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To address members of the California Class of 2026 at their Commencement this spring, 91���� has selected a speaker who has dedicated his career to establishing a culture of life and pursuing the common good: The Honorable Brian F. Burch II, 13^th United States Ambassador to the Holy See.

“We are delighted and grateful that Ambassador Burch would take time from his diplomatic duties to speak to our graduates as they prepare to enter an uncertain world, armed with their faith and the blessings of a Catholic liberal education,” says 91���� President Paul J. O’Reilly. “We would be hard pressed to think of anyone better suited to discuss the challenges they will face or the good they can work to achieve.”

A graduate of the University of Dallas with a degree in political philosophy, Ambassador Burch is a longstanding advocate for the renewal of Catholic education, stressing its importance for the flourishing of human society. In 2005, he co-founded CatholicVote, a pro-life apostolate dedicated to empowering the Catholic laity and championing Church teaching in matters of public policy. He served as the group’s president for 17 years, stepping down in 2025 to fulfill his ambassadorial appointment. 

As the United States’ highest-ranking diplomat to the Holy See, Ambassador Burch works to engage his fellow American and Chicagoan, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, on matters of mutual interest to the U.S. and the Vatican. Chief among these are defending religious freedom, protecting the vulnerable, promoting peace, and ensuring that the implementation of new technologies, especially AI, respects the dignity of the human person.

Ambassador Burch is the co-author of the American Catholic Daily Reader, author of A New Catholic Moment, and editor of the 2024 collection, For God, Country, and Sanity. In 2018, Legatus International presented him with its prestigious Cardinal O’Connor Defender of the Faith Award, and in 2019 the Catholic Citizens of Illinois honored him with the St. Thomas More Award for Catholic Citizenship. He and his wife, Sara, are the parents of nine children.

Joining Ambassador Burch for the California Commencement will be Rev. Luke J. Mata, Ph.D., of the prelature of Opus Dei, who will serve as the principal celebrant and homilist at the morning’s Baccalaureate Mass of the Holy Spirit. A native of Spain, Fr. Mata earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in theology, as well as a doctorate in moral philosophy, at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross. He regularly preaches retreats throughout the U.S. and offers spiritual direction to many lay people, priests, and seminarians.

“We are deeply honored to welcome Ambassador Burch and Fr. Mata to our California campus for our May 16 Commencement exercises,” says Dr. O’Reilly. “Both men’s life’s work — in service of religious liberty, the family, and forming faithful Catholics — offer a profound example to our graduates as they take up their own roles in the Church and society.”