TRINITY HIGH SCHOOL ONLY IN STATE SELECTED FOR UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME SEMINAR

THAT ENCOURAGES ‘DIALOGUE BETWEEN SCIENCE AND RELIGION IN CATHOLIC EDUCATION’

The all-girls high school was one of 20 schools in the country chosen by the prestigious university to learn teaching methods which challenge the idea that science and Catholicism are in conflict.

Trinity High School staff have been selected to receive specialized professional development training at the annual Science and Religion Seminar presented by the University of Notre Dame’s McGrath Institute for Church Life, which will equip educators with “teaching methods that enhance the dialogue between science and religion in Catholic education, challenging the notion that the two disciplines are in conflict.” Team members Kara McBride, Tim Foley, and Dr. Roz Iasillo, Chairperson of Trinity’s Science Department, will receive the 60-hour training in-person at Notre Dame July 11-16, 2021, and Mary Panik will join via video conference.

The award-winning all-girls Catholic high school in River Forest was chosen from over 90 applicants from around the U.S. to participate in the seminar, and is the only school from Illinois to be awarded an invitation. Last year, staff at Trinity worked together on the seminar application in hopes of securing a top spot — a goal that will now come to fruition in the summer of 2021.

“This is an incredible opportunity for our staff and students that we are thrilled—and honored—to take part in,” said Trinity High School President Laura Curley. “At Trinity, science and religion have a high degree of integration in our students’ lives. As people of faith we are deeply involved in the pursuit of science and theology. How can faith complement one’s approach towards, and interpretation of, science? How can science complement one’s understanding of the Christian faith? How do we respond to new challenges raised by modern science and technology as we hone our ethical decision making? These are all questions that we look to explore by participating in the seminar.”

Both science and religious studies educators will attend the conference, with science teacher curriculum focusing on “how to engage the Catholic vision of creation and the human person while upholding the integrity and value of independent scientific investigation,” while religious teachers will “explore how science informs and enhances their appreciation of God’s creation and action.” Overall, all seminar attendees will leave with a “deeper understanding of the task of Catholic education” — with particular emphasis on integrating culture, faith, and “all the different aspects of human knowledge…in the light of the Gospel.”

“We want our team to feel empowered in challenging the long-held notion that science and Catholic education exist on separate planes that could never touch,” Curley said. “Now more than ever, the need to further identify and communicate the ways in which scientific and Catholic principles interact with and complement one other is paramount. Building bridges between science and faith in religious education has long been a top priority at Trinity, so opportunities like this truly help us strengthen our mission to challenge young women to seek ‘faith, knowledge, and truth.’”

Available for Interviews:

·       Dr. Roz Iasillo, Chairperson of Trinity High School Science Department

·       Kara McBride, Trinity High School Staff and Seminar Attendee

Media Contact:

·       Patti Williams, Director of Marketing (pwilliams@trinityhs.org, 708.453.8342)

·       Mika Stambaugh (mika@themasink.com, 312.671.3040)