Dr. Fauci and his wife get the Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam award from the Jesuits (May 20, 2021)

Video Transcript:

Welcome back everyone. As Brenton mentioned at the start of our event, we are honored to recognize two individuals with the highest award our province gives, the Aud Mayoram D'Aigloriam Award. This husband and wife team has done so much throughout their respective careers to administer the study, research, and ethics of medicine. Their commitment to the Jesuit ideal of CURA personnelists care for the whole person, shows through in all they do. Yes, I am speaking of Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Christine Grady, both of whom I am proud to say are Jesuit educated. Allow me to introduce them and present our AMDG Award. Well, Dr. Grady, Dr. Fauci delighted to be with you this evening. It is a real pleasure to be able to present you with this award. I am so impressed and so grateful for your work to bring healing and hope to so many people over many years. Thank you so much, Father O'Keefe, for that very kind and gracious introduction. Christal offer, hurry mocks in just a moment, but let me say on behalf of us both how honored we really are to receive the Jesuit Aud Mayoram D'Aigloriam Award, which we accept truly with profound humility and gratitude. As I have recounted often, I enthusiastically immersed myself in the intellectual rigor of the Jesuit education that I had the good fortune to receive. What I did not realize at the time, though, is what a profound influence it would have on my life and my career. You know, at Regis High School, I recall how Father Stephen Duffy, my professor in Greek classics, inspired my interest in the classics and in philosophy. Later, at the College of Holy Cross, I was fortunate to continue studies in this vein, graduating as a classics major with a premed concentration, something that people still to this day don't understand. The biology component of this was under the tutelage of the iconic Jesuit, Father Joseph Bunny Busem, and the bunny was because we had a dissect a rabbit in his class. To this day, this broad perspective has been invaluable to me as a public health person, grappling with the medical science posed by the global pandemic of COVID-19 amid the larger issues of the health inequities and political divisiveness laid bare by the pandemic. But throughout my career, Father Jesuit tenants have been my invaluable guide as I helped lead the global public health response to emerging infectious diseases from AIDS, to pandemic flu, to Ebola, to Zika, and now to COVID-19. Cheaf among these tenants were staying faithful to the truth, even truths that may be inconvenient to some people, communicating for understanding according to the adage that I learned from the Jesuits. And everybody knows this because I tell it to all my fellows and all my students, precision of thought and economy of expression, and emphasizing social justice and service to all. It has proven to me time and time again how these seemingly simple principles are so important. So thank you again for this distinguished honor and Christine. Let me now turn it over to you. So thank you Father, Keith, and thank everyone for the honor of receiving the Ad Majora M. Day Gloria M. Ward, along with my life partner here, Tony Fauci. This special Ignatian year theme service, hope, and inspiration is so critical right now more than any other time that I can remember in my lifetime. During this pandemic has become so apparent how vital service to and kindness to others is in our world, in our lives, both as individuals and as members of communities at every level. We look for and celebrate examples of kindness and role models for inspiration and strength as we continue to endeavor for a more caring world. My Jesuit education at both Georgetown University and Boston College gave me skills and knowledge and inspiration to allow me to dedicate my life to caring for and serving others as a nurse and as a bioethicist. My professors, many of whom were Jesuits, built upon the foundation that my parents had already created and instilled in me a passion for serving others and promoting the common good. Role models like Father Fitzgerald and Father McSourley exemplified the Jesuit philosophy of service rooted in justice and love and helping people for the greater glory of God. I am extremely grateful for the opportunities that I have and I try hard to pay forward by instilling in my own daughters, our own daughters, and in the students that I have had the opportunity mentor that public service is a high priority. Lastly, I just want to say I fell in love with Tony many years ago not only because of his good looks and Brooklyn's wager but also because of his powerful, palpable and unwavering commitment to caring for the whole person, caring for others, and making the world a safer, healthier place. To this day, we remain solid partners in this endeavor. Thank you for this honor. And I think not only are you exemplary by your work but what a wonderful example of a lifelong love and dedication to each other. That's a very beautiful thing. And now I would love to present you with the award. Wow. With gratitude to God, the USA East Province of the Society of Jesus is pleased to present the 2021 Aud-Mayor M. Day Gloria M. Award to Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Christine Grady, whose dedication to public healthcare over many years exemplarized the faithfulness toward Kora Pusinales. Given on this day, the 20th of May 2021. God bless you both. Thank you so much, Paula.