Fr. Norbert F. Georges Collection

Fr. Norbert Ferdinand Georges was born in Marcus, Iowa on January 27, 1895. After completing his studies at Columbia College of Dubuque, now Loras College, Fr. Georges entered the Dominican Order in Somerset, Ohio, and professed on September 16, 1917. Fr. Georges was ordained on June 14, 1923, and obtained a degree of S.T.Lr., or Lector of Sacred Theology in 1924. He was then sent to Jerusalem to study sacred scripture for three years at the Ecole Biblique of the Dominicans. Here he studied several different languages, including Hebrew, Syrian, Greek, and French. While in Jerusalem, he visited all the places Jesus had gone in both the Holy Land and Egypt, and gave tours of these places as well. Fr. Georges became ill during his stay in Jerusalem and spent six weeks in a hospital. Fr. Georges was sent home to recuperate, and when he regained his health, he was sent to the House of Studies in River Forest, IL to teach novices scripture and languages. While working at the House of Studies, which he did for 10 years, Fr. Georges came across the life of blessed Martin de Porres. In 1937, he was encouraged by Fr. Edward L. Hughes to go to Peru to study the life and work of blessed Martin de Porres. After returning to the U.S., his devotion to the Dominican lay brother became a vocation, and he replaced Fr. Hughes as the director of the Saint Martin de Porres Association. For over thirty years, Fr. Georges told the story of blessed Martin de Porres to the world. He toured the country, accepting every invitation to preach, holding conferences at colleges and universities, writing books and articles, becoming a promoter of pilgrimages, and seeking help to finance the publications of priests from South Africa and southern India. His life was dedicated to the canonization of Martin de Porres, which he saw become a reality on May 6, 1962. After the canonization, Fr. Georges kept working to spread the message of St. Martin de Porres, even though his health was failing. During the winter of 1969, Fr. Georges developed congestive heart failure. On July 7, 1969, only a few days after suffering a stroke, Fr. Norbert Georges died at the St. Rose Priory in Springfield, KY.