student life was the establishment, in 1946, of a
the M & D Society mounted six concerts, including one of music
consumer co-operative “tuck shop.” Encouraged by Basilian interest
composed by its members. The society also mounted plays of near
in social action and mentored by Allan MacEachran, then a graduate professional quality. In 1948, it staged J. M. Synge’s Shadow of the Glen
student in Economics at UofT living in residence at St. Michael’s, at Hart House to critical acclaim. For the more academic-minded, the
the SMC co-op was based on co-operative principles derived from
Thomistic Society sponsored monthly Sunday afternoon lectures by
the work of Monsignor Moses M. Coady of St. Francis Xavier Uni- PIMS and SMC staff and guest lecturers. All of these activities were
versity in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. The store was student-owned and
without charge on presentation of a UofT student card.
operated. Members paid $5 to purchase a loan share, which paid an
During the winter months, with the same student card UofT
annual dividend based on their purchases. A nine-person student
students could skate free two evenings a week on an outdoor rink
board of directors, five men from SMC and four women, two each
“iced” on the field at Varsity stadium, music courtesy of the band of
from Loretto and St. Joseph’s, set policy and appointed staff. A roster
the Toronto 48th Highlanders. The annual St. Michael’s At-Home
of paid student counter help supervised by a student
manager provided the service. The Basilians provided
space in the basement of House 69, a student residence on the corner of St. Joseph Street and Queen’s
Park Crescent. Small, initially with only six tables,
the co-op opened in the spring of 1946 on weekdays
for three hours in the afternoon and one hour in the
evening. That fall it was open from 9 am to 5 pm
and in the evenings from 9 pm to 10 pm.
Immediately called The COOP, the tuck shop
was an instant success. Students and staff could
now purchase coffee and sandwiches, cigarettes and
other sundries on campus, without having to go
from l to r: Ken lefebvre, ed monahan, mary sherlock, art monahan,
to Bay and Yonge Streets. More significantly, St.
Joan macDonald, Jack wilson, nancy mccormick, marc lefebvre, mamie flynn
Michael’s students, men and women, now had a
place to socialize right next to Teefy Hall, where
they attended class. The role the COOP played in
fostering the SMC student community, while immeasurable, without doubt was very great. When
House 69 was demolished to make way for Carr
Hall, the COOP moved to larger quarters in the
new building. By that time, the store was grossing
over $10,000 a year, a sizeable sum at the time,
and provided some members with bursaries to attend graduate school. With various ups and downs, it remained a
was moved from Hart House to Brennan Hall. As well, there were
wholly student enterprise for almost two decades. By then, the size
occasional Saturday evening record hops, and the regular Sunday
and complexity of the operation, plus declining student interest in
evening dances at Newman Club. In 1948, two Loretto students, Jean
directing and managing the operation led to its wind-up as a student O’Shaughnessy and Margaret Kearns, led the Varsity team against
co-operative. In the early 1960s, the COOP was taken over by the
McGill at a home-and-home debate and won. … F
Basilians and relocated in the newly renovated Brennan Hall, where
it continues to serve the St. Michael’s community.
While Ed Monahan’s book is not an authorized history of St. Michael’s,
The Post-World War II period saw a flowering of student clubs. A
it is a font of historic detail, personal insights and memories many will
number of St. Michael’s students, mainly women, were active in the
enjoy. Ed Monahan will graciously donate all proceeds from its online
Hart House theatre, then enjoying a high reputation for the quality sales to St. Michael’s College. The official online publication date will be
of its presentations under the able direction of Eric Gill. During the
announced at www.stmikes.utoronto.ca.
“I was privileged to receive an academic
formation that included both philosophy and
theology...Today, this is what most students of
theology do, and with better research tools.”
St. Michael’s Spring 2013 21
GIVING
A Family Decision
ON
Tuesday, April 16, the
St. Michael’s community came together to
celebrate a transformative gift to the University of St. Michael’s College and recognize the
outstanding commitment of Victor Dodig
8T8, Senior Executive Vice-President, CIBC,
and Group Head, Wealth Management.
Victor Dodig, his wife, Maureen, and
their children Matthew, Thomas, Julia and
Nicholas have generously pledged $500,000
to the SMC One: Cornerstone program
22 Spring 2013 St. Michael’s
over the next ten years. The University of
Toronto will match their donation, creating
a $1,000,000 contribution to operational
costs over the next decade.
To demonstrate the College’s appreciation
for the Dodig family’s generosity, the COOP
in Brennan Hall has been renamed The Dodig
Family Student Commons “The COOP”.
As Dodig looked around the room filled with
friends and family he stated that the space would
always have special meaning for him as it was
filled with so many fond memories. “I spent
a lot of time here with great friends,” he said.
Robert Edgett, Executive Director of
Alumni Affairs and Development, noted that
this gift is just the latest installment of this
outstanding former student’s commitment
to St. Mike’s. In 1993, then-President Dr.
Richard Alway received a letter from a recent
graduate who was attending Harvard Business
School. The young alumnus wrote, “I would
like to commit my human capital to restoring
St. Mike’s financial health through an active
committee of the College. I am confident that
PhotoS: Dean Penafiel
The Dodig Family’s pledge creates a $1-million fund for Cornerstone
good management and enlightened
reflect their chosen topic. Natuleadership will combine to create an
rally, the first course offered was
academically and financially vibrant
on the topic of social justice itself.
institution.” The letter closes with
Its specific goals are to provide an
a $100 gift (pretty big for a grad
engaging, small-group learning exstudent in 1993) and a commitperience, to encourage critical rement to continue to give when his
flection on the relationship between
job prospects would be finalized. It
theory and practice by integrating
was signed “Victor G. Dodig, class
academic studies with community
of 1988.”
service, to introduce students to the
Victor Dodig’s commitment to
core social justice mission of SMC,
the future of this College has been
and to cultivate lasting relationships
unfailing, first as a 10-year committee
between SMC and other commumember and currently, Chair of the
nity partners.
College’s major fundraiser, the New
St. Michael’s hopes to provide
Millenium Golf Classic Tournament.
these students with the ability to
He also served as a member of the
ask key questions about the society
Collegium, the College’s Governin which they live and to reflect critiing Board and most recently, as the
cally on the often difficult answers
Chair of its Investment Committee.
they are faced with. Cornerstone
The amount of time and effort he exstudents hear local politicians dispends on behalf of St. Mike’s could
cuss budget issues, serve in homeless
Victor Dodig gave special thanks to his parents Veselko
only be possible with the support and
shelters and long-term care facilities,
(Bill) and Janja and his mentor The honourable michael
encouragement of his family.
do advocacy work for local NGOs,
h. wilson, pictured here at the recognition event.
“I have so many people to thank
or plant vegetables in a community
for being here, starting with my
garden. The lecture-seminar-service
parents, Veselko (Bill) and Janja, whose hard
SMC Foundation Year Program, SMC structure gives students key information and
work and decision to move to Canada pro- One: Cornerstone is designed to help offset the opportunity to discuss issues prior to the
vided me with outstanding educational op- factors that lead many first-year students to service portion of the program.
portunities. A special mention as well to The drop out of university, such as age, homeDodig described his motivation to help
Honourable Michael H. Wilson, the current sickness and the overwhelming size of the building Cornerstone, saying, “USMC is a
Chancellor of the University of Toronto, a student body. Foundation programs offer pillar in our community, founded in 1852
dear friend and mentor who offered me the first-year students small classes, the oppor- by the Basilian Fathers and federated with
opportunity to come back to Canada from tunity to network and work with mentors, the University of Toronto since 1910. It has
the UK. And while Canada has been great and the ability to choose streams that engage played a large part in forming who I am toto me, as has St. Mike’s, it is Maureen, my their interests. While Victoria, Trinity, Uni- day. I was the first member of my family to
spouse of almost 18 years, who has been my versity and New College each have their own go to university, and a grateful recipient of a
partner in raising a family and has taught me version of the program, St. Michael’s sensed Marshall McLuhan Scholarship.”
the importance of giving back,” said Dodig. a need for one open to all SMC students
With the support and help of donors like
Very clear to underscore that this is a fam- that embodies the College’s dedication to the Dodig family, St. Mike’s is working to
ily gift and family decision, he related, “we community and social justice.
create a Cornerstone course in Communicalled a meeting of the ‘board’ (our board) at
Students enrolling in the Cornerstone cations Media. The hope is to one day offer
our favourite restaurant and discussed what program can choose one of four streams: Cornerstone courses in all core programs, and
we wanted to do. The gift to St. Michael’s Life and Health; Environment and the Earth; develop complimentary ones for second and
was an easy decision, and the choice to sup- Politics and Society, or Thought and Culture. fourth-year students. This gift takes us from
port this program made the most sense to Each stream has a social justice focus while theory to practice, the core mission of the
our family values.”
providing students with work placements that program itself. F
“USMC is a pillar in our
community ... It has played
a large part in forming
who I am today”
St. Michael’s Spring 2013 23
GIVING
Boundless
Community
Campaign
24 Spring 2013 St. Michael’s
PhotoS: Dean Penafiel
ON
Saturday Sept. 29,
2012, in conjunction with the Feast of
St. Michael and the celebration of our 160th
Anniversary, the University of St. Michael’s
College launched its most ambitious fundraising campaign to date. In the spirit of
community we welcomed over 300 friends,
alumni, faculty, staff and families to campus
where they enjoyed entertainment, displays,
demonstrations, food and excitement as we
announced our $50-million goal.
Our aspiration is to raise funds to support people, places and programs that will
strengthen and grow the University of
St. Michael’s College. The choice of name
is synonymous with our intent – Boundless
Community seeks to bring together our communities of students faculty, staff, alumni and
friends to build ideals into reality.
In the six months since the launch, the
campaign has raised over $4.6 million and we
have exceeded $25.6 million towards our target. This success is testament to the depth and
breadth of support that our College enjoys.
As we continue to build on this momentum
you can expect to see more of us in your own
neighbourhoods as we reach and celebrate all
that St. Michael’s means to each and every
one out of us. F
alumni associaTion
Boundless Efforts
The many ways alumni can do good for life at St. Mike’s
By Andy Lubinsky 7T9, President, USMC Alumni Association Board
PhotoS: Ming lin
Y
ou may not be aware that the
University of St. Michael’s College
alumni community is now 50,000
strong. As I was reflecting on this, it occurred
to me that, as a community, we have had a tremendous influence on life at St. Michael’s College and have the potential to do even more.
We were all students at USMC and this
was our academic home. We lived in residence and played football on the fields, and
hockey and broomball in the arena. We filled
St. Basil’s Church for Mass on Sundays, and
we gathered in Teefy Hall and the campus
quad by the statue of the Archangel. We participated in Kelly’s Corner, wrote for and read
The Mike, and gave our energy to SMCSU
and a variety of clubs. We made great friends,
learned, laughed, cried and prayed through
it all. We were the “discipline, goodness and
knowledge”, that is the ongoing gift of St.
Michael’s College come to life.
And now, of course, we pass that torch on
to others. But what about us? It seems to me
we can still carry the message of our amazing
university, not just in our words, but in our
deeds as well. We are still standard bearers,
ambassadors and advocates every time any
one of us says: “I went to St. Mike’s.” Can
we not still contribute to life at St. Michael’s
College in an important way?
We may do so through philanthropy.
As you know, the Boundless Community
Campaign aims to raise $50 million for both
capital and endowment development, allowing us to reenergize our academic program
and renew areas of USMC’s beautiful and
historic campus, both of which are such vital
parts of life at St. Michael’s College.
Glenn stadtegger 8T9 hosts the finance Table at our career network event
But philanthropy is not our only option.
We can participate in diverse events and activities associated with St. Mike’s, and each
of us can do so to the degree and in the manner that suits who we are and how we feel.
Volunteer options include: helping out with
the Lenten Retreat; acting as a class representative or career network volunteer; joining
the Friends of the Kelly Library, the Annual
Golf Tournament committee or the events
committee; or serving as College Council
Representatives, on the Senate, Governing
Council, or the Alumni Association Board of
Directors. Or you can stay connected to the
community by attending a lecture, a ROM
tour, the Spring Reunion or by signing up for
a Continuing Education course.
Every time you give, reach out to volunteer or attend an event, you make a difference
to life at St. Michael’s College. I look forward
to hearing from you if you wish to support
the community in any of these ways. Please
feel free to contact me directly at 905-3301954 if you wish to learn more.F
St. Michael’s Spring 2013 25
firsT fliGhT
EcoSense Strikes Gold
A fourth-year SMC student describes his team’s
first-place win in the Walmart Green Student Challenge
By Adam Wang
E
26 Spring 2013 St. Michael’s
l to r: Teammates michael Zhang, adam wang and andrew Girgis with shelley
Broader, president & ceo of walmart canada, at the february 26 presentation of the
walmart Green student challenge award.
While the three of us put a significant
amount of time and effort into this app, we
would like to thank our support system at
St. Mike’s, especially the Dean of Students,
Duane Rendle, who provided us with advice
during and prior to the competition. When I
came from Ottawa in my first year, I participated in frosh and made many of my friends
on campus. I know and love the people and
the culture of the College. It’s where I first
felt at home in Toronto, and still do.
St. Mike’s helped guide us; the professors and leaders here offered lots of advice
during this competition. We are excited to
see the future of St. Mike’s as it continues
to develop new initiatives to get students
engaged in these types of competitions and
activities that can further their academic
growth while sparking an interest in an innovative new field. The College’s support for
my team’s achievements and our excitement
for the future of St. Mike’s are why we have
chosen to donate a sizeable amount of our
prize money back to SMC. F
As winners of the challenge, Adam Wang and
his teammates were awarded $25,000 as well
as another $25,000 to donate back to the University of Toronto. The EcoSense team has generously pledged a significant portion of these winnings to the University of St. Michael’s College.
To check out the app, visit www.ecosensemobile.
com or their Facebook page at www.facebook.
com/EcoSense.Mobile.
Photo: CnW grouP/WalMart Canada
arlier this year, my teammates,
Andrew Girgis and Michael
Zhang, and I joined 160 other
post-secondary student teams in registering
for the Walmart Green Student Challenge.
The competition was to create an innovative
way to make businesses more sustainable and
improve their bottom lines.
With these goals in mind, we developed
an app that reduces the environmental impact of grocery store flyers and provides
consumers with healthy, cost-effective and
environmentally sustainable shopping options right at their fingertips. People often
don’t have the time to take advantage of store
specials that are good for their diets, wallets
or the environment. Our app, EcoSense, is
a hub that creates shopping lists, provides
flyers, and notifies users of sales on healthy
and sustainable products. One fun feature
allows users to ‘favourite’ items (in my case,
baby back ribs) so the app can let them know
when and where they are on sale!
Along with the other four finalists in the
competition, we presented on February 26,
at Toronto’s Design Exchange before a panel
of high-ranking executives—Shelley Broader,
of Walmart Canada; Dianne Craig, of Ford
Motor Company of Canada; Chris O’Neill,
of Google Canada; Claude Mongeau, of Canadian National Railway; Ana Dominguez, of
SC Johnson Canada, and Tom Heintzman,
of Bullfrog Power. Although we were competing against very innovative teams, we won
first place, according to the four selection criteria of originality, ease of implementation,
potential business and environmental benefits, and the idea’s online “buzz” generation.
snapshoT
A Cup of Joe...
...with Cristina Peter
AS
the new (and first) Campus Life Co-ordinator at
St. Michael’s College, Cristina Peter shares her experience from the past few months, and her hopes
for the future. After graduating from UofT with an H.BSc and OISE
with a BEd, Cristina accepted this position with the mandate to
develop student life programming while fostering the growth of the
community and each individual student.
St. Michael’s: This is the first year that SMC has had a Campus Life
Co-ordinator. What are some of the benefits and challenges you have
encountered in this position?
Cristina Peter: The most exciting part of this new role is that I get to
figure out how a Campus Life Co-ordinator can best serve SMC students from the ground up! I’m having a fabulous time observing and
taking part in campus life and working out how we can all enhance
the student experience together. Building a role like this and developing initiatives and programming that complement the community
is a large task with a steep learning curve, but I truly love what I’m
doing. Every day is new and exciting within an amazing community.
SM’s: During your undergrad, you were an ambassador of the Vic One
program at UofT and a don in Victoria College. What did you learn in
those positions that helps your current work?
CP: They taught me the importance of supporting first-year students
to be future leaders in the SMC community. I also developed a broader
appreciation for how student groups, faculty and staff can work together to make this an amazing place. We’re all working towards the
same goal: enhancing the student experience. I’m here to provide
students with administrative resources and support to help develop
their St. Mike’s experience.
SM’s: Tell us some of the highlights from your past few months at SMC.
CP: Certainly Orientation Week! I was three weeks in, and suddenly
there were hundreds of students chanting and covered in blue paint.
Being new to SMC, I was a “froshie” myself! Other highlights have
been everyday encounters with fabulous people at St. Mike’s. Everyone has been extremely welcoming and supportive. Staff, faculty and
students are so passionate about making this place better, and I’m
here to help make that vision a reality!
SM’s: What are your hopes and goals for your work as the new Campus
Life Co-ordinator?
CP: I hope to support all existing initiatives enhancing campus life
while developing additional programming, like YESvember and
BrandNew-ary, and new initiatives such as the Mentors and Academic Peers (MAPs) in Research and the Academic Skills Centre of
Kelly library. I believe the SMC experience is a journey of the ‘Spirit
and Mind through Community.’
SM’s: Finally, how do you like your coffee?
CP: Just a little milk, usually, but if I want a treat, I really love flavoured coffee! F
St. Michael’s Spring 2013 27
Honours
November Honours
L
ast November 10, the University of St. Michael’s
College held the Convocation for the Faculty of Theology
and Continuing Education. In addition to celebrating the
achievements of those graduating, St Michael’s also acknowledged
three people in particular whose work has greatly affected the students
and individuals they taught, mentored and inspired as well as adding
perspectives on the Catholic faith in general. USMC granted honorary
degrees to Dr. Mary Evelyn Tucker, Dr. Giuseppe Mazzotta and The
Rev. David Whalen, OSFS.
DR. GIUSEPPE MAZZOTTA, DOCTOR OF SACRED LETTERS
Dr. Mazzotta is the Sterling Professor of Humanities and Chair of the
Italian Department at Yale University. While he specializes in Mediaeval Studies, his publications address all centuries of Italian literary
history. He is the author of seminal books on Dante, the Renaissance
and Giambattista Vico that have radically redirected the course of each
of their respective fields of research. He is also widely acknowledged as
the leading Dante scholar in the world and served as President of the
Dante Society of America from 2003-2009. Dr. Mazzotta is highly
respected not only for his work as a scholar of great distinction, but
also for his ongoing effort to establish the importance of the Christian
intellectual tradition in the non-theological curriculum of leading
North American universities.
THE REV. DAVID WHALEN, OSFS, DOCTOR OF DIVINITY
During his tenure with the Faculty of Theology from 1986 to 2003,
Fr. Whalen was Director of Formation for the Oblates of St. Francis
28 Spring 2013 St. Michael’s
Photo: liSa SaKulenSKY PhotograPhY
DR. MARY EVELYN TUCKER, DOCTOR OF SACRED LETTERS
Dr. Tucker is a Senior Lecturer and Research Scholar at Yale University, where she holds appointments in the Divinity School and in the
School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. She is Co-Director
with John Grim of the Forum on Religion and Ecology at Yale, where
they produced a series of 10 conferences on World Religions and
Ecology for Harvard University and 10 edited volumes from Harvard.
Dr. Tucker’s many publications cover a wide range of such topics as
Ecology and Religion, Confucianism, Hinduism and Christianity.
She is a member of the Interfaith Partnership for the Environment
at the United Nations Environment Program and served on the International Earth Charter Drafting Committee from 1997-2000.
The rev. David whalen, osfs, Dr. mary evelyn Tucker, principal Domenico pietropaolo, Dr. Giuseppe mazzotta, Dr. Joseph schner, sJ
de Sales. He also served as Director of Basic Degree Programs as well
as being a pastoral minister for several Toronto parishes when extra
help was needed. Fr. Whalen left Toronto when his Congregation
elected him to the Office of Provincial in June 2003. He served in
this capacity for two consecutive terms, concluding his office as
Provincial Superior in 2011. He is currently Pastor of St. Pius Parish in Toledo, Ohio. The Oblates have been leaders in the Faculty
of Theology, generous with time and talent in building community
among their colleagues. In honouring Fr. Whalen for his teaching,
leadership and mentoring of Faculty of Theology students, we also
honour some seventeen years of Oblate presence and participation
at USMC. F
Bulletin Board
BULLETIN BOARD publishes interesting information about recent
developments in the lives of St. Michael’s graduates and friends.
Upholding a grand tradition, Kevin Dancy and Duane Rendle
will continue this column. Thank you for keeping the news bits
coming; please send them to smc.bulletinboard@utoronto.ca
Did you know that St. Mike’s appears in Yann Martel’s Man Booker Prizewinning 2001 novel Life of Pi ? read in the introductory chapter, where the
protagonist, Pi Patel, talks about his education after having survived his ordeal,
“… after one year of high school, i attended the university of toronto and
took a double-major Bachelor’s degree. My majors were religious studies and
zoology. … i was a very good student, if i may say so myself. i was tops at St.
Michael’s College four years in a row. i got every possible student award from the Department of Zoology. if i got none from the Department of religious Studies, it is simply because there are no student awards in this department (the rewards of religious study are not in mortal hands, we all know that.) …”
Thomas (Tom) Aman 6T1 contin-
Mary Betz 7T4 and her husband,
ued his studies at uoft after gradu-
James (Jim) 6T7 and Marilyn
Peter, continue to live happily and
ation from SMC/uoft, receiving Ma
Frutkin Grace 7T5 accompanied
busily in new Zealand. Peter teaches
and PhD degrees studying russian
their daughter Sarah 0T8
high school senior chemistry and ju-
in the Slavic Studies Department.
up the main aisle of
nior science. Mary recently accepted
he then taught at the university of
St. anselm’s Church, toronto,
a position with the auckland Catho-
texas, austin, for several years. he
for her wedding to Chris Politis
lic diocese dedicating half her work
then worked with russian, ukraine
(uoft Scarborough 0t9). Jim
time to justice and peace issues and
and Kazakhstan business entities, all
and Marilyn continue to live in
the other half to the pastoral office
of which took him often to russia.
toronto. Marilyn recently retired
of the diocese. her work includes
in July 2012, trafford Publishing
from the toronto Catholic
building up a relatively new Justice
District School Board and has,
and Peace Commission, and helping
Company published his book, It
All Started With Gogol: Scenes
as she reports, “started my own little consulting business in retreat
fledgling committees learn Catholic
from Life in Russia. tom has three
facilitation and education consulting…called ‘mkg solutions.’ i do
social teaching and apply it to local
grown sons, who, he reports, “are
most of my work in connections with the Scarboro foreign Missions
areas of concern. the pastoral part
all blessed with their own chil-
facilitating retreats for high school students, particularly the golden
of her position has involved her
dren, thus blessing me with eight
rule retreats for grade 11.” her work team includes Katie Marshall
in the Diocesan Pastoral Council,
grandchildren.” tom and his wife,
Flaherty 8T6. Jim and Marilyn have three other children: Kathleen,
regional Bishops’ forums, the Com-
tanya, whom he met in russia, live
24, Christopher, 21, Joshua, 19.
mission for ecumenism, and parish
in northern new Jersey.
life in the diocese. it would seem
St. Michael’s Spring 2013 29
Bulletin Board
Mary’s studies at the university of
Christiane Cheung 8T8 has taught
St. Michael’s College are strongly
school in Mauritius, her homeland,
in play. Mary and Peter found time
for several years and has recently
recently to celebrate the 10 an-
had her book of short stories The
niversary of their wedding.
Rainbow Catcher, published. in
th
his introduction to the book, uoft
Catherine (Cathie) Massel Bray-
Professor emeritus of english Dennis
ley 7T9, Partner in the toronto law
Duffy, who taught Christiane when
firm Bennett Jones, was elected
she was here, commented, “Christy
as governor of the Canadian tax
Cheung’s collection of short stories
foundation in november 2012.
based largely on her own experi-
Jean Carmichael Loftus 6T0 and her husband, tom, became first-time
Cathie serves as Vice-Chair of the
ence…displays the sensuous bits
grandparents 17 oct. 2012 with the birth of twin boys, aiden Michael,
university of St. Michael’s College
and pieces of Mauritian life.”
5lbs 2oz, 17 1/4 in, and Will Patrick, 5lbs 3oz, 18 in, born to their older
Collegium, the highest governing
son, Michael, and his wife, Joleen, in Denver, Co, where Michael,
body of St. Michael’s. She and her
Thomas 6T2 and Patricia
representing a new York company, is in financial sales, specializing in real
husband, Scott, have two children,
Trutty-Coohill 6T2 celebrated the
estate investment trusts. Younger son Daniel lives in Crested Butte, Co,
David and Katie. the family resides
50th anniversary of their wedding
where he had been teaching skiing and is now a co-owner of a restau-
in toronto.
on 8 Sept. 2012. the celebration
rant. needless to say, Jean and tom did not wait long before travelling to
Denver to see their first grandchildren.
took place in Denver, Co. the party
Mary Ellen Regan Burns 7T0
was given at Coohill’s, a restaurant
and her husband, Ken, now retired,
owned by their son tom Jr. they
have bought a home in Picton,
have two other sons, Matthew
on, to use as a summer residence
and Joseph. tom and Patricia have
as long as they have their home
enjoyed brilliant academic careers.
in toronto. Mary ellen reports that
Present at the Denver celebration
her two daughters are well, and
were Anne “Sissy” Moore Luyat
that she now has five grandchil-
6T4, a member of the wedding
dren, four granddaughters and
party, and Walter (Wally) Fitzger-
one grandson, ranging in age from
ald 6T3, tom’s best man and his
16 to three years old. She remains
former roommate at St. Michael’s.
active in holy rosary Parish in to-
a good time was had by all, espe-
ronto, and she and Ken have joined
cially all the SMCers present.
the SMC friends of the library
Committee, with Ken taking on the
Thomas Dilworth 6T9, Professor
duties of treasurer.
of english at the university of Wind-
Anne Doyle McClure 6T8 and her husband, Dave, celebrated the
sor, gave the annual Christianity
40th anniversary of their wedding last summer. they continue to
Dr. Paul Burns 6T2 has retired from
and the arts lecture, 10 april 2012,
live in San Diego, Ca, and have three married children: Shannon,
Quest university, Squamish, BC, but
to a large and appreciative audi-
a lawyer in Philadelphia; Marc, a program manager for Microsoft in
continues to teach at Corpus Christi
ence. the title of the lecture was,
Seattle, and Kari, a speech therapist in San Diego. they are proud
College and St. Mark’s College in
“literature, imagination and the
grandparents of four grandchildren: Marc’s daughter, elinore, and
Vancouver (both affiliated with uBC),
Problem of god.” the series is spon-
Kari’s children, finnegan, 20 months, and twins Cormac and grady,
offering courses on Church history
sored by the St. Michael’s College
2 months. Part of Dave and anne’s anniversary celebrations included
at St. Mark’s and Catholicism at
Christianity and Culture Program
a week-long family gathering at the beach and then a trip touring
Corpus Christi; he is also the Director
through the generosity of angela
in france, Portugal and Belgium. they are part of a team of married
of liberal arts for Corpus Christi,
Macri and George Macri 7T2.
couples involved in the marriage ministry, Retrouvaille, whose pur-
responsible for integrating the cur-
pose is to help married couples strengthen their union.
riculum. Paul and his wife, Maureen
Charles Foran 8T3, author of ten
Burns-lyons, live in Vancouver.
books, including the multi-award
30 Spring 2013 St. Michael’s
winning biography of Mordecai
tice of Wilson Vukelich llP. the firm
richler, Mordecai: the Life and
announced that Diane was joining
Times, taught a half-course on irish
as Counsel in the Corporate group
literature beginning in January 2013
“where she will continue her prac-
for the SMC Celtic Studies Program.
tice of corporate/commercial, infor-
Charles holds a Master’s Degree in
mation technology and privacy law,
irish literature from university Col-
as well as work in the not-for-profit
lege Dublin and has taught literature
sector.” Diane, her husband Stuart
at universities in hong Kong, China
Bollefer and their son, andrew, and
and Canada. he and his wife Molly
daughter, Julia, live in toronto.
ladkin live in toronto, on. they have
two daughters, anna and Claire.
Greg 7T0 and Linda Bailey
Kealey 6T9 continue to enjoy
Larry 8T6 and Julie Buelow
active and productive academic
Hynes 8T6 are married 22 years;
careers as historians. linda is retired
they live in oakville, on, and have
after having taught at Memorial
two children, Michael, 21, who is
university in newfoundland and at
Patricia Kelly McGee 6T8 welcomed her third grandchild, lily grace
in his 4th year at Queen’s univer-
the university of new Brunswick
Madore, 28 aug. 2012. Pat writes, “Big Brother griffin has a birthday
sity, Kingston, on, and Mitchell,
in fredericton, nB. greg is on
on July 28 and she wanted hers to be aug. 28!” She reports that
who is in grade 5, beginning
administrative leave after serving
mother (Pat’s daughter tara) and father, Peter Madore, are doing well,
french immersion and, Julie adds,
two terms as Provost and Vice-
and that she herself (“nana”) “has recovered from all the excitement
“is enjoying being 10!” Michael is
President of research at unB. they
and is delighted to welcome grandbaby no. 3 to the family.”
doing a dual degree in engineering
will be spending the next semester
Science and Computer Science.
as Visiting Professors in Melbourne,
Michael recently won first prize
australia, and then in Palmerston
at Sunnybrook research institute
north, in new Zealand. Before
in physical sciences for his project
retiring from unB, linda organized
“intra vascular imaging using fre-
a very successful Congress of the
quency domain photoacoustics.”
Social Sciences and humanities.
their niece, olivia hynes, is in
upon retirement she received the
first year at SMC, and their uncle,
President’s Medal for outstanding
former arbor award winner, is the
Service. greg’s book Secret Service:
late Donald Forbes McDonald
Political Policing in Canada from
3T9. larry is a Manager at health
the Finians to Fortress America
force Marketing and recruiting
(co-authored by reg Whitaker
agency; Julie works in website
and andy Parnell) was published
design, took her Certificate in
July 2012 by ut Press, also the
information Design from the
same-year publisher of Debating
iSchool institute at uoft and has
Dissent: Canada and the 1960s,
John Picone 7T7 received his PhD Phil. from uoft at the fall 2012
prepared the chapter “a Practitio-
a collection of essays greg co-
Convocation. two of John’s sons, also graduates of SMC, received
ner’s approach to Collaborative
authored with Kara Campbell and
post-graduate degrees earlier in the year: John Michael 0T5 an ll.M
usability testing,” appearing in
Dominique Clement. in June 2012,
from Cambridge university, uK; Vincent 0T7 an M.ed. from oiSe/uoft.
the textbook Cases on Usability
he received the Queen’s Diamond
John’s PhD is in Music education. he is currently a professor in the Music
Engineering: Design and Develop-
Jubilee Medal for his work with the
Department of Brock university in St. Catharines, on, as well as volun-
ment of Digital Products.
Canadian historical Society. greg
teer conductor of the guardian angels Catholic elementary School Band
adds, “not least, our daughter,
in Watertown, on. enjoying retirement in his hometown of Dundas,
Diane Karnay 8T1 has recently
Caitlin, recently joined the ottawa
on, John also teaches private music lessons in his home studio.
joined the Markham, on, law prac-
media and social media consulting
St. Michael’s Spring 2013 31
Bulletin Board
the ceremony. Most recently,
lisa lyn Mcrae 8T5 was inducted
Bek Wong 8T3 and her hus-
Fr. lococo was on the faculty of
into the uoft Sports hall of Fame 7
band, dr. dan t le ddS (uoft,)
John Fisher College, rochester, ny.
June 2012 for the impact she made
anniversary 6 Sept. 2012.
Joseph (Joe) Mackinnon 1T0
and on the international scene: she
they were married in St. Basil’s
has recently published Faultline 49
played on three oWiaa and Ciau
Church; fr. robert Madden cSB
(guy Faux Books, toronto), a novel
championship teams and was named
5T2 was official Church witness
written under the name of fictional
oWiaa all-star and Canadian all-star.
of their marriage vows. Bek is a
journalist david danson, ‘report-
as well, she helped Canada win
lab technologist at Sunnybrook
ing’ on 9/11 as to have happened
medals in the 1986 World Cup in
hospital, and dan has a dental
in edmonton and the subsequent
holland and the 1987 Pan american
practice in toronto. they have
conflict with the u.S. the Calgary
games in indianapolis; she also com-
three children: Jay, 23, Jaime, 2l,
Herald’s 13 dec.’12 review covered
peted in the 1988 olympics in Seoul,
Jason, 19.
most of the entertainment sec-
S. korea. her induction is indeed a
tion’s front page, calling the book
fitting and deserved tribute.
celebrated their 25th wedding
on the Field hockey pitch at uoft
“a strangely realistic tale…[the]
karen volpe 0T1 and her husband,
250-page thought exercise swaps
patrick Murphy 8T4, a lawyer in
Jeff (uoft/vic0t4), welcomed their
edmonton with new york, and
the firm donnelly & Murphy in god-
first child, John 4 July 2012. they
also Canada with iraq, afghanistan
erich, on, was recently appointed
live in downtown toronto. karen
and other nations in a buildup of
to the ontario Council of the Cana-
works in the tax group of ernst &
violence, fabrication and barely
dian Bar association. Pat, his wife,
young and Jeff in land development
concealed geopolitical oil interests.
Brenda, and their young daughter,
for a shopping centre developing
it’s a story one would never swal-
emily, live in Clinton, on. Pat is the
company. two of the proud grand-
low, had it not actually gone down
son of Daniel Murphy 5T1 Qc and
parents are karen’s parents nori
between the u.S. and the Middle
has several siblings who graduated
5T9 and Sandra volpe, and karen’s
east, including the ongoing iraq oc-
from uoft/SMC.
brother andrew volpe 0T3 is a
cupation.” (Full review online) Joe
proud uncle. andrew is a Portfolio Manager, Client Service and Market-
is the son of laura Travers Mack-
kathleen o’hagan richardson
ing, for toronto investment firm Jarislowsky Fraser ltd. Baby John was
innon 8T2 and hugh Mackinnon
7T4 continues full time with the to-
baptized in St. Basil’s Church, where Jeff and karen were married.
8T1, Chair of the university of St.
ronto Catholic district School Board,
Michael’s College Collegium, and
where she is now an assessment
Chairman and Ceo of the law firm
and Programming teacher. her hus-
Bennett Jones.
band, John, is busy with his private
firm Media Style, where she serves
in elmsley hall and studying interna-
as vice-President.” a busy family.
tional relations; he plans to graduate
law practice. their daughter, annie,
in 2014. Michael concludes, “Mike
Emily Mandy 6T6 continues her
graduated from the university of
Michael kuegle 8T2 and Betty
and Bev live near owen Sound, on,
fine-art work, focusing mainly on
guelph in 2012 and has begun a
Mason celebrated the graduation of
enjoy travel, while Mike juggles his
encaustic painting. She belongs to a
Master’s degree in Communication
their daughter frances kuegle Ma-
pursuit of art and his legal practice,
collective of nine artists who all, she
and Culture, a program conducted
son from SMC/uoft in June 2012.
based in Burlington, on.”
reports, “have different interests in
jointly by ryerson and york universi-
visual art, so it is a good stimulus.”
ties in toronto. their son, Bill, gradu-
Michael writes, “Frances is now pursuing a Master’s in Christianity and
fr. Donald lococo cSB 7T6
She has rented space in an industrial
ated from St. Michael’s College
Society at tilburg university, nl, …
was installed as Pastor of holy
studio and entered her work in sev-
School last June and is studying Civil
[our] eldest, Catherine, is pursuing a
rosary Parish, the Basilian parish
eral shows this year, the biggest be-
engineering at ryerson university.
Master’s in epidemiology at Maximil-
on St. Clair ave., toronto, on, on
ing at the toronto Botanical garden
ian university, Munich.” their son,
14 oct.‘12. his excellency Wm.
in September. toronto’s Swansea
robert romano 1T0 is in his sec-
robert kuegle Mason, is in his third
Mcgratten, auxiliary Bishop of the
town hall and the arts and letters
ond year of the Master of Science
year at SMC, living in Mallon house
archdiocese of toronto, presided at
Club presently show her work.
of Management program at eSSeC
32 Spring 2013 St. Michael’s
Business School in Paris, France.
the SMC alumni committee that
Currently he is at the louis vuitton
plans and arranges the annual
headquarters for the six-month
alumni lenten twilight retreat.
paid internship portion of the pro-
Miriam kelly 5T2 and paula
andrews, John
5t6
Macdonald, edward
gram. he is the brother of Stefanie
Mapp owalobi 6T7 have recently
Bart, leonard
5t0
Madden CSB,
romano 0T8 and the son of proud
joined the committee in its work
Bennett, Mary agnes
5t1
parents nunzio 7T6 and Cathy
rEST in pEacE
rev. robert J.
4t8
5t2
Benvenuto, grace
7t6
Malizia, Sonia
9t4
romano. nunzio is vice-Principal of
John Watts 6T8 is retired from his
Bielby, henrietta e.
4t5
Matthews, Francis
4t1
St. elizabeth Catholic high School,
position as assoc. director, educa-
Bozzato, attilio
4t5
Maybee, helen
4t8
thornhill, on.
tion, dufferin-Peel Catholic district
Burrows, John W.
5t2
McCarron,
Board. he and his wife, Maria,
Cachia, laurine
4t9
Bernard W.
4t7
catherine (cathy) Shannon
have moved to Belleville, on. their
Callan, James
4t1
McCarthy, anne
7t2
6T0, Prof. emerita, Westfield State
daughter victoria 9T5 is married
Chadwick, albert h.
5t1
McCarthy, daniel J.
5t2
College, Westfield, Ma, remains
and has two daughters, isabella, 7,
Chadwick, elaine
5t1
Mcdermott, Catherine
5t1
academically very active, recently
and Sophia, 4. victoria has given
Chapeskie, andrew
4t9
Mclaughlin, S. Bruce
5t7
having two chapters published on
up her law practice to go into the
Christy,
Mitchell, Melville
5t5
lord randolph Churchill of “ulster
pasta business with her sister, who
6t0
Mulrooney, Francis P.
5t6
will fight and ulster will be right”
is a chef with training from the
Church, daniel
9t7
Murphy,
fame. She has also been active for
Canadian Culinary institute, Pei.
Cipollone, Wayne
6t7
Coffey, Joan M.
4t9
Myslik, gerald
neville,
the Charitable irish Society’s 275th
earl anthony Joseph
letizia Marlene
6t6
6t9
Celebration, Boston’s selection as
Elizabeth (liz) Maurer Webster
Collins, Mary
3t6
the overseas site of the 2012 irish
7T7 and her husband, don, cel-
Conrath, helen e. M.
5t0
national Famine Commemora-
ebrated the 25 anniversary of their
danylak, roman
5t4
nigro, William
3t8
tion. She presented a paper at the
wedding on 12 dec. 2012. they
doyle, William
4t6
o’Brien, Frank
4t9
national Famine Commemoration,
continue to live in rochester, ny.
ellis, Stanley d.
5t1
o’Connor, helen r.
4t9
held in drogheda, ireland, and
of their two sons liz writes, “alex
Flanagan, robert
4t8
o’donnell, virginia
6t2
attended various other confer-
is employed in Chicago by his alma
Fournier, John
4t7
o’hearn, audrey
4t5
ences. She also found time to travel
mater, illinois institute of technology,
galvin, Michael
5t5
Plater, John
9t3
to Jamaica in January with other
as a computer analyst and hopes
giblin, Frank
5t0
Poupore, J. gareth
4t8
6T0 SMC grads, Jean carmichael
to begin his M.Sc. there. andy is a
hamilton, Patricia ann
4t5
rapsavage, Joseph
6t1
loftus, Maureen kelly Sheedy,
junior at u of Buffalo, majoring in
higgins, J. agnes
4t8
rent, James
5t9
Joanne Shenck Diamond and
Comp. Sci. with a minor in Math.
hobson, William J.
6t2
robitaille, Cyril
4t8
patricia Monaghan hatch, to visit
What i find fascinating is that i was
hogan, donald
4t6
Seles, deseder g.
5t5
tony and Sheila Desnoes hunt.
a Comp. Sci./Math major when i
hourigan, teresa F.
4t9
Shea, thomas
5t1
th
eugene o’neill
5t2
began at SMC/uoft, and i married
howard, Margaret
6t4
Spillane, Michael
6t0
Joseph (Joe) 6T3 and Marcella
don, who is just that, and our boys
hurley, edward P.
4t6
thiemann, elaine F.
6t5
Sorbara Tanzola 6T5 became
excel in that as well!”
hurley, M. elizabeth
4t7
ulrichsen,
kennedy, kyran
4t8
grandparents (Marcella refers to
evangeline Cecelia
3t0
them as “nonno and nonna”) for
celia viggo Wexler 7T0, a former
keon, James
4t8
vale, Jean M.
4t5
the ninth time with the birth of
journalist and now a public-interest
kiffney, William
6t6
Walsh, Paul
7t2
owen gregory, baptized 11 nov.
lobbyist in Washington, d.C., has
kit, John
5t0
Williams, Joanna
8t1
2012, third child of their son Chris
written Out of the News: Former
kosterski, richard
5t5
Wisking,
and his wife, Marissa. three of
Journalists Discuss a Profession in
labron, Shawn david
0t8
their grandchildren, Madeline, 12,
Crisis, which profiles 11 journal-
lapierre, laurier
5t5
Wood, harold
6t5
Joseph, 10, and allison, 6, are the
ists from renowned news outlets
lee, William edward
4t8
yocom, John
6t5
children of Greg 9T6 and his wife,
ranging from The New York Times
evonne. Marcella remains active in
and The Wall Street Journal to 60
eleanor rebecca
3t5
St. Michael’s Spring 2013 33
Bulletin Board
Minutes and ABC News. Many of
Thank you, Father Robert Madden.
these high achievers have left the
mainstream media, either to explore
new ways to practice journalism or
Sadly, this is the last Bulletin Board fr. Madden wrote.
to embrace new careers. the book
he cared deeply about the magazine and this column in
has been well received. Celia and
particular, to the point where, a week before he passed
her husband, richard, are active in
away, he was still adding copy and making sure that
the nonprofit world of Washington,
everyone’s name was spelled correctly. the existence of
and have a 24-year-old daughter
this magazine was a result of his work with the alumni
Valerie who worked full time as a
and will always be a tribute to his memory.
researcher for the obama campaign
in Chicago. Celia’s brother Lawrence 7T4, earned an Ma in urban
Planning from the State university
of new York, Buffalo, is married and
lives in rochester, nY.
Mary Kay Whittaker 9T0 and
Ken Villazor 9T1 had a pleasant
summer, spending July in Parry
Sound and in august visiting Ken’s
parents in nanaimo, BC. Mary Kay
also reports, “We had our labour
Upcoming A lumni Events
St. Michael’s College Parent
Orientation Day
Sunday, September 22
For parents of first-year students
10:30 am
Mass
mini SMC reunion.” it included
SMCers, Reni Caccamo 8T8 and
Carla DeSantis 8T8 and their three
children, Tony 8T8 and Judy Wittman MacKinnon 9T0 and their five
children, plus some non-SMCers,
but former residents at loretto College. this was their 15 labour Day
th
weekend gathering.
Christine Wong 0T3 received a
PhD in Music from the university of
leeds, uK, in the summer of 2012;
her thesis was on “Subway Musicians in toronto and london and
city landscapes.” in august 2012,
her latest play, A Song for Tomorrow, was presented at the SummerWorks theatre festival in theatre
Passe Muraille Backstage in toronto.
a busy and productive summer for
Christine—congratulations! F
34 Spring 2013 St. Michael’s
12:30 pm
Brunch
Odette Student Lounge & The Coop
To RSVP or for more information,
call 416-926-7260 or email
smc.alumniaffairs@utoronto.ca
2013 SPRiNG REuNiON – May 31 – JUNE 2, 2013
Honouring years ending in ‘3’ and ‘8’
Day Cottage weekend which is a
their own family of four, and other
St. Michael’s College Chapel
(below St. Basil’s Church)
11:30 am
Introduction to the College
Sam Sorbara Auditorium
Brennan Hall
Friday, May 31
11:00 am
Class of 6T3
50th Anniversary Mass
Open to Class of 6T3 and guests
St. Michael’s College Chapel
(below St. Basil’s Church)
12:00 pm
Class of 6T3
50th Anniversary Lunch
Open to Class of 6T3 and guests
Charbonnel Lounge
Elmsley Hall
7:00 pm
uSMC Alumni Association Annual
General Meeting
Open to all alumni
Odette Lounge, Brennan Hall
8:00 pm–midnight
uSMC Alumni Spring Reunion
Reception
Open to all alumni
Odette Lounge, Brennan Hall
Saturday, June 1
1:00 pm
uSMC Campus Walking Tour
Open to all alumni
Starts at John M. Kelly Library
Sunday, June 2
11:00 am
uSMC Alumni Spring Reunion Mass
Open to all alumni
St. Michael’s College Chapel
2:00 pm
A Celebration of the Life
of Fr. Robert J. Madden
CSB 1928-2013
Open to all alumni
Father Madden Hall, Carr Hall
12:00 pm
uSMC Alumni Brunch
Open to all alumni
Sam Sorbara Auditorium
Brennan Hall
6:30 pm
uSMC honoured Years’ Pre-Dinner
Cocktail Reception
For alumni from years ending
in ‘3 or ‘8
Odette Lounge, Brennan Hall
7:30 pm
uSMC honoured Years’ Dinner
For alumni from years ending
in ‘3 or ‘8
Sam Sorbara Auditorium
Brennan Hall
1:00 pm
Lecture by Charles Foran 8T3
Riding the Rocket: Maurice Richard
and the Rise of Quebec
Open to all alumni
Charbonnel Lounge, Elmsley Hall
To register and pay, also for St. Michael’s College events, click EVENTS
at http://springreunion.utoronto.ca/ or
visit http://stmikes.utoronto.ca/alumni/
springreunion/default.asp, or call
416-926-7260 or email smc.alumniaffairs@utoronto.ca
arT on campus
Late Afternoon Sun
By Talia Zajac 0T6
I thank Thee God for this
unfurling
of cloth-of-gold,
when dull brick and stone
become saffron-stained,
coloured with wild honey,
for this last illumination
at the eleventh hour
before shadows settle in
and twilight comes.
Shirley Wiitasalo, Sunforest Court,
1988, gouache on paper, 28 x 69 cm
Reproduced with permission by the artist,
is part of St. Michael’s Dan Donovan Collection
St. Michael’s Spring 2013 35
PhotoS: Ann Hum-Bastedo
Make a Bequest
Legacy Gifts
Peter A. Rogers graduated from the University of St. Michael’s College in 1968. For more than 40 years, he has stayed involved with
USMC in various capacities—Spring Reunion, Friends of the Kelly Library and the USMC Collegium. Recognized for his loyalty,
dedication and outstanding service, he was honoured with the coveted Arbor Award, established by the University of Toronto.
Peter not only generously gives his time now, but he has also created a lasting gift by including USMC in his estate plans. He understands
how immensely powerful an estate bequest can be for future generations of students at the University of St. Michael’s College.
There are different ways you can include USMC in your estate planning, and for many this could be the largest gift one can make in a lifetime.
University of St. Michael’s College
Office of Alumni Affairs and Development
81 St. Mary Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1J4
For more information, please contact Ann Hum-Bastedo
416-926-2331, Toll free 1-866-238-3339 smc.plannedgiving@utoronto.ca