Yuri Gagarin, the famous Soviet Cosmonaut and first man in space, infamously observed that he did not see God in space. In the vastness of space with its dying stars, black holes, and poisonous planets inhospitable to human life, one can easily arrive at Gagarin's conclusion. And yet, can scientists look upon space with eyes of faith? Can the practice of astrophysics or science more broadly lead us along a path of wonder to God, rather than doubt and despair?
To answer these questions, the Collegium Institute's Young Catholic Leaders Initiative will be hosting a daylong workshop for high school students and teachers called Science as a Path to Wonder: From the Darkness of Space to the Light of Christ, on Saturday, November 16, at the Penn Newman Center. High school teachers who attend will receive professional development credit through Act 48 by attending this workshop.
This workshop will begin with a Gold Mass for Catholic Scientists at St. Agatha-St. James Church at 9am, celebrated by Penn alumnus Msgr. Michael Magee. The Gold Mass is open to all interested members of the public, and will be followed by a brunch reception. Members of the general public interested in attending the Gold Mass may RSVP here.
After brunch, Br. Cassian Iozzo, O.P., a Dominican friar and PhD in Astrophysics from Cornell will deliver the keynote lecture on Catholicism and Astrophysics with Br. Augustine Buckner, O.P. offering theological commentary and reflections, followed by breakout discussions. After the breakout discussions, Br. Cassian will perform a series of experiments with the help of the students and teachers to illustrate some of his points from the keynote lecture. The workshop will conclude with a panel discussion featuring Prof. Michelle Francl (Bryn Mawr), Prof. Michael Vogeley (Drexel), and Br. Cassian with Br. Augustine moderating, followed by small group discussions.
Schedule:
9am-10am: Gold Mass for Catholic Scientists
10am-10:30am: Breakfast Reception
10:30am-12pm: Keynote Lecture on Catholicism and Astrophysics and Small Groups
12pm-1pm: Experiments
1pm-1:30pm: Lunch
1:30pm-3pm: Panel Discussion on Science, Wonder, and Mysticism and Small Groups
Registration:
High school students interested in attending the workshop should click here to apply.
High school teachers interested in attending the workshop should click here to apply.
The priority registration deadline is Wednesday, October 23rd. Anyone who registers by October 23rd will be guaranteed a spot.
The final registration deadline is Monday, November 11th. The workshop may reach maximum capacity before this deadline, so register early.
If you would like your school to be credited as a partnering institution for this workshop in particular, or for the Young Catholic Leaders Initiative in general, please contact Jose Perez-Benzo (jperezbenzo@collegiuminstitute.org).
This event was made possible through the support of ‘In Lumine: Supporting the Catholic Intellectual Tradition on Campuses Nationwide’ (Grant #62372) from the John Templeton Foundation. The opinions expressed in any publications, videos, lectures, etc. associated with this project are those of the author(s) or speaker(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the John Templeton Foundation.