Celebrating the 2025 Order of St. Michael Induction
On the evening of September 17, 2025, against the backdrop of the beautiful Liberty Grand and amidst a large contingent of family and friends, four distinguished members of the St. Michael’s College School (SMCS) community were inducted into the Order of St. Michael.
Brian Bellmore ’60, Dr. Robert J. Birgeneau ’59, Dominic Montemurro ’78, and Joe Younder ’56 join a notable list of 47 members who have been named to the Order since 1996.
The Order of St. Michael is the highest honour that SMCS can bestow on a member of its community. It is awarded to individuals who embody the Basilian Fathers’ motto “Teach me Goodness, Discipline, and Knowledge,” through their contribution to the spiritual, academic, or material welfare of the school and the greater community.
The 2025 event marked the 10th induction ceremony and paid tribute to the school’s 75th anniversary at its current location at Bathurst St. and St. Clair Ave.
“What struck me most about the OSM induction gala was the very real feeling that we were coming together as a community—to celebrate the inductees, but also to be together,” says Michael Bookman ’99, chairman of the Order of St. Michael (OSM) Advisory Committee. “I met with alumni and friends who have been in my life since before attending St. Mike’s and well after. The sense of community and continuity and fellowship—from the inductees to all of us—was inspiring and heart-warming.”
More than 500 guests, including friends and family of the inductees, current members of the order, Basilian Fathers and SMCS board members, staff, students, and other members of the SMCS community, attended the ceremony at the Liberty Grand Entertainment Complex.
The evening featured a cocktail reception and dinner service with entertainment provided by the SMCS Jazz Band.
Steven Caldwell, a decorated professional soccer player and former TSN analyst and commentator, served as the event’s master of ceremonies, introducing the four inductees before welcoming them on stage to receive their award.
In lieu of formal speeches, each inductee was featured in a video interview detailing how their time at SMCS shaped them and how it felt for them to receive the honour of being inducted into the Order of St. Michael.
“More than a year of planning goes by in a flash,” adds Bookman. “During the evening, I thought it was remarkable that each of the inductees felt so deeply connected to St. Mike’s because of the gifts the school bestowed upon them: goodness, even in times of adversity and a commitment to serving others before themselves.”
View our photo gallery with snapshots from this special evening:
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