NEW BERN - Studying the universe engages people in something bigger than themselves. That’s one message the Vatican’s chief astronomer shared during a recent visit to St. Paul Church.
Brother Guy Consolmagno, director of the Vatican Observatory, shared presentations Sunday, Oct. 20 and Monday, Oct. 21 at St. Paul Church. He reached parishioners, faith formation students in grades 4-8 and St. Paul Catholic School students in grades 5-8.
A member of the Society of Jesus, best known as the Jesuits, Brother Guy, 72, spoke of his lifelong interests in God, science and space. In the 1970s he studied planetary science and earned a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, or MIT. He also earned a Ph.D. from the University of Arizona.
Brother Guy spoke about how, during his professional and academic pursuits, he felt called to serve others.
“He felt he was going in the wrong direction, so he quit and made a change. He joined the Peace Corps, and they sent him to Kenya,” said Marisa McDonald, who attended his presentation Oct. 21 and coordinates communications for the parish.
“He ended up teaching in the best high school in the country and then at a university studying space,” she recounted about his presentation. “Eventually, he spoke to the Jesuits, and they asked him if he had the vocation to be a priest. He said ‘no,’ because he's ‘a nerd’ and didn't think he had the skills or desire to be pastoral in difficult situations. At almost 40 years old, he became a Jesuit brother.”
McDonald also shared that his speech had humorous moments, including his “orders” or assignment to serve at the Vatican observatory, complete with Rome life and Italian food.
“The thing he had always been interested in, the thing that had always brought him joy, became his obligation,” she shared. “Oh, and the Vatican also has a collection of 10,000 meteorites he can study on his own terms! He gets to decide on his experiments and tell the world what he is doing. He does all the things he dreamt of doing at 10 years old and none of it feels like work.”
McDonald said Brother Guy advised the children to come up with their own version of things that they want to do and to pray, listen to God and look for hints. He told them that if they discover they’re going in the wrong direction, to simply turn around.
When fielding a student’s question about the existence of aliens, Brother Guy replied, “That is the easiest question of all! The answer is: I don't know.”
Thank you to St. Paul parishioner Terry Anderson for contributing information for this article.
Thoughts from a deacon
Deacon Jim Hackett attended the Oct. 20 presentation and noted that cherubim and seraphim are “celestial beings” that are described as being close to God's throne. Deacon Jim also shared the following takeaways:
"It's not that I look for God in my science. I look for truth in my science.” - Brother Guy
"The earth is not the ‘center of the universe.’ It lies almost at the bottom of the universe.” - C.S. Lewis
Scripture references:
“In the beginning, when God created the Heavens and the Earth.” (Genesis 1:1)
“Therefore, since it is the creator of the universe who shaped the beginning of humankind and brought about the origin of everything … ” (2 Maccabees 7: 23)
“Christ is the visible image of the invisible God, who created everything in the Heavens and on Earth.” (Colossians 1:15-17)
“By faith we understand that the universe was ordered by the word of God, so that what is visible came into being through the invisible.” (Hebrews 11:3)
Photos
Photos by Hannah Castillo and Marisa McDonald.
