Brother George Van Grieken, FSC, Ph.D., was the 2026 honoree for Saint Mary’s College of California’s spring academic convention. Recognized for his great contribution to the Lasallian mission, Brother George addressed the university community April 22. He is first St. Mary’s graduate to be selected as an honoree.
Brother George spoke on the theme “A Mosaic of Our Shared Humanity,” which is based on the Lasallian core principle of respect for all persons. He reflected on key figures in his life, including family members and his first teacher in the U.S., and invited listeners to “discover how a genuine respect for someone has impacted you.”
“Respect for persons is how we touch God. We learn to be persons by the respect we exercise toward others as persons,” Brother George said. He spoke of Saint John Baptist de La Salle and the first Brothers, who were committed to educating poor, working class and privileged students and treating them the same. “Learn to recognize Jesus beneath the poor rags of the children whom you have to instruct. Adore him in them,” De La Salle wrote.
Brother George concluded with a call to love our neighbors. “With every encounter that you have – on this campus or elsewhere – you are building personal relationships that will last forever: relationships with other persons and relationships with God. If you want to love God, love the next person you meet. That is what Jesus Christ taught us.”
Learn more about Brother George on Saint Mary’s website.
Read his full remarks.
Photos Courtesy Saint Mary’s College of California Office of Marketing and Communications