Saints, scholars, and hockey players.

St. Michael's college school 

The edifice that is St. Michael's College School--the only Catholic private boys' school in Canada--sprawls across a niggardly expanse of tree-spotted lawn on Toronto's Bathurst Street, in a neighbourhood that, on one side, is traditionally Italian (and now also Filipino and West Indian) and, on the other, borders the well-heeled Forest Hill Village. I can't truthfully describe it as attractive: built in 1950 and designed by the Montreal architect Ernest Cormier, it's a somewhat graceless and oddly yellow-coloured cluster of buildings.

But an archway of obvious antiquity, salvaged from the school's original Bay Street campus, provides a flourish to the grounds, where also stands a statue of Our Lady. St. Mike's actually pre-dates Confederation, as its newsletter boasts. Established in 1852, it was the first North American school of the Basilian Fathers, who came to Toronto at the behest of Bishop Armand de Charbonnel, himself educated by this religious Congregation in his native France.

The Bathurst Street property, owned by the Basilian Fathers, abuts that of the ambitiously expanding Loblaw's grocery conglomerate. The clamour of the Loblaw's construction crew could be blamed for marring, on this finely shaded autumn day, an idyllic picture of this unique school--were it not for the fact that St. Michael's itself is in the throes of renovating, rebuilding, and reconstructing itself with a quiet but determined exuberance.

Goodness, discipline and knowledge

Inside the walls prevails a sense of peace and order. At this day's beginning the classrooms are filled with boys of disparate sizes and shapes, albeit more or less uniformly garbed, and more or less quiet and attentive. The Rosary is being recited over the PA system. All seems to be unfolding according to the school's motto: "Teach me goodness, discipline, and knowledge."

"Our job is to teach the young to discern goodness," elaborates principal Fr. Thomas Mohan. St. Mike's students are taught to "make the hard choice to be good," and "God is the highest of goods."

A silver-haired, ruddily handsome man with a genial--if somewhat preoccupied--manner, Fr. Mohan himself graduated from St. Michael's in 1948. The Basilian priest was appointed principal of St. Mike's in 1993, immediately following thirteen years with the Catholic board of education in Calgary, Alberta. He brought to the post his previous experience as founding principal of Father Henry Carr School, and a dozen years as principal of Michael Power High School, both also in Toronto. And he brought as well his intention to expand and update the historic institution.

Fr. Mohan makes no apologies for this prestigious private school, which has drawn criticism from some fellow Catholics for being "elitist". In fact, the legitimacy of private Catholic schools is an ongoing public conversation, sometimes erupting into fullscale debate. In a recent Catholic Register, teacher Michael Da Costa of Brebeuf High School accused private Catholic schools of being "regressive" and of negating Catholicity by "closing themselves off from the poor" (Dec. 13, '99).

Academically elite

If St. Mike's is elitist, counters Fr. Mohan, it is "academically elite" only. The Basilian Fathers have a bursary fund, which annually distributes some $500,000 to assist those students who cannot afford the annual tuition-$8,000 per boy.

More to the point, St. Mike's has exceptionally high academic standards, for which Fr. Mohan does not apologize either. It's a university preparatory school, and the program, he says, "really works." An often- quoted statistic is that 98 per cent of last year's graduates went to a university of their choice.

Does the academic rigour prove too much for the boys? "We want these men to be tough and hard," Fr. Mohan says, voicing a sentiment strangely alien to our often timorous and self-esteem-conscious culture. But according to Vince Pagano, headmaster of Grades 7 and 8, the students do rise to the challenge. St. Michael's only opened Grades 7 and 8 two years ago, when the Ontario government announced plans to phase out OAC by 2003. It's a tough program, in keeping with St. Mike's tradition: Grade 7 students are required to do Grade 8 Latin, and there's an average of two to three hours of homework a night. Vice-principal Paul Dignan observed that of the Grade 9 students last year, only 5 failed, an impressive record. "We sound as if we have 1100 Einsteins," laughs Mr Pagano, but the truth is that these are average to above-average kids who get that extra push to achieve. And, he adds, that's mainly why parents send their kids to a private school in the first place.

"There's nothing not to like" about St. Mike's, says OAC student Andrij Harasymowycz. "It's a place that has an aura to it", a community spirit, and an inspiring history. "I've become a better all round person," adds the lanky, outgoing prefect, who beams as he describes the "St. Michael's way"--"You learn to win with dignity and lose with respect." His classmate, Jeremy McCormick, agrees that St. Mike's is a community. Even though St. Mike's was not his first choice--he plans to study art--Jeremy was won over through the years.

According to Grade 8 students Andrew Moretti and Warren Saldanha, St. Mike's is the place to be. Says Andrew: "They are preparing us for the future." Adds Warren: "They teach us to think ahead," and what's more, "we learn a lot of things about our faith." While no one likes the homework, what clinches it for young Moretti is the athletic program at St. Mike's. "I'm really into hockey and football."

Hockey greats

St. Mike's is, in fact, famous for hockey. Counted among the alumni are NHL greats Red Kelly, Dave Keon, Frank Mahovlich, Gerry Cheevers, Dick Duff, and others. The St. Michael's Majors, part of the Canadian Hockey League, have won the Memorial cup four times. The team was disbanded in the early sixties, but was resurrected in 1994 at the urging and initiative of Dennis Mills, Member of Parliament for Broadview Greenwood, himself a graduate of St. Mike's, class of '63.

For MP Mills, St. Michael's Majors is more than a hockey team, it's a way in which Catholics can engage the outer community. "Through the instrument of our national sport, we can now have a presence to talk about the values of St. Mike's, Basilian values," Mills explains. A seemingly indefatigable booster of his alma mater, Mills, reached by cell phone on his way to Ottawa, was glad to elaborate: "I think the future of this nation is inextricably linked with St. Mike's." From this Catholic school will come leaders whose influence will, hopefully, integrate the Catholic faith into our increasingly post-Christian culture.

The Catholic character of SMCS is indisputably marked with the character of its founding congregation. (This is not to be confused with the Eastern Rite Order of St. Basil the Great, who were, as one might conclude, founded by St. Basil the Great himself.) The Congregation of St. Basil came into being when a group of ten diocescan clergy banded together in 1822 with the purpose of providing schooling for the poor children of France. They met in a church named after St. Basil, who was a teacher of great renown--hence, the name.

Education is the charism of the Basilians, explains Fr. Norman Fitzpatrick. Thin, finely-featured, with a quiet and precise manner, Fr. Fitzpatrick was principal of St. Michael's on the historic day in 1984 when Premier Bill Davis granted full funding to Catholic schools right up to OAC. "It came as a shock," Fr. Fitzpatrick recalled, a surprise end to "a long, long battle." At that point, the Basilians had been in partnership with separate school boards which provided funding for Grades 9 and 10. They had five high schools in Ontario. These included two in Toronto and one each in Windsor, Sudbury, and Sault Ste. Marie. Since that time, they have ceded four, permanently, to the Catholic public school administration.

Decision to remain private

But at St. Michael's College School, the Basilians decided to forego government monies, and go private. "It took courage", Fr. Fitzpatrick concedes. But the Congregation realized that if it gave over all schools, there would be no option for parents who wanted private education for their sons. Moreover, "the Basilians wanted to have a school for a setting in which to train their young teachers in the Basilian style." All aspiring Basilians would be expected to teach one year in one of the Congregation's schools before going on for either certification for high school teaching, apostolic work, or postgraduate studies. "We called it 'a year on the road'," Fr. Fitzpatrick chuckled.

In July of 1984, Cardinal Emmett Carter sent a letter to Fr. Fitzpatrick approving of the privatization. He wrote: "Variety and alternatives are an essential part of any worthwhile program, whether academic or pastoral."

Today, St. Michael's College School is the only high school in Ontario that the Basilian Fathers can rightfully claim as their own. Admittedly, Father Fitzpatrick observes, the Basilian character of St. Mike's will, despite all efforts to the contrary, erode over time as vocations to the Congregation slow to a trickle.

Presently there are four Basilians on staff at St. Mike's along with 47 lay colleagues. The enrolment is up to 1100 students, and there are four applicants for every place filled. The school has a new science wing, and is building a new wing of classrooms as well. The library is to be doubled in size and eventually there is to be a separate auditorium building for theatre and the performing arts, including music and drama.

The Basilians are committed to St. Mike's for the immediate future. And, despite the odd grumble over the legitimacy of Catholic private schools, it appears St. Mike's is going into the new millennium with verve and confidence, gearing up to celebrate its 150th anniversary in 2,002. Time will tell just what effect this private school will have on the secular culture, but there are more than a few good men who can attest to the lasting effect St. Mike's has had on them.