Month: October 2025

The Regis St. Michael’s Faculty of Theology will mark a major milestone in the federation of the two colleges as it celebrates its first graduating class at its inaugural Convocation Ceremony on Saturday, November 8.

“The University of St. Michael’s College entered into federation with Regis College with the firm conviction that, together, our institutions’ Basilian and Jesuit charisms would become something greater than the sum of their parts. This common ceremony proves that the Regis St. Michael’s Faculty of Theology is something greater, both through the new united vision of its faculty, staff, and students, and through the immense accomplishments and quality of this year’s graduates,” says St. Michael’s President David Sylvester.

In 2022, the University of St. Michael’s College Faculty of Theology federated with Regis College to create a single academic entity known today as the Regis St. Michael’s Faculty of Theology.
“Regis St. Michael’s is a creative, learning community shaping future faith leaders, schooled in the depth of the Catholic tradition and prepared to serve the global Church and the world in innovative ways,” says Regis President Fr. Gordon Rixon.

For the first time, 33 graduands of St. Michael’s and Regis will be honoured in a joint ceremony held in the historic St. Basil’s Church. Graduates and honoured guests will participate in an academic procession and walk through Scollard Park. The procession will be led by St. Michael’s Chancellor Archbishop Frank Cardinal Leo and Regis Chancellor and Jesuit Provincial Fr. Jeff Burwell, SJ.

Archbishop Leo will present St. Mike’s alumnus Mr. John Bennett with an honorary degree. Mr. Bennet has long served as an active member of the St. Michael’s community and was instrumental in the federation of Regis St. Michael’s. Regis Jesuit Community Rector Rev. Dr. Michael Kolarick, SJ will give the convocation address.

Following the ceremony, graduates and their guests are invited to a reception held at Regis College, a historic Toronto landmark

Congratulations to RSM’s Class of 2025; we look forward to celebrating with you.

The Regis St. Michael’s Faculty of Theology (RSM) has reached an important new milestone with the reception of two significant grants totalling $2.8-million CDN from the Lilly Endowment’s Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative.

The University of St. Michael’s College will use a grant of $1.4-million CDN to help establish the Canadian Centre for Catholic Pastoral Leadership (CCCPL), designed after national consultation with bishops, priests and lay pastoral leaders, to offer continuing education across the country. The CCCPL will be directed and developed by RSM and administered by St. Michael’s Continuing Education division. A wide variety of topics will be covered in course offerings, workshops and communities of practice, from learning how to offer spiritual direction through to managing capital projects.

Regis College has been awarded a grant of $1.4-million CDN to support the establishment of Walking in Service, an initiative to develop educational resources and programs to support the community-based formation of congregational leadership in Catholic Indigenous communities in Canada. Offerings will range from professional development workshops to newly developed courses. Adjunct faculty and community-recognized Elders with competencies in Indigenous pedagogies, ways of knowing, cultures and history will be hired to teach, mentor students, and support curricular development.

“When Regis College and St. Michael’s Faculty of Theology federated in 2022 this was precisely the kind of programming we envisioned offering by building on our respective talents and expertise,” says University President David Sylvester. “We have a mandate to serve the Church and the community, and these innovative new initiatives will provide vital training and support to two of our most important communities.”

The Walking in Service initiative was developed after significant consultation with Roman Catholic Indigenous communities in Ontario and Quebec, notes Fr. Gordon Rixon, S.J, President of Regis College, and was inspired by Pope Francis’s 2022 Penitential Pilgrimage across Canada.

“This is a significant moment in Canadian theological education, as Walking in Service will be based in trauma-informed theological education, respecting Indigenous self-determination, while incorporating land-based and cultural relevant pedagogies,” Rixon says.

In preparation for launching the two initiatives, RSM will invest in upgrading technology to ensure smooth delivery of those classes delivered online, and faculty will receive training on effective online pedagogy. The grants will also allow for professors to travel, connecting, learning, and teaching with communities outside of RSM’s Toronto base.

CCCPL programming will begin to roll out in the spring of 2026, while Walking in Service will launch in January 2026.

“While Regis College and St. Michael’s each have storied histories, these grants signify a watershed moment for RSM. We are excited not only for the coming year but for the years ahead,” says RSM Dean Jaroslav Skira.

The Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative is intended to help theological schools across the United States and Canada strengthen their educational and financial capacities to prepare and support pastoral leaders for Christian congregations both now and into the future. One of Lilly Endowment’s stated goals in funding projects is “to improve public understanding of religion and lift up in fair, accurate and balanced ways the roles that people of all faiths and various religious communities play in the United State and around the globe.”

To learn more about the Canadian Catholic Centre for Pastoral Leadership or Walking in Service, please contact Emil Iruthayathas, Director, Office of the Dean of Theology at RSM, at rsm.dean@utoronto.ca or Greg Rupik, St. Michael’s Chief of Staff, at greg.rupik@utoronto.ca.