Scholar and educator Brother Michael Green FMS has received Australian Catholic University’s highest honour.
Br Green accepted a Doctor of the University (Honoris Causa) in Sydney on Friday, one year after his milestone Golden Jubilee since entering the Marist Brothers.
The honorary doctorate recognises Br Green’s significant contributions to religious pedagogy, his scholarly work on Catholic spirituality and history, and the relationship between Catholic community and mission vitality.
Br Green said it was a “great surprise” to receive an honorary degree for his service to the Marists and the Church in Australia.
“The first reaction of course was one of great surprise, but quickly that changed to one of gratitude and a sense of honour not to me, but to the work I’ve been doing and the people with whom I’ve been working,” Br Green said.
Br Green is the 200th recipient of an honorary doctorate from ACU and the third Marist Brother to receive the prestigious degree.
Born and raised in Sydney, Br Green was educated by the Marist Brothers throughout his entire schooling years, a connection that played an enormous influence on his decision to enter religious life.
He was on track to study law after completing high school when he instead followed in his teachers’ footsteps and devoted himself as a Marist Brother.
“I was quite captivated by some of the Brothers who taught me, and I could see myself being a Marist,” Br Green said.
“It seemed to me a very worthwhile thing to devote one’s life to.”
Br Green has served as a teacher, secondary school principal, university college rector, senior administrator, author and lecturer. He is also known by the Marists’ international community for his scholarship and writing on the congregation’s spirituality and history.
In 2010, Br Green was appointed the inaugural National Director of Marist Schools Australia to oversee the educational mission and spiritual formation in the country’s 56 Marist schools.
“The Catholic school is one of the greatest treasures and contributors to God’s mission,” Br Green said.
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