Schedule for St. Albert Initiative, March 13, 2026, Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep School (preliminary)
· 8:45am – 9:15am: Sign-in.
· 9:15am – 9:30am: Introduction and Morning Prayer.
· 9:30am – 10:15am: Keynote Address “Science and the Catholic Faith.” (Stephen Barr, Chris Baglow) Many have claimed that modern science and Christian faith are fundamentally at odds and have historically been in conflict. This talk will show how a better understanding of Catholic teaching, of science, and of history paint a very different picture.
· 10:15am – 10:30am: Break
10:30am - 10:55am: Lightning Round Talks. Round #1.
10:55am - 11:10am: Break (Centro Hall)
· 11:10am – 11:35pm: Lightning Round Talks. Round #2.
· 11:35pm – 12:20pm: LUNCH
· 12:20pm – 1:20pm: “Big Questions/Ask-a-Scientist” Poster Session
1:20pm – 1:35pm: Break
· 1:35pm – 2:00pm: Lightning Round Talks. Round #3.
· 2:00am – 2:30pm: Evaluations, Closing Remarks, Prayer
2:30pm: End
Brief Descriptions of the Lightning Round Talks:
"Evolution and the Catholic Faith" (Esteban Veliz, PhD student in Plant Biology, UC Davis) For some, the scientific theory of evolution is seen as incompatible with a God who has knowingly and purposely fashioned us. But, as s Pope Benedict XVI stated, creation and evolution represent “two complementary — rather than mutually exclusive — realities.” This talk will guide participants to see the harmony between evolutionary biology and the Catholic faith.
"What Does Artificial Intelligence Do and How Does it Work?" (Heather Foucault-Camm, Project Director at the McGrath Institute for Church LIfe) In the past few years artificial intelligence (AI) has gone from science fiction to a daily reality. From Bard, to Amazon’s Alexa, to ChatGPT, this technology carries with it both significant potential and serious considerations. This talk will provide a general overview of the main technical aspects of ‘Generative AI’ and explore relevant insights that aim to safeguard the flourishing of each person and every person into the future.
“Modern Science, the Catholic Church, and the Galileo Affair” (Cory Hayes, John Paul the Great Academy, Lafayette, LA) For many, the Galileo Affair has become the lens through which the Church’s relationship to modern science is seen as one of conflict and oppression. Yet it is the sad exception to what is otherwise a glorious history of the Church’s patronage and support of scientific inquiry. Beginning with Copernicus and ending with St. John Paul II, Dr. Cory Hayes will examine the trials of Galileo, the major players involved and the issues that were at play in his 1633 condemnation by the Inquisition for the sake of understanding the lessons it has for us today.
"The Science of the First Humans" (Kieran McNulty, Professor of Anthropology at the University of Minnesota) The question “What does it mean to be human?” is as old as human consciousness as well as the fundamental question in the discipline of Anthropology. In this talk, I will draw on my own research as an evolutionary anthropologist to explore answers to that question from the context of a fossil record spanning 6 million years. Starting with our common ancestor with chimpanzees, we will examine the highlight-reel of hominin evolution that ultimately led to our own species. I conclude with a brief consideration of what such abundant evidence of our physical evolution can and cannot tell us about what it means to be human.
"The History of Life in Deep Time" (Kate Bulinski, Associate Professor of Geosciences in the Department of Environmental Studies at Bellarmine University and Dcn. Ned Berghausen) Our Earth has been witness to over 4.5 billion years of enormous geological, paleontological, and environmental change. This presentation will highlight how the study of paleontology reveals that history through a lens of deep time, revealing amazing stories of extinction and adaptation throughout the history of life.
"Is the Universe Made for Life?" (Stephen Barr, President, Emeritus Professor of Physics, University of Delaware) In recent decades physicists have discovered that many features of the fundamental laws of physics are “just right” to make life (including complex living things such as ourselves) possible. These are sometimes called “anthropic coincidences.” Do these show that the universe was made with us in mind? Or does the “multiverse” idea explain them? Or possibly both?
“The Chemical Elements and Cosmic Order” (David A. Brown, Vatican Observatory & Heather Foucault-Camm, Program Director, McGrath Institute) Often it is said that the galaxies and stars formed from "mere" gas and dust and life on earth from a "mere" soup of chemicals. But within that "formless matter" with which things began there was actually all the amazing richness and beautiful order of the chemical elements. This talk will show how the same chemistry explains both earthly and celestial phenomena.
"The Jesuits and Astronomy: a Glorious Tradition" (David A. Brown, S.J., Vatican Observatory)
"The Big Bang Theory and Fr. Georges Lemaȋtre" (to be confirmed). The Big Bang Theory is the central pillar of the science of cosmology, the field that studies the beginning and development of the universe. This theory is based on Einstein's theory of gravity (called "General Relativity") and was proposed by a theoretical physicist and mathematician who was also a Catholic priest, namely Fr. Georges Lemaȋtre . This talk will tell the story of the origin of the Big Bang Theory and how we know it is true.