Catholic Scientist Saints and Blesseds
On this page we have resources about Catholic saints, blesseds, and venerables who, in addition to living a holy life, were renowned for their scientific contributions. These holy men and women come from all walks of life from all time periods. Some are from centuries ago, making foundational scientific discoveries that have inspired generations to come. Others are scientists from our modern-day, dealing with many of the same questions of faith and science in the era of technology that we grapple with today.
We can learn unique lessons from both recent and older saints and blesseds. From the stories of their lives, we can see how faith and science have been compatible for centuries and we can see how they approached challenging conversations today. Many of these holy men and women worked with non-believers, their lives can serve as inspiration for us to engage in dialogue with those who may not share similar beliefs about faith and science. Furthermore, learning about these saints and blesseds can be a good way to introduce faith and science to a younger audience; learning about their lives can help bring the abstract ideas to life.
May we look at the lives of these holy men and women of faith and science not just as a series of facts but as stories that we can learn from. May we pray for their intercession in our own lives as we learn what it means to have faith and science exist in harmony.
We can learn unique lessons from both recent and older saints and blesseds. From the stories of their lives, we can see how faith and science have been compatible for centuries and we can see how they approached challenging conversations today. Many of these holy men and women worked with non-believers, their lives can serve as inspiration for us to engage in dialogue with those who may not share similar beliefs about faith and science. Furthermore, learning about these saints and blesseds can be a good way to introduce faith and science to a younger audience; learning about their lives can help bring the abstract ideas to life.
May we look at the lives of these holy men and women of faith and science not just as a series of facts but as stories that we can learn from. May we pray for their intercession in our own lives as we learn what it means to have faith and science exist in harmony.
St. Albert the Great
St. Albert the Great
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Dates: 1200-1280
Feast Day: November 15 Patronage: Scientists, Philosophers, and the Natural Sciences Location: Germany Feast Day Website Link St. Albert the Great is remembered for many contributions in the Medieval Church, including teaching St. Thomas Aquinas, being the first to extensively utilize the writings of Aristotle in his works, and incorporating the scientific thought from Greeks and Arabs into the European university system. As a scientist, he focused on the approach to his experiments, not just writing the final results, especially in his botany work. |
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St. GIuseppe moscati
St. Giuseppe Moscati
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Dates: 1880-1927
Feast Day: November 16 Patronage: Biochemistry and Doctors Location: Italy Feast Day Website Link St. Giuseppe Moscati was a medical doctor and researcher. Besides his daily medical work, he went out of his way to care for those in crisis, like those suffering after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 1906, or those impacted by the cholera epidemic in 1911. Giuseppe Moscati was also known for his biomedical research, taking what he learned in the clinic and researching techniques to better help his patients. His research led to key discoveries in both the administration of insulin in diabetes and in properly diagnosing the kidney disease nephritis. |
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St. hildegard of bingen
St. Hildegard of Bingen
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Dates: 1098-1179
Feast Day: September 17 Location: Germany (Holy Roman Empire) Feast Day Website Link St. Hildegard of Bingen is a well-known abbess, mystic, and theologian who made countless scientific contributions that became foundational for years to come. She was involved in helping cure ill sisters, and Hildegard would track the remedies, as well as what were potential causes of the illness. This observational and experimental approach was a forerunner of the Scientific Method and led to many discoveries centuries in the future. |
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st. gianna molla
St. Gianna Molla
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Dates: 1922-1962
Feast Day: April 28 Patronage: Mothers, Physicians, and Unborn Children Location: Italy Feast Day Website Link St. Gianna Molla was an Italian medical doctor who strove to follow Catholic teaching in all aspects of her medical career, from how she treated her patients to ethical treatments. She strove to give care to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay, and spent her free time caring for those who most needed medical care but could least afford it, especially the elderly. She is a model for all doctors today. |
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St. jose gabriel del rosario brochero
St. Jose Gabriel del Rosario Brochero
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Dates: 1840-1914
Feast Day: January 26 Patronage: Córdoba, Argentina Location: Argentina St. Jose Gabriel del Rosario Brochero was a priest in rural Argentina. While he had little formal medical training, he recognized the interconnectedness of physical and spiritual help, helping the poor and sick of his community receive the physical care they needed as well as spiritual care. Fr. Brochero's parish covered an immense rural area, but he would not let distance deter him and he would go to each community to care for his parishioners. Today, he can be a example for us to care for both physical and spiritual needs, as well as a model for working in rural, hard-to-reach areas. |
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Bl. nicholas steno
Bl. Nicholas Steno
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Dates: 1638-1686
Feast Day: December 5 Patronage: Geosciences Location: Denmark Feast Day Website Link Bl. Nicholas Steno made essential contributions in anatomy, geology, and crystallography. In anatomy, he was fascinated by the tear duct, leading to the discovery and naming of Stensen's duct (based on his Danish name). He also made key discoveries in heart and muscle structure that would advance anatomy research in future decades. In crystallography, Bl. Nicholas Steno identified the repeating angles made by units in a crystal, a key discovery for the field of crystal structures today. Bl. Nicholas Steno is perhaps most famous for his work in geology. He established the core laws of stratigraphy, how rock layers form, which became essential for studying fossils and ancient history. |
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Bl. francesco faa di bruno
Bl. Francesco Faà di Bruno
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Dates: 1825-1888
Feast Day: March 27 Location: Italy Feast Day Website Link Bl. Francesco Faà di Bruno published over 40 papers on his mathematical research and theories, mostly about elliptic functions and elimination theory. He is also remembered for Faà di Bruno's formula, a complex formula for higher derivatives in calculus. Throughout his life he also taught and mentored; many of his students became famous Italian mathematicians around the turn of the century. During his mathematical studies, he became a priest and established refuges for the poor and elderly, continuing both his research and his outreach ministries. |
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bl. hermann of reichenau
Bl. Hermann of Reichenau
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Dates: 1013-1054
Feast Day: September 24 Location: Germany Bl. Hermann of Reichenau was born with severe physical disabilities, but he did not let in interfere with his sharp intellect. While he had limited ability to speak or walk, he wrote countless treatises. In addition to writing about math and astronomy, Hermann wrote extensively about music: the history of music, the math behind music, the biology of music. His leadership and mentorship began a strong intellectual tradition that lasted for centuries at his Benedictine monastery in Germany. |
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bl. sandra sabattini
Bl. Sandra Sabattini
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Dates: 1961-1984
Feast Day: May 4 Patronage: Youth Location: Italy Feast Day Website Link Bl. Sandra Sabattini was studying to become a missionary doctor when she tragically died in 1984. She saw the importance of using her medical knowledge to care for those most in need, so she wanted to serve in Africa once she became a doctor, and on her weekends she would serve in local drug rehabilitation clinics. Bl. Sandra can be a modern-day role model for all doctors and scientists, showing us how to use our skills to benefit those most in need in today's world. |
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bl. benedetta bianchi porro
Bl. Benedetta Bianchi Porro
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Dates: 1936-1964
Feast Day: January 23 Location: Italy Feast Day Website Link Bl. Benedetta Bianchi Porro was an aspiring doctor when symptoms from her childhood bout with polio made it impossible for her to continue her studies. As devastating as this was, Bl. Benedetta continued all that she could to care for others even as her own body was failing. She recognized the need to bring the Good News to her friends from medical school, evangelizing instead of wallowing. May we learn from Bl. Benedetta that God is always calling us to evangelize, even in situations where it seems especially difficult. |
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Bl. Jose Gregorio Hernandez
Bl. José Gregorio Hernández
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Dates: 1864-1919
Feast Day: October 26 Patronage: Doctors and Medical Students Location: Venezuela Bl. José Gregorio Hernández was born in a small village in Venezuela but was persistent in following his calling to become a doctor. Throughout his education and practice as a doctor he believed that research and medicine played essential, interconnected roles. He strove to understand fields such as bacteriology, pathology, and microbiology to better understand and treat his patients. However, he did not let his education distance him from his patients, instead always focusing on helping the poorest in his community, believing that everyone deserved medical care. |
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bl. laSzlo batthyany-strattmann
Bl. László Batthyány-Strattmann
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Dates: 1870-1931
Feast Day: January 22 Location: Austria and Hungary Bl. László Batthyány-Strattmann was born into a wealthy, noble family, and upon completion of his medical studies he could have taken an easy job doctoring for other nobility. Instead, he used his resources to provide extensive medical care. He turned one of his father's castles into one of the first hospitals in rural Hungary and would pay for his patients prescriptions out of his own wealth. As the demand for his care grew, he expanded how much of his own wealth he poured into his care, especially in caring for wounded in World War I and helping rural villagers recovering from the after-effects of World War I. |
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Ven. jerome lejeune
Ven. Jérôme Lejeune
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Dates: 1926-1998
Location: France Ven. Jérôme Lejeune was a French pediatrician and geneticist who is well-known for his research connecting chromosome abnormalities to diseases. Prior to his research, chromosomal abnormalities were not studied in regard to disease, but in 1958, Ven. Jerome discovered that Down Syndrome is caused by three copies of chromosome 21, whereas normal is two copies (today known as trisomy 21). Ven. Jerome also discovered the chromosomal basis of cri du chat syndrome. His discoveries connecting chromosomal abnormalities to diseases was an essential discovery that has lead to countless further genetic discoveries in the work toward cures for these and other diseases. |
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Ven. eusebio kino
Ven. Eusebio Kino
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Dates: 1645-1711
Location: Italy then North America After spending his whole life in Europe, Ven. Eusebio Kino came to North America as a Jesuit missionary. Upon arriving, he recognized the need for detailed maps to understand the territory in the Western New World, today the western United States and Mexico. At the time, the prevailing thought was that California was separated from the rest of continent, but Ven. Eusebio Kino proved this to be not true, as well creating many of the main maps for the western part of the continent. He also established over 20 missions, many of which developed into major Catholic communities and eventually major cities today. |
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More Resources
- Important Catholic Scientists of the Past -- Society of Catholic Scientists
- Faith and Science: Heroes of Catholic Science -- McGrath Institute for Church Life
- 16 Scientist Saints -- Meg Hunter-Kilmer
- 10 Saints who were leading scientists -- Aleteia
- These 5 Catholic scientists shaped our understanding of the world -- Aleteia