The Society of Catholic Scientists

Lecture on April 9, 2024, at Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN.
2024-04-09 18:30 (America/Indiana/Indianapolis)
There will be a Lecture on Tuesday, April 9, at 6:30pm in Room 3-410, Lilly Hall of Life Sciences on the campus of Purdue University (915 Mitch Daniels Blvd, West Lafayette, IN 47907).
The lecture, entitled “Philosophy as an Antidote to Scientism,” will be given by Prof. James McClure of the Purdue Department of Mathematics.
The lecture is part of the Spring 2024 Christianity and Science Series and is co-sponsored by the Purdue Chapter of the Society of Catholic Scientists and the Purdue chapters of the American Scientific Affiliation and Intervarsity Fellowship.
Abstract of talk:
Scientism is the belief that science is the only truth. It involves a number of related beliefs that are antithetical to Christianity: that human beings are just collections of atoms organized by the evolutionary process; that morality is just a product of evolution and has no other foundation; and that our conscious experience is an illusion, and the only true knowledge of the world is given by science. Especially in settings where scientism is rampant it can be helpful to Christian believers to realize that, in fact, these are not scientific statements, and that they cannot be proved, or even tested, by scientific methods. Philosophy gives us tools for thinking about statements like these in a systematic way, taking all the evidence into account. In particular, it can help us think carefully about situations where Christian teaching conflicts, or seems to conflict, with scientific statements. It is a powerful antidote against scientism that illuminates its logical inadequacies and exposes its overreach. Prof. McClure specializes in algebraic topology and is a fellow of the American Mathematical Society. He has a lifelong interest in Philosophy and is in the Purdue Book of Great Teachers.

Special SCS Zoom Lecture/Discussion/Q&A with Robert C. Berwick on April 17, at 8pm EDT.
2024-04-17 20:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York)
There will be a special SCS Zoom Lecture on Wednesday, April 17, at 8:00pm EDT. The title of the talk is “Why Only Us?” and the speaker is Prof. Robert C. Berwick of MIT, the co-author (with Noam Chomsky) of a ground-breaking book on the origin of human language, whose full title was “Why Only Us?: Language and Evolution” (MIT Press, 2016) The book argued that only human beings have the capacity to process language with hierarchical syntax, a pre-requisite for formulating and expressing complex thoughts, and that this capacity arose very suddenly in evolutionary history.
The 40 minute talk will be followed by a moderated discussion and Q&A with the Zoom audience.
Those interested in gaining some familiarity with the ideas of Berwick and Chomsky in advance of the Zoom event are encouraged to watch the talk that Prof. Berwick gave at the inaugural conference of SCS in 2017 HERE, or to read the 2017 review of “Why Only Us?” written by Stephen M. Barr, which appeared in the journal First Things. The review gave a concise summary of the ideas in the book and their relevance to certain important theological issues concerning human nature and human origins. The review can be found HERE.
The Zoom link for the event: https://franciscan-edu.zoom.us/j/89119626531?pwd=[REDACTED]
The event is free and no registration is required. Questions can be addressed to Stephen M. Barr at smpbarr@gmail.com

Lecture on April 18, 2024, at Seton Hall University in South Orange, NJ.
2024-04-18 15:30 UTC
There will be a Lecture at 3:30pm on Thursday, April 18, 2024, in the Beck Rooms of Walsh Hall at Seton Hall University (400 S Orange Ave, South Orange, NJ 07079). The title of the talk is “Galileo, Science, and Scripture” and the speaker is Dr. Kenneth J. Howell. Refreshments will be served. RSVP: https://events.shu.edu/event/31585-galileo-science-scripture
This event is sponsored by the Seton Hall University Chapter of SCS and co-sponsored by SHU’s Department of Physics, the Department and Program in Catholic Studies, the Center for Catholic Studies, the Department of the Core Curriculum, Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology, and Campus Ministry.
Abstract: The encounter of Galileo Galilei (1564–1642) with the Roman Catholic hierarchy has long been viewed through the lens of warfare. However, a dispassionate review of the evidence, both of events and of texts, suggests a very different conclusion. Galileo was one of the greatest luminaries of the Scientific Revolution and a foundational figure of modern physics, but he also professed his adherence to the Catholic faith in no uncertain terms. How then shall we understand the conflict between the Church and Galileo’s science? In three parts, Dr. Howell will paint an historical picture of astronomy of this period and how the appearance of Copernican cosmology provoked a controversy about the ultimate picture of the universe. After a review of the state of astronomy at the time of Galileo, Dr. Howell will sketch Galileo’s life and work on astronomy. He will then offer an interpretation of his famous Letter to the Grand Duchess Christina which reveals enduring issues in the interaction of the empirical sciences and Christian revelation.
Speaker: After receiving a Ph.D. in the History of Science from Lancaster University (UK), Kenneth J. Howell has studied the Scientific Revolution for over twenty years. He is the author of numerous articles and a volume entitled God’s Two Books: Copernican Cosmology and Biblical Interpretation in Early Modern Science. Dr. Howell also holds an M.Div. from Westminster Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. in Linguistics from Indiana University.

Public Lecture and Reception on April 18 in Newark, DE
2024-04-18 19:00 (America/New_York)
There will be a lecture on Thursday, April 18, at 7:00pmt St. Thomas More Oratory in Newark, DE. (45 Lovett Ave, Newark, DE 19711) The lecture on Artificial Intelligence will be given by Joseph M. Vukov, Assoc. Prof. of Philosophy at Loyola University in Chicago and Assoc. Director of The Hank Center for the Catholic Intellectual Heritage.
For more information go to https://www.udcatholic.org/events or contact Fr. Tim McIntire tmcintire@udcatholic.org This event is co-sponsored by the Delaware Chapter of the SCS.

Lecture on April 23, 2024, at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
2024-04-23 16:00 UTC
There will be a Public Lecture at 4-5 pm on Tuesday, April 23, at the Dupré Science Pavilion, E-103, on the campus of St. Vincent College. Dr. Steve Gravelle and Dr. Lucas Briola will speak with the title “The Climate Crisis: A Scientist and a Theologian Respond to Laudate Deum.”
This is a part of the F.A.S.T Seminar Series (faith and science talks) of the St. Vincent Chapter of SCS, which takes place on the fourth Tuesday of the month.

2024 SCS Conference (SCS2024) on June 7-9 at St. Mary of the Lake Seminary, Mundelein, IL.
2024-06-07 18:30 - 2024-06-09 14:30 (America/Chicago)
The 2024 SCS CONFERENCE (SCS2024)
LIVE STREAMING of TALKS: Here is the LIVESTREAM LINK: On Saturday, June 8, talks go from 9:00am to Noon and then from 1:15 pmto 5:30pm. On Sunday, June 8, the talks go from 10:00am to 12:30pm.
THEME:
The conference theme is “Critical Issues at the Interface of Science and Faith.” This encompasses a wide range of topics.
VENUE AND TIMES:
The conference will be held on June 7-9, 2024, at the conference center of Mundelein Seminary (also called University of St. Mary of the Lake Seminary), renowned for its scenic beauty, and a popular location for retreats and conferences. See this MAP OF THE MUNDELEIN CAMPUS. Attendees will stay in the Conference Center Lodging (Building E on map); meals and receptions will be in the Dining Hall (Building B); and lectures will be in the Conference Center (Building D).
On Friday evening, June 7, there will be an informal buffet dinner at 6:30 PM, followed by the Opening Reception starting at 8:00 PM. The lectures are given on Saturday morning and afternoon and on Sunday morning. In early Sunday afternoon there will be the annual “member meeting” of SCS.
INVITED & CONTRIBUTED TALKS:
This year there will be five invited talks and eight contributed talks. Invited talks are 40 minutes plus 10 minutes Q&A. Contributed talks are 25 minutes plus 5 minutes Q&A.
All five invited speakers have confirmed (exact titles of their talks to be announced): Prof. Martin Nowak (Harvard Univ.) will give a talk entitled “Does Evolution Lead to God?”. Prof. David Chiang (Univ. of Notre Dame) will speak about recent developments in Artificial Intelligence. Prof. Walter Scheirer (Univ. of Notre Dame) will speak about the state of “strong AI”. Dr. Berta Moritz (Central European Society for Anticancer Drug Research) will speak about Catholic women scientists of the past. Prof. Alexander Pruss (Baylor Univ.) will speak on why the human mind is not a machine.
The complete set of thirteen speakers and talks can be found in the conference program and schedule:
CONFERENCE PROGRAM & SCHEDULE:
Here is the SCHEDULE of the conference with all speakers and talks included.. It is subject to minor changes.
POSTER SESSIONS & SUBMITTING ABSTRACTS FOR POSTERS:
There will be two Poster Sessions at the conference.
We encourage SCS members and associates to submit abstracts for posters. The deadline is May 21. Poster presentations can be on any subject. There will be a section for more technical posters on the presenter’s own research, and sections for posters on the conference theme or other topics of broader interest. Abstracts should be no longer than 300 words and should be sent as a Word document to smpbarr@gmail.com A list of the posters that have already been accepted is HERE, and their abstracts HERE.
TRAVEL AND LODGING:
Mundelein Seminary is about a 40-minute drive from O’Hare International Airport (the closest airport). From O’Hare one can take a taxi, Uber, or Lyft. A good taxi service is American Taxi 847-255-9600. Presumably most attendees will want to stay at the conference venue during the conference (i.e. for the nights of June 7 and 8), as that is included for those who register for the conference. Those who need to come a day early or stay a day late due to flight schedules can easily secure a room at an airport hotel near O’Hare for the extra nights. (There are also some hotels in the vicinity of the conference venue.)
The best place to PARK at the conference or to be dropped off by taxi or Uber is the “purple parking lot” on the Mundelein campus. See the MAP OF THE MUNDELEIN CAMPUS. (It is best to enter into google maps or GPS “St. Mary’s on the Lake, Mundelein, IL” as that will take you directly to the purple parking lot.)
We will be setting up mechanisms for carpooling from the airport to the conference and back.
REGISTRATION FEE & REGISTRATION FORM:
Registration opened on Feb 1, and a link to the registration page will be sent to all SCS members, associates and others eligible to attend on February 1 and periodically thereafter. (If you receive the link, do not share it with anyone else, as otherwise people not eligible to attend may register, which will create myriad problems for the organizers). The undiscounted registration fee is $290. For students (grad or undergrad) it will be half of that amount, and for members of religious orders the fee will be waived altogether (though registration is still required). The registration fee will cover all one’s meals at the conference as well as rooms at the conference venue for the two nights of the conference. If you decide not to stay in the dorm, the registration fee would be $100 less, i.e. $190 for Regular Members and Associates, $45 for students.
More information will be posted here as it becomes available. If you have questions, email smpbarr@gmail.com

Third annual conference of the Spanish Chapter of SCS on Sept. 19-21 in Ávila, Spain.
2024-09-19 17:00 - 2024-09-21 16:00 (Europe/Helsinki)
The third annual conference of the Spanish Chapter of SCS (Sociedad de Científicos Católicos de España) will be held in Ávila, Spain, at the Universidad Católica de Ávila on September 19-21, 2024. Full information on the Program, Schedule, and Registration can be found at the conference website https://iii-congreso-scce.es/
Presentations (All in Spanish, except where explicitly indicated that they are in English):
Luis Felipe Verdeja: “The Bible and metals”
Ignacio del Villar: “Catholic scientists in the Spanish golden century”
Michael Dominic Taylor: “Ratzinger and the gift of existence: Why science and environmentalism need the Catholic doctrine of creation”
Carmen Molina: “How can a biologist contribute to the evangelizing mission “ad intra”? Nature-based mimetic ethics”
Domingo Aguilera: “The mental limit. Faith, reason, artificial intelligence”
María del Rosario Ferreira: “Catholic scientists, the prophets of today’s world”
María Teresa Blázquez: “The Chemistry of bread and wine”
Stephen M. Barr: “Is consciousness reducible to physics?” [In English]
Round Table: What can a Catholic scientist contribute to the proclamation of the Gospel, especially to young people?
David Brown, S.J., The Vatican Observatory [In English]
Paul R. Hruz (remote): “Risk-Benefit Analysis of Medical Approaches to Alleviate Suffering from Gender Dysphoria” [In English]
Eneko de Diego: “Ethical aspects of ectopic pregnancy”
Eulogio Gardeazábal: “The protection of the unborn and the pregnant woman”
Luis Franco: The dilemma of frozen human embryos”
Paolo di Lazzaro: “Can the body image of the Shroud be reproduced by ultraviolet light pulses?” [In English]
César Barta: “The dating of the Holy Shroud”
María José Luciáñez: “Latest research on the pollen of the Shroud”
Jesús Díaz Ropero: “Comparison between the Shroud of Oviedo and the Shroud of Turin”
Round Table: Does science tell us anything about God?

Science-Faith Lecture Series on Oct 11, Oct 25, and Nov 15, 2024, in St. Paul, MN.
2024-10-11 19:00 (America/Chicago)
Lecture Series in St. Paul, MN, on October 11, October 25, November 15.
Reserve a spot today! https://nativitystpaul.org/faith-and-science
The first lecture is on Friday, October 11, at 7:00pm in the school library at Nativity of Our Lord Catholic Church (1938 Stanford Ave, St Paul, MN 55105). Prof. Peter Distelzweig of the University of Saint Thomas will speak about “Reflecting on Science and Catholicism in Light of the Galileo Affair.” in the school library at 7:00 PM at Nativity of Our Lord Catholic Church. Prof. Distelzweig is a Scholar Associate of SCS.
The second lecture is on Friday, October 25, at 7:00pm in the school library at Nativity of Our Lord Catholic Church (1938 Stanford Ave, St Paul, MN 55105). Prof. Kenneth Kemp, Professor Emeritus at the University of Saint Thomas, will speak on “Letting the Earth Bring Forth Living Things: Evolution & Catholic Theology.” His research interests include the history and philosophy of science, with a particular focus on the relationship between science and religion. He is the author of The War That Never Was: Evolution and Christian Theology (2020) and of The Origins of Catholic Evolutionism, 1831–1950 (forthcoming). Prof. Kemp is a Scholar Associate of SCS.
The third lecture is on Friday, November 15th and will be preceded by a Gold Mass for science professionals at the Cathedral of Saint Paul (239 Selby Ave, St Paul, MN 55102). Mass will begin at 5:15pm in the main sanctuary followed by a presentation in Hays Hall and refreshments. The Speaker for the Gold Mass Lecture is TBD.
These events are co-sponsored by the Society of Catholic Scientists. Note to Minnesota SCS members: SCS is forming a Twin Cities Chapter of SCS. Contact smpbarr@gmail.com if interested in joining.

Lecture on Oct 29, 2025, at University of Pennsylvania Newman Center, Philadelphia, PA.
2024-10-29 19:45 (America/New_York)
The Collegium Institute at the University of Pennsylvania is sponsoring a “Magi Project Lecture” on Tuesday, October 29, at 7:45pm at the Penn Newman Center (111 S 38th St, Philadelphia, PA 19104). The lecture will be given by Fr. Nicanor Austriaco, O.P. and will be entitled “Defining Death in a Technological Age: The Scientific, Moral, and Philosophical Debate about the Legal End of Life.”
Rev. Fr. Nicanor Austriaco, O.P. is a Professor of Biological Sciences & Professor of Sacred Theology at the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines. One of the leading Catholic public intellectuals from our own university community, Fr. Austriaco received his BSE in Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania in 1989. He holds multiple doctorates, including a PhD in Biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a SThD from the University of Fribourg in Switzerland. Fr. Austriaco taught at Providence College from 2005 to 2022 before moving to the Philippines where his UST lab is developing a yeast delivery platform for vaccines. His first book, Biomedicine and Beatitude: An Introduction to Catholic Bioethics, was recognized as a 2012 Choice outstanding academic title by the Association of College and Research Libraries. He has served as a founding board member of the Society for Catholic Scientists and as the Director of ThomisticEvolution.org.

Public Lecture on Nov 13, 2024, near Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN.
2024-11-13 17:30 (America/Indiana/Indianapolis)
There will be a Public Lecture on Wednesday, Nov 13, at 5:30pm at St Thomas Aquinas Church near Purdue University (535 W State Street, West Lafayette). The title of the lecture will be “What is the Brain?” The speaker will be Dr. Sofia Carozza of Harvard Medical School.
There will be a reception downstairs in Newman Hall before the lecture, at 4:30pm.
The event is hosted by the Purdue Chapter of the Society of Catholic Scientists, and co-sponsored by the Thomas Aquinas Foundation, Purdue’s Religious Studies Program, and St. Thomas Aquinas Parish.
For more information, see https://boilercatholics.org/events/whatisthebrain or contact mcclurej@purdue.edu

Lecture on Nov 14, 2024 at University of Toronto, in Toronto, ON, Canada.
2024-11-14 19:00 UTC
There will be a Public Lecture at 7:00pm on Thursday, Nov 14, in Room 400, Alumni Hall of the University of Toronto (12 St. Joseph Street, Toronto). The lecture is by Dr. William Hurlbut of the Univ. of Stanford Medical Center and is entitled, “The Challenges of Genome Editing: Scientific and Ethical Considerations.”
This event is sponsored by the Thomistic Institute of the University of Toronto and co-sponsored by the Toronto College Chapter of the Society of Catholic Scientists.

Public Lecture on Dec 13, 2024, in Toronto, ON, Canada
2024-12-13 19:00 UTC
There will be a Public Lecture at 7:00pm on Friday, Dec 13, in Toronto, Canada, at a Downtown location to be announced.
The speaker will Dr. Sonsoles de la Calle, and the title of her talk will be “Made for Connection: Neurobiology and Human Interconnectedness.” This event is sponsored by the Toronto Chapter of SCS,
Abstract:
What is human nature, and how do we come to understand it through reason, science, philosophy, and faith? Personalistic philosophies, such as those proposed by K. Wojtyla (Pope St. John Paul II) and D. Von Hildebrand, describe the human as a person with bodily, psychic and spiritual dimensions tightly intertwined, so much so that it is impossible not to see the impact of each dimension in the manifestations of the others. This integrative view of the person is particularly well suited as a base for its relationality, its interaction with the world and with other persons. Where the philosophical discourse may arrive to the theoretical explanation of relationality, neuroscience illuminates with empirical data in what way bodily reality contributes to human relationality, highlighting from a biological perspective how this basic need for connectedness is essential to health and human flourishing. In fact, I propose that hardwired neural mechanisms, that is, biologically primed and discernible in the basic structure and systems of the brain— support attachment behavior, relationality and connectedness, and will present evidence of how this is expressed particularly well (and intensely) in marriage.
Biography of the Speaker:
Sonsoles de Lacalle obtained her M.D./Ph.D. from the University of Navarra (Spain). In 1990 she moved to the US with a Fulbright Fellowship to train with Prof. Clif B. Saper in the Department of Pharmacological and Physiological Sciences at the University of Chicago. Her academic experience includes teaching and research in a medical setting (at the Pritzker School of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, and at Ohio University’s College of Medicine) and in predominantly undergraduate institutions (CSU Los Angeles, C. R. Drew University and currently at CSU Channel Islands).

Lecture on January 22, 2025, at Rowan University in Glassboro, NJ.
2025-01-22 19:00 (America/New_York)
There will be a free Public Lecture at 7:00pm on Wednesday, January 22, in the Eynon Ballroom (Chamberlain Student Center) of Rowan University (201 Mullica Hill Rd, Glassboro, NJ 08028). The speaker will be Prof. Stephen M. Barr, professor emeritus of physics at the University of Delaware and President of the Society of Catholic Scientists. The title of the talk will be “Science and Religion: the myth of conflict.” The talk is hosted by the Catholic Campus Ministry of Rowan University.
Abstract of the talk:
Abstract: Prof. Barr will argue that the supposed conflict between science and religion has really been a conflict between “scientific materialism” and religion. He will show that the science-versus-religion myth is based on misunderstandings of Christian belief, an outdated view of scientific history, and a skewed interpretation of what science has actually discovered about the universe. After clarifying some key theological concepts, he will tell the story of the relation
between Christianity and science, including some dramatic facts that are relatively little known. He will then discuss several discoveries of the twentieth century, primarily in physics, and argue that they are more in line with the traditional Jewish and Christian view of the cosmos and of human beings than with materialist philosophy.

Lecture on January 26, 2025, at USC in Los Angeles, CA.
2025-01-26 19:00 UTC
The Nova Forum for Catholic Thought is sponsoring a Talk at 7:00 pm on Sunday, January 26, at the University of Southern California’s Caruso Catholic Center (844 West 32nd Street, Los Angeles, CA, 90007). The Speaker is Prof. Suzanne Bohlson of UC Irvine, whose talk is entitled “The Catholic Scientist who Survived the Bomb: The Faith of Takashi Nagai.” Prof. Bohlson is on the Board of the newly formed Southern California Chapter of the Society of Catholic Scientists.
The talk will be given over dessert in Newman Hall following Mass and “SCupper.” Sprinkles cupcakes & free copies of Nagai’s book (A Song for Nagasaki) for all who attend!
Come hear the amazing story of the scientist and Catholic convert who survived the atomic bomb on Nagasaki and brought healing to his people. Even as he suffered from leukemia from the radiation, Dr. Takashi Nagai lived a heroic life of service and forgiveness. Join us as Dr. Suzanne Bohlson, professor of molecular biology at UC Irvine—another scientist and Catholic convert—tells the story of Nagai’s remarkable life. Dr. Bohlson will share her own story along the way and suggest what we can learn from Nagai.

Public Lecture and Reception on January 27, 2025, at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA.
2025-01-27 19:00 UTC
There will be a Public Lecture at 7:00pm on Monday, January 27, at the Penn Newman Center of the University of Pennsylvania (111 South 38th Street, University City, Philadelphia). The speaker is Prof. Maureen Condic of Catholic University of America (who is a Board member of SCS). The title of the talk is “The Mystery of Human Life? On Biological Development and the Continuity Problem.” The talk will be followed by a Q&A and a light reception
The event is sponsored by the Collegium Institute at the University of Pennsylvania as part of its Magi Project in partnership with the Philadelphia-area Chapter of the Society of Catholic Scientists and the Thomistic Institute.
This is the inaugural event of the Philadelphia -area Chapter of SCS.
REGISTER FOR THE EVENT HERE.
More about the Lecture: In her lecture on the eve of the feast of St. Thomas Aquinas, Dr. Condic will explore the leading proposals for identifying the beginning and end of human life as well as the scientific and philosophical challenges to each before making her own argument, drawing from her work as a neurobiologist and molecular developmental biologist. Her remarks will be followed by an audience Q&A and light reception.
More about the Speaker: Dr. Condic is the inaugural Ombudsman and Distinguished Ordinary Professor at CUA, and previously served as an Associate Professor of Neurobiology and Anatomy at the University of Utah School of Medicine. She is the author of two books on human development: Human Embryos, Human Beings: A Scientific and Philosophical Approach and Untangling Twinning: What Science Tells Us about the Nature of Human Embryos.

Gold Mass and Lecture on Jan 28, 2025, on USC campus, Los Angeles, CA.
2025-01-28 16:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
There will be a Gold Mass on Tuesday, Jan 28, 2024, at 5:00pm at the Church of Our Savior on the USC campus (844 W 32nd St, Los Angeles, CA 90007). Note: this is the 800th anniversary of the Birth of St. Thomas Aquinas. The celebrant for the mass will be Archbishop José Gomez. There will be a Dinner after mass at 6:00pm in Newman Hall and the patio of the church.
At 6:30pm there will be an address on science and the Catholic faith by Dr. Jonathan Lunine, Chief Scientist, NASA JPL & Caltech
These events are co-sponsored by the Nova Forum for Catholic Thought & the Society of Catholic Scientists

2025 St. Albert Initiative on Science and the Catholic Faith in Louisville, KY.
2025-03-06 08:45 - 14:30 (America/New_York)
March 6, 2025, at 8:45 am – 2:30 pm
The 2025 St. Albert Initiative will be held at Bellarmine University in Louiscille, KY, on Thursday, March 6, 2025, from 8:45 am to 2:30 pm. (Light breakfast and sign-in at 8:45am. Events start at 9:15am).
The St. Albert Initiative is a half-day program on science and faith for Catholic high school students, teachers, and parents as well as the general public (high school age and above). It will feature short talks by Catholic scientists and the opportunity to meet, eat with, and ask questions of Catholic scientists in many fields and at various stages of their careers.
Four previous St. Albert Initiatives have been held: one in Washington, DC. in November 2021; one in Chicago in February, 2022; one in Philadelphia in March 2023; and one in New Orleans in February, 2024. The response from attendees at all those events, both students and adults, was extremely positive.
Nearly complete Information about the Event can be found HERE, including its Schedule and Program and brief biographies of the speakers and presenters.
AS THE MAXIMUM CAPACITY OF 465 REGISTRANTS HAS BEEN REACHED, REGISTRATION HAS BEEN CLOSED.
This event is co-sponsored by the McGrath Institute for Church Life and made possible by a generous grant from the John Templeton Foundation.

Gold Mass and Public Lecture on March 24, 2025, in Hillsdale, MI.
2025-03-24 20:00 (America/Indiana/Indianapolis)
On Monday, March 24, there will be both a Gold Mass and a Public Lecture in Hillsdale, MI.
The Gold Mass will be at 5:00pm at St. Anthony’s (11 N Broad St, Hillsdale, MI 49242).
The Public Lecture will be at 8:00pm on the campus of Hillsdale College in Room 124 of Lane Hall (35 E College St, Hillsdale, MI 49242). The speaker is Dr. Christopher Lee from Los Alamos National Laboratory nuclear theory division, and its title is “Symmetry, Order and Providence in Creation.”
These events are sponsored by the Hillsdale Chapter of SCS.
Abstract of Lecture: It is often thought that modern cosmology and physics are incompatible with the account of creation in Genesis. I will present a personal reflection on what both channels of knowledge (reason/science and divine revelation) teach us about the created universe, and how they can be read/interpreted in a beautifully compatible way, and in fact shed light on one another and can deepen our appreciation and understanding of both. Together, the structured account of Creation in Genesis and the discoveries of modern physics and cosmology reveal to us the action of a Creator who endowed symmetry, mathematical elegance, and order upon the universe, which are signs of His action and His providence and love for His creation.
Bio of Speaker: Christopher Lee is a scientist and deputy group leader of the Nuclear & Particle Physics, Astrophysics & Cosmology Group in the Theoretical Division of Los Alamos National Laboratory, which he joined in 2012. He grew up in Portland, Oregon and graduated from Reed College in 2000, and received his PhD from Caltech in 2005. He did his postdoctoral research at the Institute for Nuclear Theory at University of Washington in Seattle, at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory in California, and at the MIT Center for Theoretical Physics, before going to LANL. His research has been on the theory of Quantum Chromodynamics describing the strong force binding together protons and won a Department of Energy Early Career Research Award in 2015 for this research. He also has researched the origin of matter in the early universe and the role played by possible new particles beyond the currently known Standard Model of particle physics. He was also the founding President of the New Mexico Chapter of the Society of Catholic Scientists from 2019-2024, of which he remains an active board member.

Lecture on April 11, 2025, at Benedictine College in Atchison, KS.
2025-04-11 15:00 (America/Chicago)
There will be a Lecture at 3:00pm on Friday, April 11, 2025, on the campus of Benedictine College in the McAlister Board Room on the 4th floor of the Ferrell Academic Center (1020 N 2nd St, Atchison, KS 66002). The speaker will be Prof. Christopher T. Baglow, who is the Director of the Science and Religion Initiative of the McGrath Institute of Church Life at the University of Notre Dame where he is also a professor in the Theology Department. Prof. Baglow is also on the Ececutive Board of the Society of Catholic Scientists. The title of the talk will be “The Human Purpose as the Purpose of the Cosmos.”
This event is sponsored by the Kansas City-area Chapter of the Society of Catholic Scientists and by the Benedictine College Center for Integral Ecology.

Public Lecture and Reception on April 25, 2025, in Gainesville, FL.
2025-04-25 18:30 UTC
There will be a Public Lecture on Friday, September 25, at 6:30pm in the parish hall of Queen of Peace Catholic Church (10900 SW 24th Ave, Gainesville, Florida, 32607). The speaker is Prof. Stephen M. Barr, President of SCS, and the title of the talks is “Science and Religion: the Myth of Conflict.” There will be a reception in the same hall following the talk.
This event is sponsored by the University of Florida Chapter of the Society of Catholic Scientists

Public Lecture and Reception on May 6, 2025, in Newark, DE.
2025-05-06 19:00 (America/New_York)
The Delaware Chapter of the Society of Catholic Scientists (SCS) is sponsoring a free Public Lecture at 7:00pm on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, at the St. Thomas More Oratory (45 Lovett Ave., Newark, DE) near the UD campus. The talk will be followed by a reception with refreshments downstairs. The title is “Jesuit Science after Galileo.” The speaker, Prof. Lawrence Principe of Johns Hopkins University, is an eminent historian of science. Prof. Principe has won many awards in his field, as well as receiving the 2021 St. Albert Award from the SCS, and an Alumni Achievement Award from UD in 2014.
If you have questions contact smpbarr@gmail.com
More about the talk:
Many people know that Jesuit priests have engaged in scientific research, but the full extent of the Jesuits’ devotion to science and their contributions to it, especially in the 16th through 18th centuries, is not always fully appreciated, though it is a history full of fascinating stories. And despite the persistent notion that the sentencing of Galileo put an end to science in Italy and other Catholic countries for a period of time, this talk will show how science continued to flourish in those countries, with Jesuits playing a leading role.
More about the speaker:
Lawrence M. Principe received his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from Indiana University and his Ph.D. in the History of Science from Johns Hopkins University. He is the Drew Professor of the Humanities at Johns Hopkins University and Professor in both the Department of History of Science and Technology and the Department of Chemistry there. He is also Director of the Charles Singleton Center for the Study of Premodern Europe. He has written or edited eleven books and published numerous scholarly papers. His main studies concern the early history of chemistry, and he is recognized as one of the foremost experts on the history of alchemy. He was the first recipient of the Francis Bacon Medal by the California Institute of Technology for significant contributions to the history of science. His book Alchemy Tried in the Fire: Starkey, Boyle, and the Fate of Helmontian Chymistry was awarded the Pfizer Award by the History of Science Society in 2005. In 2016, he received the Franklin-Lavoisier Prize in Paris from the Fondation de la Maison de la Chimie and the Chemical Heritage Foundation.
Prof. Principe has written and lectured widely on the historical relationship between science and religion. No one has done more to dispel the widely held myth of perennial science-religion warfare. Of particular note is his 12-lecture audio course entitled “Science and Religion”, which he recorded for The Great Courses series of the Teaching Company in 2006. These lectures treat their subject with the comprehensiveness, depth, balance and accuracy, while being broadly accessible, lucid, and entertaining.

2025 Conference of SCS (SCS2025) on June 6-8 at Catholic University of America, Washington, DC.
2025-06-06 18:30 - 2025-06-08 14:30 (America/New_York)
The 2025 SCS CONFERENCE (SCS2025)
THEME:
The conference theme is “Critical Issues at the Interface of Science and Faith.” This encompasses a wide range of topics.
VENUE AND TIMES:
The conference will be held on June 6-8, 2025, on the campus of the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. Talks will all be held in the Great Room of the Pryzbyla Center. The Friday and Saturday evening dinners will be held in Heritage Hall. See this MAP OF THE CUA CAMPUS.
On Friday evening, June 6, there will be an informal buffet dinner at 6:00 PM, followed by an after-dinner talk at 7:30pm and the Opening Reception starting at 8:00 PM. The lectures will be given on Saturday morning and afternoon and on Sunday morning. There will be two poster sessions, one on Friday evening and one on Saturday evening after the conference banquet. After lunch on Sunday, there will be the annual “member meeting” of SCS.
LIVE STREAM OF CONFERENCE TALKS:
The conference talks will be live streamed.
LIVE STREAM
INVITED & CONTRIBUTED TALKS:
This year there will be five invited talks and seven contributed talks. Invited talks are 40 minutes plus 10 minutes Q&A. Contributed talks are 25 minutes plus 5 minutes Q&A. In addition, there will be a 30-minute after-dinner talk on Friday evening by Ross Douthat, a New York Times columnist and author of the just released book Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious.
The invited speakers are: Prof. Anselm Ramelow, O.P (Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology, Berkeley) will speak on Free Will, Aquinas, and the Brain. Prof. Kenneth Kemp (University of St. Thomas, MN) will speak on The Philosophy and Theology of Human Origins. Prof. Daniel Kuebler (Franciscan University) will speak on The Science of Human Origins. Prof. Rogier Windhorst (Arizona State University) will speak on What the James Webb Space Telescope has Discovered and What it Means. Prof. Martin A. Nowak (Harvard University) will speak on How Mathematics Leads to God. (Exact titles of their talks to be announced.)
COMPLETE CONFERENCE PROGRAM & SCHEDULE:
The complete Program and Schedule, with all the talks, and biographies of all 13 speakers are HERE. Information about the Poster presentations will be added when it becomes available.
SUBMITTING ABSTRACTS FOR CONTRIBUTED TALKS:
The deadline for submitting abstracts for talks has passed.
POSTER SESSIONS & SUBMITTING ABSTRACTS FOR POSTERS:
There will be two Poster Sessions at the conference. One on Friday evening and one on Saturday evening. We encourage SCS members and associates to submit abstracts for posters. The deadline is May 31. Poster presentations can be on any subject. There will be a section for more technical posters on the presenter’s own research, and sections for posters on the conference theme or other topics of broader interest. Abstracts should be no longer than 300 words and should be sent as a Word document to smpbarr@gmail.com
REGISTRATION FEE & REGISTRATION FORM:
Registration has closed.

LODGING:
Dorm Rooms: There are CUA dorm rooms available for all registrants. They are in the Millennium North and Millennium South dorms, a short walk to Pryzbyla Hall, where the lectures will be. Those who choose not to stay in the dorms but to make other accommodations will pay $100 less in registration fee (see above). There are both single and double dorm rooms. Check-in starts and 3pm.
TRAVEL: The conference is on the campus of the Catholic University of America (CUA), which a 5-minute walk to the Brookland-CUA Metro Station on the Red Line. If one is traveling to Washington, DC, by Amtrak, there is a Metro Station at DC’s Union Station, which is three stops (11 min) on the Red Line from the Brookland-CUA Metro Station. If you are flying into Reagan Washington National Airport, there is a Yellow Line Metro Station there (follow the signs to the covered walkways and into the station). If you fly into Dulles International Airport, there is a Silver Line Metro Station there (follow the signs to the underground walkway, which is approximately five minutes from the terminal).
PARKING: Details of which parking lot on campus to use will be provided here shortly.
More information will be posted here as it becomes available. If you have questions, email smpbarr@gmail.com

Lecture on September 4, 2025, at Seton Hall University in South Orange, NJ.
2025-09-04 16:00 (America/New_York)
There is a Lecture on Thursday, September 4, at 4:00 pm at Seton Hall University in Bethany Hall (400 S Orange Ave, South Orange Village, NJ 07079).
The speaker is Dr. William E. Carroll, and the title of the talk is “The Error of Beginnings and the Beginning of Errors: Creation and the Origin of the Universe.”
odern cosmological theories are often invoked to suggest that belief in God is an artifact from a less enlightened age. Yet most of the discussion about what cosmology tells us about creation suffers from a fundamental error about a necessary connection between a created universe and a temporal beginning. This is an error of beginnings, which is the beginning of many other errors. It was the genius of the medieval theologian Thomas Aquinas (1224-1274) to highlight this error and to offer a sophisticated discussion that can help to resolve confusion in contemporary discussions about cosmology, the origin of the universe and creation.
William E. Carroll, Ph.D., a European intellectual historian and historian of science, has recently retired from the Aquinas Institute, Blackfriars Hall, University of Oxford. He currently serves as Distinguished Visiting Professor, School of Philosophy, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law in China.
Carroll writes and speaks extensively on the ways in which medieval discussions of the natural sciences, philosophy and theology can be useful in questions arising from contemporary biology and cosmology.
Sponsored by the SHU Society of Catholic Scientists in collaboration with the Stanly Jaki Academy for Theology and Science, the Department of Physics, Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology, the Center for Catholic Studies, the Core Curriculum Program, and the Program in Catholic Studies.

Conference of New Mexico Regional Chapter of SCS on September 27, 2025.
2025-09-27
The New Mexico Chapter of SCS is holding a regional conference on Saturday, September 27 in Los Alamos, NM.
The conference will be held at the SALA Event Center in downtown Los Alamos, NM.
Program
Full information about the conference and how to register can be found HERE at the conference website.
There will be a full day of invited talks, on topics chosen from various fields of science and philosophy that have ethical implications of contemporary interest. Our invited speakers are Prof Martin Nowak and Prof Stephen Barr.
Talks will be recorded and posted online, but not live-streamed.

Fourth Conference of the Spanish Chapter of SCS in Madrid on October 2-4, 2025.
2025-10-02 08:00 - 2025-10-04 17:00 UTC
The fourth annual conference of the Spanish Chapter of SCS (Sociedad de Científicos Católicos de España) will be held in Madrid, Spain, at San Pablo CEU University on October 2-4, 2025.
Through keynote addresses, panel discussions, and poster sessions, the conference will address a wide range of topics related to the intersection of science and the Catholic faith, with a special emphasis, this year, on Artificial Intelligence, Bioethics, and Near-Death Experiences.
Full information on the Program, Schedule, and Registration will be posted as it becomes available at the conference website https://iv-congreso-scce.es/

Lecture on October 2, 2025, at St. Vincent College, Latrobe, PA.
2025-10-02 19:00 (America/New_York)
Faith and Science Talk on Thursday, October 2, at 7:00 pm in the Dupré Science Pavilion Luparello Lecture Hall, “When Parallel Lines Meet: Geometry, Truth, and the God of Order,” by Dr. Brian Mulholland from the University of Notre Dame.
Dr. Mulholland is an assistant professor in the Mathematics Department, a Mission Faculty member with the deNicola Center for Ethics and Culture, and the director of the ASCEND program at the University of Notre Dame. The Faith and Science Talks series at Saint Vincent College is hosted by the SVC Chapter of the Society of Catholic Scientists.
Attendance free and open to the public. Light refreshments provided after the talk.

Gold Mass, Lecture, and Dinner on November 4, 2025, in Madison, WI.
2025-11-04 18:00 (America/Chicago)
There will be a Gold Mass on Tuesday, November 4, at 6:00 PM in Madison, WI, at Holy Redeemer Church (126 W. Johnson Street, Madison, WI.). The celebrant will be the Most Reverend Donald J. Hying, Bishop of Madison.
A Lecture and Dinner in the church dining hall will follow the Mass. Dr. Robert Dempsey, MD, FAANS, FACS, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Neurological Surgery at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, will speak on the topic of his humanitarian work in global health and stroke prevention. This event is sponsored by the Wisconsin Chapter of SCS.
Please note that, because of construction, if driving, attendees must enter the church parking lot from Gorham Street. As church parking is limited because of construction, plan on parking in the Dayton Street Ramp (entrance on Carroll Street), or on the streets in the neighborhood north and east of the church, once the church lot fills up.
Registration for dinner is requested through this LINK.

Gold Mass on Nov 5 and Debate on Nov 7, 2025, at University of Mary, Bismarck, ND.
2025-11-05 10:30 (America/North_Dakota/Center)
There will be a Gold Mass on Wednesday, Nov 5, 2025, at 10:00am in Our Lady of the Annunciation Chapel on the campus of the University of Mary. The Mass will be celebrated by His Excellency David Kagan, Bishop of the Diocese of Bismarck.
There will also be a public debate among members of the SCS on Friday, November 7, 2025, at 10:00am in Butler Hall on the University of Mary campus. The question for debate will be “Is open science a mistake?” A key ethos of science is publishing results for others to build on. This approach has brought us medical benefits and material prosperity, and the threat of nuclear, biological, and AI annihilation. Is openness a good idea?
These events are sponsored by the North Dakota Chapter of the Society of Catholic Scientists.

Faith and Science Week Nov 3-7, 2025 at University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN.
2025-11-05 17:15 UTC
Monday, Nov 3, 5:00 pm: “Ask Me Anything” on Faith and Science. (McCourtney B01)
Wednesday, Nov 5, 5:15 pm: Gold Mass (Basilica of the Sacred Heart)
Wednesday, Nov 5, 6:15 pm: Reception (Jordan Hall of Science, Galleria)
Wednesday, Nov 5, 7:15 pm: Gold Mass Lecture “Cosmic Origins and Christian Creation”, by Prof. Karin Öberg, Thomas Dudley Cabot Professor of Natural Sciences at Harvard University (Jordan Hall of Science, Room 105)
Friday, Nov 7, 7:30 to 9:30 pm: Graduate Community Nights Kickoff (Fischer Community Center)
These events are co-sponsored by the Notre Dame Chapter of the Society of Catholic Scientists

Lecture and Reception on November 6, 2025, at Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN.
2025-11-06 04:30 - 16:30 UTC
There will be a Lecture om Thursday, November 6, at 5:30pm in West Lafayette, IN, in the lower level St. Thomas Aquinas Church (535 Mitch Daniels Blvd, West Lafayette, IN 47906). The lecture will be entitled “From the Lab to the Altar: A Scientist’s Journey of Faith.” The speaker is Suzanne Bohlson, professor (Molecular Biology and Biochemistry) at UC Irvine.
The lecture will be preceded by a Reception at 4:30pm.
The Lecture is co-sponsored by the Purdue Chapter of the Society of Catholic Scientists along with the American Scientific Affiliation and St. Thomas Aquinas Parish.
Join us as Dr. Suzanne Bohlson, Professor at UC Irvine and President of the Southern California chapter of the Society of Catholic Scientists, shares her journey from irreligious scientist to practicing Catholic. Raised in a family of scientists who lived Gospel values without institutional faith, Dr. Bohlson discovered her scientific vocation studying HIV/AIDS and the immune system. Her path led from prestigious research labs to the University of Notre Dame, where she encountered Catholicism for the first time.
Dr. Bohlson will share how her scientific training, with its emphasis on truth-seeking, careful observation, and intellectual humility, prepared her for faith rather than hindered it. She’ll describe the “perfect storm” of divine providence that surrounded her conversion, including a priest completing his thesis on the harmony between Genesis and the theory of evolution just as she was joining the Church. With warmth and humor, she’ll explore how faith has enriched rather than conflicted with her scientific work, and how the same God she studies in the laboratory is the God she encounters in the Eucharist. This is a story of homecoming, discovering that the transcendent God she has always known was waiting to be found in the Catholic Church. Whether you’re a scientist, a person of faith, or someone asking the big questions about life’s meaning, Dr. Bohlson’s journey offers hope that faith and reason can walk hand in hand toward truth.
