Hospitaller Brother George Joseph Tecku was honored recently as the recipient of the Council of Religious Brothers’ annual Brotherhood Recognition Award.Presented by Archbishop José Gomez following the annual Brothers Mass prior to the dinner at Cathedral High School, the award was presented for “having been so faithful to the Church and the Archdiocese by living a religious life and serving the sick and aging at St. John of God Retirement Center,” where Brother Tecku’s order has served for many years.

“We do take a fourth vow to care for the sick, the needy, and those who suffer,” noted Hospitaller Brother Steven De La Rosa, vice president of the Hospitaller Foundation of California, in introducing the recipient. “Brother George has a unique quality of being tremendously attentive to whomever he is speaking to, learns their names and their whole life stories, and can repeat it once again to others. This is what makes him a fantastic minister of hospitality.”

Alluding to Sister Joan Chittister’s book, “Aging with Grace,” in which she observes that “Hospitality is an act of a reckless, generous heart,” Brother De La Rosa said Brother Tecku epitomized that attitude in his ministry.

“People of senior years enjoy being heard, not just listened to, but heard, and being accepted,” said Brother De La Rosa. “That’s one thing, one characteristic that highlights who Brother George is.”  

Brother Tecku accepted the honor “with heartfelt gratitude and humility,” adding that it actually recognizes “the honorable, apostolic work of all consecrated brothers in this archdiocese and beyond. It is because of their, day in and day out whole life commitment to Christ, to His Catholic Church, and to all of God’s children and creation that we will always find reason to pray together and to break bread together.”

“We daily renew our vows through the work, through Christ, as we have dedicated our lives to do. Because we define our lives by what Jesus, long ago, won for all of us, our lives are richly rewarding.”

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