The heterogeneous decarboxylative cyclization reaction between 2-benzoylpyridines and α-amino acids was achieved in toluene at 120 °C in the presence of 15 mol% of l-proline-functionalized MCM-41-supported copper(II) complex l-Proline-MCM-41-Cu(OTf)2 and iodine with di-tert-butyl peroxide (DTBP) as oxidant, yielding a variety of 1,3-disubstituted imidazo1,5-apyridines in good to excellent yields. The new supported copper catalyst can be prepared from commercially available and inexpensive reagents, and recovered from the reaction mixture by a simple filtration and recycled up to eight times with almost consistent activity. Display omitted •The heterogeneous l-Proline-MCM-41-Cu(OTf)2 complex was first prepared.•This copper catalyst exhibited the same catalytic activity as Cu(OTf)2.•The reaction generated a variety of imidazo1,5-apyridines in good to high yields.•The catalyst can be recycled up to eight times with almost consistent activity.•Our catalytic system provides a practical route to imidazo1,5-apyridines.