​Father Michael Goetz Secondary School was founded by the late Ed King. the school's first  principal. Many names were suggested for the school but it was Mr. King's suggestion to name the school after his good friend Father Michael Goetz that was chosen.

The first school year of Goetz was located at a campus in Etobicoke until Christmas of that year. The school was then temporarily moved to a shared campus for four years including that half year. During that time the construction of the current building was taking place. The new building opened to the students for the 1990-91 school terms. It is from this location that our numbers have swelled from a few hundred to its current population of about 1300 students.

Fr. Goetz & Ed King

Father Goetz was born on June 10, 1920 in Kenilworth, Ontario.  He was one of seven children born to Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Goetz.  Father Goetz was ordained to the priesthood in June 1953.  He was appointed to St. Michael’s College in Toronto, Ontario and in 1955 taught at Assumption College in Windsor.  He also taught at Michael Power High School in Toronto where he established such long-lasting beneficial organizations as the Dads’ Club and the Old Boys’ Association.  He also held the positions of House and School Bursar for fifteen years. 

In 1973, Father Goetz joined the Dufferin-Peel Roman Catholic Separate School Board.  He established the Guidance Department at St. Paul’s High School and became the entitled Parents for Catholic Education in Peel County.  During 1978, he became the Guidance Coordinator for the board, the Bursar at St. Martin High School as well as the Head of Mathematics.

Father Goetz loved people and found delight in helping them cope with their problems.  Community Feasts, celebrations and social get-togethers were also enjoyed by Father Goetz.  Unfortunately, poor health was a hindrance to him.  Despite this obstacle, he never considered himself to be limited and didn’t want others to feel that way either.

On the morning of June 12, 1980, two days after he had celebrated his 60th birthday, Father Michael Goetz passed away.  His sudden death resulted from a recurrence of serious ailment.  A Mass was celebrated in his honour later that week.  He was laid to rest at the Holy Cross Cemetery in Thornhill, Ontario.

Ed King

Born in Newfoundland in 1940, Ed was the eldest of eight brothers and sisters.  At the age of sixteen, he entered the Christian Brothers Order where he began both his spiritual and professional training.  His years with the Order allowed him to acquire the skills that would make him not only outstanding in the classroom but also a committed educator with recognized administrative talents.  As a consequence, he was given numerous assignments throughout Canada including the Order’s Boarding School in British Columbia.

In 1969, Ed left the Brothers to begin a new life as husband to Mickey and eventually father to Michael, Patrick, Matthew and Jonathan.  At the same time he joined the Metropolitan Separate School Board and was assigned to Senator O’Connor Catholic Secondary School as a mathematics teacher and eventually vice-principal.  His experience with the secondary schools in Metro soon gave Ed an opportunity to join the Dufferin-Peel Roman Catholic Separate School Board as it entered the world of Secondary Schools.

He was appointed principal of St. Martin’s in 1978.  The following years witnessed Ed’s success in nurturing the secondary spirit both within the school and the Board.  His exuberance, his unfailing humour and his mentorship of staff and students would ultimately become his legacy at Fr. Michael Goetz Secondary School.

His final appointment to Fr. Michael Goetz Catholic Secondary School as founding principal was the culmination of a life dedicated to teaching.  His beliefs and values were never more clearly declared than in the motto of Goetz, “Take a Risk, get involved, be committed”.

Ed King passed away in March of 1992.