Consistent, conscientious

Manee Ngozi Nnamani AM'23

Warm, energetic, thoughtful

Kevin Kearns AB'20

I felt shy attending Mass for the first time in perhaps a decade, but Father George went out of his way to greet me warmly and to ask if I could help with the collection. It happened so quickly that I had little time to doubt whether I could remember the order of Mass. Returning to church had always felt so difficult, but any barriers that I had imagined vanished once inside St. Paul's Catholic Church in Harvard Square. Thank you, Father George, for welcoming me!

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James Mahon, PhD'15

So blessed to have Fr. George in our lives since college - we've been honored to have him marry us and also baptize all three of our children. He is a steadfast source of compassion, friendship and humor - always with his camera phone in hand too! Fr. George exemplifies the best of servant leadership and is such an inspiration.

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Carolyn Wintner AB'08 HBS'13

In 2019, you suggested to James Rowe (now Brother James Rowe), that he should start a jail ministry in Boston. I was feeding the homeless through Back Bay Mobile Soup Kitchen, which Brother James was running at the time. He told me of your request and asked if I would be interested in taking the lead, as he did not have enough time to start a jail ministry. The jail ministry (Fighting for Freedom) successfully launched in October of 2020 at Nashua Street Jail. The idea was that volunteers would assist the inmates with sending care packages to deployed troops. The program ran for 10 weeks until Covid shut us down. In June 2020, I received an email from Tom Ankenbauer, saying he was starting at Sloan in the fall and was interested in volunteering for Fighting for Freedom. He started helping me with the program and we quickly became friends. Almost a year later, we started dating. Fast forward to August of 2022, and we were giving our marriage vows to each other at St. Paul’s. There were so many things which had to happen for us to have met. One of which was you suggesting that the Harvard/MIT Catholic community should launch a jail ministry. Little did any of us know how much that simple suggestion would snowball into a ministry which changed Tom and my lives for the best!

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Jacqueline Ankenbauer (MIT) '22

Upon my arrival at HBS I attended the club fair and stumbled upon the CSA stand. There I met Fr. George for the first time as he greeted everyone who approached with his cheerful smile and innate sense of humor. As most Latin Americans, I had been raised Catholic, however, it had been a while since I attended Mass regularly or even defined myself a practicing Catholic. That encounter with Fr. George changed everything. His warm and welcoming conversation made reapproaching my faith easy and natural. I started attending Mass regularly. Deeper involvement with the CSA followed. I can now say my faith has become a central part of my Harvard experience and it is all thanks to that one encounter with the wonderful Fr. George. Thanks for your 30 years of unwavering service!

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Carlos Larreategui HBS'24

Father George delivered my favorite homilies, prepared my wife and me for marriage, and baptized our daughter. He did it all with the greatest joy. I'll never forget, for example, how much we laughed and how much fun we had at dinner the night before the baptism. Thank you, God, for Father George, and "thank you God for everything."

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Justin Walker HLS'09

Father George blessed my mom before she had her brain surgery (thankfully she has fully recovered and is all better now!). I am so grateful for this. This was a really stressful time for my family and this brought us some peace of mind. Father George is always so cheerful, kind, and ready to share wisdom. We are so lucky to have him at Harvard!

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Mary Pankowski AB'24

In the Fall of 2022 when I first arrived in Cambridge and was seeking a Catholic community to be a part of, I found St. Paul 's Harvard Square. The first priest I met on my first day of Mass was Fr. George. He was excited when I introduced myself. I enjoyed hearing him share a couple of stories relating to my school, HDS, into which I was newly admitted, and my home country, Nigeria. It was so easy becoming friends with Fr. George in such a short time. I thought, 'This is where I should be' and of course, "Let's take a picture" was Fr.'s invitation before we parted that morning.

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Jude Ayua HDS'24

Fr. George warmly welcomed me into the Catholic Student Association in 2019. Thanks to him, I began my faith journey with the CSA! Bumping into Fr. George in Harvard Square, he is always sure to share God’s blessings and encourage you on your journey… no matter how big or small!

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Julia Pimentel, (Lesley) BEd'23

Kind, gregarious, hilarious

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Leanne Rowe AB'07, EdM'12, JD'15

Fr. George - I am deeply grateful for your service to the Harvard Catholic Center! While this may seem mundane, I am especially grateful for your presence at undergraduate Holy Hours hearing our Confessions. I had a profound reversion back to the Catholic Church during my time at Harvard, and having regular access to the Sacrament of Confession certainly played an indispensable part in this! May God bless you today and always.

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Maggie Hartman AB'17

Brilliant, kind, funny

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Bill Higgins AB'06, HBS'10

Interesting, loving, fun

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Judy Murdock, Parishioner

Hilarious, brilliant, servant

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Matthew Cavedon AB'11

Friendly, loving, spirited

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Mason Hunt AB'26

In my mind I always see Fr. George sitting at the campus with a book, smiling cheerfully and inviting people for a conversation.

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Pawel Slup LLM'22

Father George always made the HBS class feel welcomed and loved at Mass on Sunday night. You felt at home in the presence of Father George.

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Bob Burke HBS'99

Servant, friend, light

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Joe Banavige MBA'95

Supportive, thoughtful, gregarious

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Chuck Nadd HBS/HKS 2021

Hospitable, priestly, caring

​

Rev. William T. Kelly, Pastor & Senior Chaplain

I admire how Fr George keeps doing what he has to do, making himself available around campus for people to chat or even hear confessions in open places. It inspires me to be there for others even if I do not see the immediate rewards.

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Manee Ngozi Nnamani AM'23

Always willing to say a prayer with me, join me for lunch, tell me a good story, or come to an a cappella concert in which I was singing, Fr. George embodies what it means to be an attentive chaplain! May God bless him abundantly in his continued service!

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Kevin Kearns AB'20

Faithful, kind, erudite

Therese Donovan, friend

Fr. George genuinely greets every dog he runs into, even if no one else is looking. “Oh hello there Mr. Dog. All is well?”

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Ben Schlanger, Young Professional

Friendly, caring, smart

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Hugo Ruiz-Taboada HBS'13

Fiery, funny, fast

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Julien Dubrulle EdD'13

You are a God-send, Fr. George would say, in response to the smallest things I did for the Catholic Law Students Association. I remember Fr. George's earnest sermon about St. Francis de Sales, whose teachings he follows as an OSFS, that one evening Mass for law students in Pound Hall. I've ended up giving my son the name "Francis de Sales" for his baptism. Fr. George encouraged our small faith group meetings. With him I organized a few retreats for law students. Those were formative years in my spiritual journey.

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Yoon Suk Choo JD'11

Intelligent, empathetic, fun

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Michael Dantas MBA'23

Humorous, well-read, open-minded

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Vitaly Wirthl (né Andreev), Harvard Visiting Fellow 2015-16

Omnipresent,

intelligent, kind.

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Victor Dodig MBA'94

I have so many memories of Fr. George from over the years. From meals at Cafe Pamplona or Daedalus to concelebrating my wedding Mass, he has always been there for me.

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Leanne Rowe AB'07, EdM'12, JD'15

Ingenious, gregarious, faithful

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Maggie Hartman AB'17

I ran into Fr. George again last year at my HBS reunion. He was walking around the quad there just adding a little bit of sunshine wherever he went. He said, "Bill!" and greeted me as though we had just seen each other last week, even though it had been years. He asked about my wife and my daughter, remembering these details instantly. He is a brilliant man, and much more importantly he is a truly good and kind man. I always feel at home in Harvard's Catholic community primarily because of all those years I've spent attending Masses officiated by Fr. George.

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Bill Higgins AB'06, HBS'10

 Love to listen to Father George’s Stories and lifetime of experiences. Always willing to pray with you

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Judy Murdock, Parishioner

For finals season 2009, a friend in the Class of 2012 made the image (see gallery above): "What Would Father George Do?" Over 14 years and who knows how many wallets, I've kept it with me to keep on pondering!

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Matthew Cavedon AB'11

Inclusive, intelligent, intuitive

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Susan Potok-Harrison HBS'96

Verve, wit, wisdom

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Dr. Brian Ari Cole HKS'08

Caring, inclusive, funny

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Katharina Bergant HKS'19

Over almost all his thirty years at Harvard, Father George has been with us. He was with our family in 1995 to celebrate the Baptism of our oldest son, Ben. He traveled to our home in Minnesota and presided over the wedding of my best friend, Pat (a fellow HBS Grad). He was the topic of discussion with my coworker (Kennedy School Grad) in Iraq as we swapped Father George stories. And he's consoled us many times after the tragic loss of our youngest son, Ronan, to suicide in 2021. Whether in times of great joy, or in the darkness of overwhelming suffering, Father George has always been there for us, and he has always shined a light! Always! The amazing thing is there are probably hundreds of stories like this where Father George has helped to share God's love over an extended period of time. It makes me wonder just how many souls he has helped to save by bringing us closer to Christ. I know it's an awful lot, and I'm one of them. God has an exceptional servant in Father George, and I have a great friend. We've been so fortunate having him to help guide our way. Thirty years ago, God blessed Harvard in His grandest way - He gave us Father George. May He Bless us all again on this very special occasion.

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Joe Banavige MBA'95

A Harvard Catholic’s time in Cambridge truly is not complete without Fr George’s tour of Harvard Yard!

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Chuck Nadd HBS/HKS'21

St. Francis de Sales,
St. Thomas Aquinas,
St. Augustine

Ellie Okada 2009/2010 Visiting Scholar, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs

Fr. George finds a way to invite anyone and everyone into the Church!

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Rev. Patrick J. Fiorillo Undergraduate Chaplain

I regularly see Fr. George on campus and he is constantly on the move. He sits by the coffee bar, or in the cafeteria, or I'll catch him using the elevator. My parents came to visit me for a weekend and I took them to Harvard Square...we turned a corner and found Fr. George on a walk! Fr. George is an institution in Cambridge.

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Liz Lippie Rimmer HBS'24

God Loves You

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Ben Schlanger, Young Professional

 We had great conversation about Spain and the cultural differences between Europe and the US

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Hugo Ruiz-Taboada HBS'13

 My wife and I met at Harvard, and we'd go every Sunday at Saint Paul's for the 11am mass. Two years later, we took our pre-Cana classes at Saint Paul, instructed by Father George himself. During his introduction he said: "Welcome! These classes are going to be very lively and interactive, and I know of several married couples who met at these classes for the first time..." Everyone scratched their heads a few seconds before laughing. Two years later, Father George blessed our unborn first child, Olivier, after our last Mass at Saint Paul. God bless Father George!

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Julien Dubrulle EdD'13

Smiling, kind, dedicated

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Yoon Suk Choo JD'11

I remember when he took a selfie with us right after Mass. It brought so much energy to the room.

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Michael Dantas MBA'23

I have been very blessed by getting to know Fr George as the graduate student chaplain during my stay at Harvard as a Visiting Fellow in 2015-16. When I came to the U.S. in September 2015, I already had received the grace of getting to know Jesus and considered myself as a Christian on the way to find a denomination where I would want to be baptized. I am a physicist and actually physics played an important role in my faith journey. How inspiring it was for me to learn that the Catholic priest responsible for graduate students at Harvard also studied (bio-)physics! Later I learned that Fr George even worked as a PostDoc and has deep knowledge about various topics in science, such that I was always learning something new from him. Furthermore, I was very much attracted by the joyful, humorous and peaceful way Fr George interacted with everybody on campus, regularly saying "God loves you!". Later I actually decided to join the RCIA course and learn more about the Catholic faith, first not expecting that God would call me to be baptized in the Catholic Church during my stay in the U.S. However, I received so many blessings in the St Paul parish, including stimulating encounters with Fr George, such that I heard a call to enter the Catholic Church on Easter 2016. How moving for me it was to learn that Fr George will celebrate the Easter Vigil and will be the one who baptizes me! I often tell the story how being a physicist who converted to Christian faith, I was baptized by a priest who is also a PhD scientist. What a wonderful blessing for the whole Church that Fr George serves as a compelling witness to the compatibility and complementarity of science and faith by being a chaplain at one of the most renowned universities!

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Vitaly Wirthl (né Andreev), Harvard Visiting Fellow 2015-16

Father George was the celebrant that married me and my spouse Maureen (Broe) Dodig AB’87 over 25 years ago. He has an uncanny ability to stay in touch between reunions and at reunions. It’s like he is omnipresent!

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Victor Dodig MBA'94

Caring, interested, intelligent

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Scott Osterling HBS/HKS'10

Cheerful, witty, compassionate

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Tresor Nshimiye AB'24

Kind & pastoral

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Judy and Frank LoGerfo

Self-giving, loving, kind

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Kent Shi HKS'22

A wonderful mentor, confidant, and friend!

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Cole Toner AB'16

Sunday night Chapel Mass followed by Vietnamese food with Fr. George are some wonderful memories!

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Susan Potok-Harrison HBS'96

He's nearly an angel 😇 He's the best and super humble and connected. God bless 🙏🙌 him and God love ❤️ him too

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Dr. Brian Ari Cole HKS'08

The first words in my PhD thesis (Economics!) are a quote from Father George . He said this phrase a lot but I remember it particularly for Thanksgiving 2018, where he invited all students for dinner who did not have a family close enough to visit. He said "Thank you, God. For Everything. Amen!". I am truly grateful for Father George!

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Katharina Bergant HKS'19

Boundless, loving, optimism

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Luke Fuszard MBA'10

Fr. George baptized our oldest son in 1995. He is now married and living in Woburn. Such happy memories!

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Jennifer Paxton PhD'99

Congratulations on your 30th year of priestly service to Harvard's graduate students and young professionals! Your historical insights always inspired me/us to understand more profound contextual spirituality. I appreciate your singing hymns after the Masses. I have connected to singing even after I left the Choir. "Our heart shall ever be restless, until they rest in you! (St. Augustine)" I hope to receive continued guidance from you.

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Ellie Okada 2009/2010 Visiting Scholar, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs

Gregarious, affable intellectual

James Mahon, PhD'15

Authentic, humble, fun

Carolyn Wintner AB'08 HBS'13

Fr George was a lively member of our household at Saint Paul's in the 80s when he was a grad student. Attached is a photo of our gang [See gallery above]. We had many good times together. His quick wit and warmth brightened many of our days at the rectory.

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Rev. John MacInnis, Chaplain HRCSC 1981-1990

​Joyful, funny, approachable

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Carlos Larreategui HBS'24

Brilliant, big-hearted, role model.

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Justin Walker HLS'09

Wise, positive, funny

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Mary Pankowski AB'24

A Father indeed!

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Jude Ayua HDS'24

Father, friend, fabulous

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Julia Pimentel, (Lesley) BEd'23

Thank you Father George for always checking in with the grad school students to make sure all is well, and to invite us to have a meal with you!

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Courtney Butterworth HLS'24

I was President of the HBS Catholic Students organization in 2009-10. I remember many hours of talking together over lunch at Grendel's Den or in his wonderfully book-encrusted office. Such a wonderful man! Congratulations, Fr. George!

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Scott Osterling HBS/HKS'10

A good number of days, Fr. George is the first person I greet being an altar server at the 8am daily. He never fails to help me start my day with a smile!

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Tresor Nshimiye AB'24

Co-Hosting gatherings of medical students and Catholic physicians at our home with George ... always lively, inspiring discussions!

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Judy and Frank LoGerfo

 Fr. George would say God doesn’t give all the virtues to one person so that we all need each other and have to learn to love one another

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Kent Shi HKS'22

Inclusive, intelligent, intuitive

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Susan Potok-Harrison HBS'96

Optimism, engagement, sharpness

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Pawel Slup LLM'22

Caring, charismatic, compassionate

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Bob Burke HBS'99

Gregarious, 

hilarious, 

photogenic

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Nick Soyer HLS'23

Father George kindly invited me to speak at the Graduation Day Mass. It was such an honor to address those assembled, but in particular to be asked by someone who I held (and continue to hold) in such high esteem. After the Mass, Father George came up to me and thanked me for my talk. It meant the world to me that I was able to honor him and all of his teachings that I continue to take to my heart. Now that I've moved back to Wisconsin, I miss his words of encouragement and kindness. He is truly one of a kind.

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Luke Fuszard MBA'10

I remember when I first saw you in the medical school atrium with your priest collar ~ I came up to you and asked what a priest was doing here!! You were so friendly and invited me to the White Mass & Dinner and have invited me to events ever since. I loved helping set up the Ash Wednesday service on the Medical School campus with you, and I am just so grateful God brought you into my life

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Kelly O'Conor HMS'30