Christendom College welcomed noted Catholic thinkers Dr. Stephen Barr, Fr. Tad Pacholczyk, Dr. David Deavel, Dr. Harrison Schmitt, and other distinguished guests for its annual conference over the weekend of August 7–9. Centered on the theme Faith & Science: From Wonder to Human Genius, the conference offered participants the opportunity to rediscover how human genius, rightly ordered, can serve truth, culture, and the dignity of the human person.
Each year, Christendom hosts a conference welcoming guests from across the nation to campus for a weekend showcasing the height of the Christendom College experience. This year's conference began on Friday, August 7, with special events for President's Council members and other VIP guests, including Solemn Vespers and the swinging of the college's famed botafumeiro in Christ the King Chapel.
Following Vespers, author and professor Dr. David Deavel delivered the conference's opening lecture in St. Lawrence Commons. A senior contributor to The Imaginative Conservative, Deavel presented "Quiet and Neighborly Ways: Integrating Science & Wisdom with Newman," offering a fitting introduction to the weekend's theme.
During his lecture, Deavel unpacked St. John Henry Newman's understanding of science and theology, showing that Newman rejected the popular notion of an inevitable conflict between the two. Instead, Newman argued that science and theology investigate different aspects of reality through different methods, making them complementary rather than contradictory.
"Faith and reason are not in opposition, they are in partnership,” said Deavel. “Newman said that all the natural sciences, when pursued with all the might that scientists have and in tandem with all those other lines of inquiry of their neighborly scholars, can become something better. Science can beome an integral part of wisdom.”
Saturday offered participants a full day of lectures, beginning with an opening talk from Fr. Tad Pacholczyk. Fr. Pacholczyk, the senior ethicist at the National Catholic Bioethics Center, spoke on the topic, “Clarifying the Moral Issues Surrounding Brain Death in the Light of Some Contemporary Cases,” offering a powerful theological and scientific perspective on this hotly debated issue.
Following Fr. Pacholczyk's lecture, he joined Deavel, Dr. Matthew Tsakanikas, Dr. Greg Townsend, and Dr. Douglas Dailey for a panel discussion exploring many of the conference's central themes.
Afterward, participants gathered in Christ the King Chapel for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, celebrated by Fr. Pacholczyk. The afternoon continued with a tour of Christendom's new Venerable Jerome Lejeune Science Lab, which opened earlier this spring. Featuring dedicated laboratory spaces for both life sciences and chemistry, the facility enables students to pursue vocations in healthcare, scientific research, and related fields following graduation.
Following the tour, attendees were able to choose between two breakout lectures. In "The Technology Crisis in Our Homes," Dr. John Cuddeback offered practical wisdom for cultivating healthy family life amid today's technological challenges, especially during children's formative years.
The second lecture, "A Catholic Understanding of Artificial Intelligence," featured Dr. Eric Jenislawski, a highly sought-after speaker on artificial intelligence. Drawing from the Catholic intellectual tradition, Jenislawski explored both the promise and the perils of AI while offering attendees practical principles for evaluating one of the defining technologies of the modern age.
The day's final lecture was delivered by Dr. Stephen Barr, founding president of the Society of Catholic Scientists. In "Science and Religion: The Myth of Conflict," Barr challenged the common belief that science and religion are fundamentally incompatible, arguing instead that Catholicism and modern science are deeply harmonious.
“For us, both the Catholic faith and science make sense of the world,” said Barr. “Science tells us about the things that we can observe and measure. Our faith has a much wider scope and answers deeper questions. The Catholic faith and empirical science are two perspectives on reality and indeed see the world in different ways, but not in conflicting ways. I've been a scientist for almost 50 years and a Catholic for 72 years, and I know of no scientific fact or well-established scientific theory that conflicts with any Catholic doctrine.”
On Saturday evening, VIP guests enjoyed a gourmet dinner prepared by award-winning Executive Chef Stephen Bieker, followed by a special conversation between College President George A. Harne, Ph.D., and astronaut, geologist, and former U.S. Senator Dr. Harrison Schmitt, providing a fitting conclusion to the weekend.
The last living person to have walked on the Moon and the only professional geologist to do so, Schmitt reflected on his remarkable career—from studying geology in New Mexico to exploring the lunar surface—and discussed how scientific discovery, human wonder, and faith have shaped his life.
Drawing from decades spent studying creation through geology, Schmitt argued that modern scientific discoveries increasingly point toward order, fine-tuning, and intelligibility rather than away from God. He also shared the personal story of entering the Catholic Church at age 91, crediting the witness of his wife Teresa and years of studying both creation and Catholic teaching for leading him to the faith.
“My life has been extraordinarily blessed, and you have to believe that there are other powers guiding that progress,” concluded Schmitt. “It’s up to us, in science and particularly those of us who are Catholic, to argue the point that it’s a matter of faith and not a matter of conflict, and I think we are going to get there.”
The 2026 Faith & Science Conference offered benefactors and friends of Christendom College the opportunity to reflect on the harmony of faith and reason, the unity of truth, and the sense of wonder that lies at the heart of both scientific inquiry and Catholic belief. Through conversations ranging from St. John Henry Newman's argument for the harmony of faith and reason to the history of Catholic scientists and the experience of walking on the Moon, the weekend demonstrated that the pursuit of knowledge and the pursuit of God are not in conflict, but together lead to a deeper understanding of creation, the human person, and the Creator Himself.
Recordings of all talks from this year’s Faith & Science Conference can be viewed here.
Listen to all talks on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or on Amazon Music.