Although the chances of a much-hyped asteroid hitting Earth in 2032 recently dropped to zero, we found out at a recent Catholic convention that meteorites are still a “big hit” as far as Vatican Observatory outreach goes.
On the weekend of February 21-23, four staff members from the Vatican Observatory and Vatican Observatory Foundation attended the L.A. Religious Education Congress in Anaheim, CA – one of the largest annual gatherings of Catholics and Catholic organizations in the country. Br. Guy was one of many well-known figures to speak at the event. He gave a talk about the book he co-authored with Chris Graney, “When Science Goes Wrong”, and spent several hours signing copies for visitors who were moved by the invitation to lift their minds and hearts to God’s presence in the universe.
This was the second time the Observatory was represented at the event, having also sent staff in 2023. In addition to Br. Guy, this year’s congress was attended by Pam Snyder and Chris Kennedy from the Vatican Observatory Foundation, and by Rob Lorenz (yours truly!), currently working as an outreach coordinator for the Observatory in Tucson.
Together the four of us staffed a booth on the Anaheim Convention Center exhibit floor, which accommodated well over 200 other Catholic organizations from across the country and the world. We designed the booth to attract as many visitors as possible, and our “hooks” didn’t disappoint: we had a slideshow full of historic places and faces associated with the Observatory, interspersed with space images taken by the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope; an interactive “Astronomy Trivia” station that tested people’s knowledge of the cosmos, and became increasingly more popular as the weekend unfolded; and perhaps the biggest draw, a small meteorite collection that was generously donated to the Observatory by Larry Lebofsky.
During the busy periods on the convention floor, the meteorites generated a non-stop train of delighted faces, as many people got to hold “a piece of space” in their hands for the first time! (A few people were even moved to tears when told that the meteorites they were holding were older than the Earth itself.) The juxtaposition of the meteorites with a backdrop image of St. Ignatius of Loyola under the stars – generously donated by artist William Hart McNichols – was a reminder for many that contemplation of creation can lead to an experience of the Creator, and that the God who has created stars, planets, and galaxies is the same God who is at work in the life of every human being!
We also raffled away a few prizes – a Vatican Observatory water bottle, ballcap, tote bag, and signed copies of two of Br. Guy’s books. From our raffle entry numbers, we estimate that between 1200 and 1500 people visited our booth over the course of the weekend, many of whom are associated in some way with Catholic schools and youth ministry. Conversations at the booth have already led to additional outreach opportunities for the Vatican Observatory in schools, confirmation classes, and youth gatherings across the country – both virtual and in-person! All in all, it was a weekend rich with encounter (to use a favorite word of Pope Francis), and we are grateful to have met so many wonderful people who were eager to learn more about the Observatory!
