LATROBE, PENNSYLVANIA — Francis Cardinal George, O.M.I., Archbishop of Chicago, will receive an honorary doctorate from Saint Vincent Seminary at its 155th annual commencement ceremony at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 11 at Saint Vincent Archabbey Basilica.
Cardinal George is a member of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and for Societies of Apostolic Life, the Pontifical Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church, and the Pontifical Council “Cor Unum.” He also serves as chancellor of The Catholic Church Extension Society, Chicago, and the University of St. Mary of the Lake, Mundelein, Illinois. (Cardinal Mundelein of Chicago attended Saint Vincent Seminary from 1909-1912.)
He was named a Cardinal by Pope John Paul II on January 18, 1998, while serving as Archbishop of Chicago, where he was installed on May 7, 1997. He came to Chicago from the Archdiocese of Portland, Oregon, where he was installed as archbishop on May 27, 1996. Prior to that he had served as the fifth Bishop of Yakima, Washington, his ordination and installation as Bishop taking place on July 10, 1990. He entered the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate on August 14, 1957 and was ordained a priest on December 21, 1963.
Cardinal George recently gave a retreat during the first week of Lent as part of the annual spiritual exercises of the Roman Curia at the Vatican, in the presence of the Holy Father, Pope John Paul II. The theme was “A faith for all the people: conversion, freedom, and communion in Christ.”
Cardinal George has authored, edited or contributed to nine books, including Inculturation and Ecclesial Communion (1990); “Evangelizing American Culture,” a chapter in The New Catholic Evangelization (1992); “The Church and Cultures,” a chapter in A Church for All Peoples (1993); response to “The Church and the Kingdom,” a chapter in A Church for All Peoples (1993); “Bishops and the Splendor of Truth,” a chapter in The Splendor of Truth and Health Care (1995); “Missionaries and Native Peoples of North America: Lessons for the Church Today,” in Contemporary American Life (1995); “Justice,” Dictionnaire des Valeurs Oblates (1996); “Bishops and Theologians,” a chapter in Theological Education in the Catholic Tradition: Contemporary Challenges (1997) and “Knowledge of God,” in the Encyclopedia of Catholic Doctrine (1997). He has also written dozens of articles and reviews published in a variety of national and international publications.
Cardinal George earned an S.T.D. degree in ecclesiology from the Pontifical University, Urbaniana, Rome (1988); a Ph.D. in American philosophy from Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana; (1970); an M.A. in theology from the University of Ottawa, Canada (1971); an M.A. in philosophy from The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C. (1965); and a B. Th. from the University of Ottawa, Canada (1964). His honorary degrees include the Doctor of Laws degree from the John Marshall Law School of the University of Portland (1998); Doctor of Humane Letters from Loyola University of Chicago (1998); Doctor of Pedagogy from Franciscan University of Steubenville (2000) and Doctor of Humane Letters from Barat College (2000).
He serves on numerous committees of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, including the Committee to Oversee the use of the Catechism (1995-present); the American Board of Catholic Missions Committee (1994-1997); the Committee on Church in Latin America (1994-present); the Committee on Religious Life and Ministry (1994-1997); the Committee on Doctrine (1991-1994); the ad hoc Committee on Shrines (1992-present); the Committee on Missions (1991-present); and as a consultant to the NCCB Committees on Science and Human Values (1994-1997), Hispanic Affairs (1994-1997) and Evangelization (1991-1993). He has chaired the NCCB Commission for Bishops and Scholars (1992-1994, 1996-present).
He was a Papal Appointee to the Synod on Consecrated Life (1994). He was a Special Secretary to the Special Assembly for America of the Synod of Bishops (1997), and serves as the NCCB Representative to the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (1997-present). He has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception (1997-present), the Board of Directors of the Pope John XXIII Center, Boston, Massachusetts (1994-present), and the Board of Trustees, The Catholic University of America (1993-present). Cardinal George is the Episcopal Liaison for the Catholic Campus Ministry Association Executive Board (1998-present) and was treasurer of the Northwest Regional Office for Hispanic Affairs (1992-1997). He served as Episcopal Advisor for the Cursillo Movement, Region XII (1990-1997), and is Episcopal Moderator and board member of the National Catholic Office for Persons with Disabilities (1990-present).
He has been a Trustee of the Papal Foundation (1997-present), Grand Prior of the North Central Lieutenancy of the United States for the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem (1997-present); Conventual Chaplain ad honorem of the Federal Association of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (1997-present) Sepulchre of Jerusalem (1997-present); member of the Kohl McCormick Early Childhood Teaching Awards Advisory Board (1997-present); State Chaplain, Knights of Columbus, Washington state (1993-1995); member of the Board of Directors, Oblate Media, Belleville, Illinois (1988-present); member of the Providence Yakima Medical Center Community Board, Yakima, Washington (1990-1996); chair of the Washington Association of Churches Committee on Theological Dialogue (1993-1996); coordinator of the Circle of Fellows, The Cambridge Center for the Study of Faith and Culture, Cambridge, Massachusetts (1987-1990); Vicar General, Oblates of Mary Immaculate (1974-1986); Provincial Superior of the Midwestern U.S. Province, Oblates of Mary Immaculate, St. Paul, Minnesota (1973-1974); President of the Board of Directors of Tekakwitha Indian Mission, Sisseton, South Dakota (1973-1974); Chairman of the Department of Philosophy of Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska (1971-1973); member of the Council of Direction, Oblate House of Studies, Omaha, Nebraska and Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Creighton University (1969-1973); member, Council of Direction and instructor in Philosophy, Oblate Seminary, Pass Christian, Mississippi (1964-1967).Cardinal George is a member of the American Catholic Philosophical Association, the American Society of Missiologists and the Catholic Commission on Intellectual and Cultural Affairs.
