Saint Michael’s ‘Battle of the Pies’ honors Fr. Mike Cronogue, founder of MOVE

Saint Michael’s College honored the memory of a beloved Edmundite priest while mixing an activity he loved with a little competition for good measure.

As a follow-up to the annual MOVE service experience for first-year students – First-Year Apple Picking – MOVE, the Office of Purposeful Learning, Sodexo and Residential Life teamed up to host “Fr. Mike’s Battle of the Pies.” Fr. Mike Cronogue, S.S.E., founded MOVE, which stands for Mobilization of Volunteer Efforts, in 1989, and he continued to be an enthusiastic participant and supporter of the service organization until his death in 2016.

The winners of “Fr. Mike’s Battle of the Pies” pose with their unbaked pie one day before voting. From left, all from the Class of 2026, are Jillian Lesinski, Ashley Seymour, and Cassie Lathrope. (Photo courtesy of Lara Scott)

Cronogue was also known for his love of baking pies. He had hosted a similar event several times during his lifetime, and the event was resurrected recently at the suggestion of Student Success Advisor Lou DiMasi, according to MOVE Director Lara Scott.

During the two-day event in September, teams of students constructed apple pies on the first day, and Sodexo baked them for campus-wide tasting and voting the next day.  No two pies were alike – some had mysterious pops of other fruit flavors (such as blackberry or strawberry), while others stuck to the more classic apple pie recipe but varied the pie’s topper design (crumble, lattice style, and even stars and hearts).

In the end, a more classic pie won out. The winning pie was constructed by three students from the Class of 2026: Ashley Seymour, Cassie Lathrope, and Jillian Lesinski.

Check out photos from the two-day event, below: