AIC Staff, January 27, 2025 / 06:00 AM
A group of Catholic scientists is hosting an event for Catholic high school students, parents and teachers to showcase “the harmony between faith and Catholic science.”
The fourth annual St. Albert initiative (Sai) will bring together the 200 to 250 participants along with 13 scientists and three theologians to present talks at Belarmine University on March 6 in Louisville, Kentucky.
Stephen Barr, president of the Society of Catholic Scientists and professor emeritus of physics at the University of Delaware, said the event is designed to show young adults the connection between faith and science.
“St. Albert’s initiatives were inspired by the belief that it is important to teach young Catholics that science and the Catholic faith are in harmony with each other and to give them the opportunity to meet, to speak and hear discussions by real scientists who believe Catholics,” Barr told RNA. “Additionally, we hope to inspire young Catholics who might be interested in careers in science and answer their questions.”
The St. Albert initiatives began in 2021 as a joint project between the Society of Catholic Scientists (SCS) and the Scientific initiative and religion (SRI) at the University of Notre Dame’s McGrath Institute for Church Life. The first initiative took place at CUA in 2021 and has since taken place in the United States.
Co-organized by the two groups, the initiative brings many scientists who are members of SCS, while SRI is linked to high school programs on science and faith. The two work together to bring together scientists and young people.
A pastoral problem
“Young people have a lot of questions about science and faith and are exposed to a lot of claims that they are incompatible, causing many to lose their faith,” Barr explained. “This has become a huge pastoral problem in recent years, which in the United States has become of great concern.”
The initiative is designed to address the problem by educating young people and giving them a forum to ask scientists their questions.
“The first thing is that Catholics have no reason to be afraid or defensive of science,” Barr noted. “The Catholic Church has a spectacular record of success in supporting and contributing to science. Very important scientists were Catholic believers. »
Barr noted that “while many fear that the discoveries of modern science undermine the reasons to believe in God, in many ways they have actually strengthened those reasons, as many scientists, philosophers, and theologians have pointed out,” Barr said. “The good news is we have some very strong arguments on the belief side.”
Kate Bulinski, associate professor of geosciences in Belarmine University’s Department of Environmental Studies, noted that “our broader culture has embraced the idea that there is an inherent conflict between faith and science.”
Bulinksi is expected to give a lecture on “The History of Life in Depth” at the event.
“With the rise of misinformation and the influence of decentralized social media, it is more difficult than ever to discern what is true,” Bulinski explained. “It’s no wonder that Catholics, especially younger Catholics, are confused about what to think about the relationship between faith and science.”
(Story continues below)
Subscribe to our daily newsletter
“The St. Albert initiative is an effective way to counter this misinformation. It is a powerful experience to hear directly from Catholic scientists who can personally demonstrate that faith and science are, in fact, compatible within the Catholic Church. »
Barr said surveys show the conferences are effective. Participants in the St. Albert 2022 initiative gave a score of 94.7% to the statement “This event helped me realize that faith and science are not in conflict,” he said. note.
Kate Quiñones is a staff writer for the Catholic News Agency and a member of College Fix. She has been published by the Wall Street Journal, the Denver Catholic Register and Catholicvote, and is a graduate of Hillsdale College. She lives in Colorado with her husband.