Groundbreaking partnership seeks to educate children about Faith & science

Many people today think that faith and science are incompatible. One recent study found that 36% of respondents who had left the Catholic Church agreed with the statement: “The Church conflicts with my scientific beliefs.” The same study found that the median age of people who leave the Catholic Church is surprisingly young: thirteen.

Of all the reasons people choose to leave the Catholic Church, the misconception that faith and science are incompatible is a preventable one. In an effort to help children learn early about faith and science, the Daughters of St. Paul, a premier publisher of Catholic children’s books for over seventy years through Pauline Books & Media, have partnered with the Word on Fire Institute to present an exciting new book: Brilliant! 25 Catholic Scientists, Mathematicians, and Supersmart People.

David and Jaclyn Warren, the husband and wife duo who wrote and illustrated the book for children ages 7–11, were inspired to begin working on it when one of Jacelyn’s fourth grade students told her he did not believe in God. When asked why, he responded simply, “Science.”

This experience led Jacelyn and David to work together to develop a book to help children understand that faith and science are not in conflict. Parents and teachers will find in this book a unique resource that teaches children about twenty-five Catholic pioneers in every field from anatomy to astrophysics. As children walk in the footsteps of these supersmart Catholics, they will learn that they too can be brilliant when they unite faith and science.

The mission of the Daughters of St. Paul and the Word on Fire Institute both are centered around Jesus and drawing people into the Body of Christ, his Church, through media. These similar missions led to a natural partnership to distribute this book so that it may reach as many children as possible. The hope is that these efforts will help children to better understand the true relationship between faith and science so they will be less likely to leave the Church later in life.

The Daughters of St. Paul: The Daughters of St. Paul is a Catholic international congregation of religious sisters founded by Blessed James Alberione in 1915 in Italy. Pauline Books & Media, an apostolic ministry of the Daughters of St. Paul, includes their publishing house in Boston, MA and a dozen bookstores in locations in the United States and Canada. 

Word on Fire Institute: Bishop Barron’s Word on Fire Catholic Ministries exists to draw people into the Body of Christ, which is the Church. In order to form a community of evangelists to join him in this mission the Word on Fire Institute was begun in 2018. The Word on Fire Institute is an easy-to-use digital platform offering members specialized training, community discussions, live presentations, and more.