OT list of Catholic Scientists

MJ. Smith
MJ. Smith MVP Posts: 53,116
edited November 20 in Resources Forum

From Augustine Hilander - think Western Province Domincan ... https://www.facebook.com/augustine.hilander/posts/10209823254073522

My list of Catholic scientists in chronological order.

St. Severinus Boethius (480 - 524) scholar of logic, arithmetic and musical theory
Pope Sylvester II (c. 946–1003) Prolific scholar who endorsed and promoted Arabic knowledge of arithmetic, mathematics, and astronomy in Europe, reintroducing the abacus and armillary sphere which had been lost to Europe since the end of the Greco-Roman era
Hermann of Reichenau, OSB (1013–1054) historian, music theorist, astronomer, and mathematician
Eilmer of Malmesbury, OSB (c. 989 - c. 1066) best known for his early attempt at a gliding flight using wings.

Robert Grosseteste (c. 1175 – 1253) Bishop who was one of the most knowledgeable men of the Middle Ages; has been called "the first man ever to write down a complete set of steps for performing a scientific experiment."
Johannes de Sacrobosco (c. 1195 – c. 1256) Irish monk and astronomer who wrote the authoritative medieval astronomy text Tractatus de Sphaera; his Algorismus was the first text to introduce Hindu-Arabic numerals and procedures into the European university curriculum; the lunar crater Sacrobosco is named after him
Vincent of Beauvais, OP (c.1190–c.1264) wrote the most influential encyclopedia of the Middle Ages
Thomas of Cantimpré (1201-1272) wrote De rerum natura, a Medieval encyclopedia of the natural world
Robert Kilwardby, OP (1215-1279) Cardinal Archbishop of Canterbury, wrote works on logic, ethics and natural philosophy
John Peckham (1230–1292) Archbishop of Canterbury and early practitioner of experimental science
Roger Bacon, OFM (c. 1214–1294) made significant contributions to mathematics and optics and has been described as a forerunner of modern scientific method.
St. Albertus Magnus, OP (c. 1206–1280) Bishop of Regensberg who has been described as "one of the most famous precursors of modern science in the High Middle Ages." Patron saint of natural sciences; Works in physics, logic, metaphysics, biology, and psychology.
Theodoric Borgognoni, OP (1205–1298) Bishop of Cervia, and medieval Surgeon who made important contributions to antiseptic practice and anaesthetics

Berthold Schwarz, O.Cist (c. 14th century) reputed inventor of gunpowder and firearms
Theodoric of Freiberg, OP (c. 1250 – c. 1310) theologian and physicist who gave the first correct geometrical analysis of the rainbow
Witelo (c. 1230 – after 1280, before 1314) Canon, physicist, natural philosopher, optician, mathematician; lunar crater Vitello named in his honor; his Perspectiva powerfully influenced later scientists, in particular Johannes Kepler
Ramon Llull, OFM (ca. 1232 – ca. 1315) Majorcan writer and philosopher, logician and a Franciscan tertiary considered a pioneer of computation theory
Richard of Wallingford, OSB (1292-1336) Abbot, renowned clockmaker, and one of the initiators of western trigonometry
William of Ockham, OFM (c. 1288 – c. 1348) Scholastic who wrote significant works on logic, physics, and theology; known for Ockham's Razor
Thomas Bradwardine (c. 1290–1349) Archbishop of Canturbury and mathematician who helped develop the mean speed theorem; one of the Oxford Calculators
Jean Buridan (c. 1300 – after 1358) Priest who formulated early ideas of momentum and inertial motion and sowed the seeds of the Copernican revolution in Europe
Giovanni di Casali, OFM (died c. 1375) provided a graphical analysis of the motion of accelerated bodies
Nicole Oresme (c. 1323–1382) One of the most famous and influential philosophers of the later Middle Ages; economist, mathematician, physicist, astronomer, philosopher, theologian and Bishop of Lisieux, and competent translator; one of the most original thinkers of the 14th century
Albert of Saxony (c. 1320–1390) bishop who helped develop the theory that was a precursor to the modern theory of inertia

Johannes von Gmunden (c. 1380–1442) Canon, mathematician, and astronomer who compiled astronomical tables; Asteroid 15955 Johannesgmunden named in his honor
Nicholas of Cusa (1401–1464) Cardinal, philosopher, jurist, mathematician, astronomer, and one of the great geniuses and polymaths of the 15th century
János Vitéz (c.1405–1472) Archbishop, astronomer, and mathematician
John Cantius (1390-1473) Priest and Buridanist mathematical physicist who further developed the theory of impetus

Luca Pacioli, OFM (c. 1446–1517) published several works on mathematics and is often regarded as the Father of Accounting
Martin Waldseemüller (c. 1470–1520) German priest and cartographer who, along with Matthias Ringmann, is credited with the first recorded usage of the word America
Johannes Werner (1468–1522) Priest, mathematician, astronomer, and geographer, cartographer
Maciej Miechowita (1457–1523) Canon who wrote the first accurate geographical and ethnographical description of Eastern Europe, as well as two medical treatises
Thomas Linacre (c. 1460–1524) English priest, humanist, translator, and physician. Linacre College in Oxford is named after him.
Johannes Ruysch (c. 1460–1533) Priest, explorer, cartographer, and astronomer who created the second oldest known printed representation of the New World
Paul of Middelburg (1446–1534) Bishop of Fossombrone who wrote important works on the reform of the calendar
Nicolaus Copernicus (1473–1543) Renaissance astronomer and canon famous for his heliocentric cosmology that set in motion the Copernican Revolution
Domingo de Soto, OP (1494–1560) professor at the University of Salamanca; in his commentaries to Aristotle he proposed that free falling bodies undergo constant acceleration
Gabriele Falloppio (1523–1562) Canon and one of the most important anatomists and physicians of the sixteenth century. The Fallopian tubes are named for him.
Marcin of Urzędów (c. 1500–1573) Priest, physician, pharmacist, and botanist
Francesco Maurolico, OSB (1494–1575) made contributions to the fields of geometry, optics, conics, mechanics, music, and astronomy, and gave the first known proof by mathematical induction
Ignazio Danti, OP (1536–1586) mathematician, astronomer, cosmographer, and cartographer
Franciscus Patricius (1529–1597) Priest, cosmic theorist, philosopher, and Renaissance scholar

Jose de Acosta, SJ (1539-1600) naturalist who described America
Matteo Ricci, SJ (1552–1610) One of the founding fathers of the Jesuit China Mission and co-author of the first European-Chinese dictionary; proposed for beatification
Christopher Clavius, SJ (1538–1612) Astronomer and mathematician who headed the commission that yielded the Gregorian calendar; wrote influential astronomical textbook.
Bernardino Baldi (1533–1617) Abbot, mathematician, writer, spoke up to 16 languages
Fausto Veranzio (c. 1551–1617) Bishop, polymath, inventor, and lexicographer. His inventions included a prototype parachute, and suspension bridge
François d'Aguilon, SJ (1567–1617) mathematician, physicist, and architect.
Luca Valerio, SJ (1552–1618) mathematician who developed ways to find volumes and centers of gravity of solid bodies
Giuseppe Biancani, SJ (1566–1624) astronomer, mathematician, and selenographer, after whom the crater Blancanus on the Moon is named
Wenceslas Pantaleon Kirwitzer, SJ (1588–1626) astronomer and missionary who published observations of comets
Charles Malapert, SJ (1581–1630) writer, astronomer, and opponent of Galileo and Copernicus; also known for observations of sunspots and of the lunar surface, and the crater Malapert on the Moon is named after him
Anselmus de Boodt (1550–1632) Canon who was one of the founders of mineralogy
Christopher Borrus, SJ (1583–1632) mathematician and astronomer who made observations on the magnetic variation of the compass
Christoph Grienberger, SJ (1561–1636) astronomer after whom the crater Gruemberger on the Moon is named; verified Galileo's discovery of Jupiter's moons.
Nicolas Claude Fabri de Peiresc (1580–1637) abbé, antiquarian, astronomer who discovered the Orion Nebula; lunar crater Peirescius named in his honor
Bl. Denis of the Nativity Berthelot, OCD (1600-1638) Sailor from age twelve. Pilot-in-chief, cartographer, and cosmographer to the king of Portugal, and to the French court. Martyr.
Tommaso Campanella, OP (1568-1639) defended Galileo in his writing
Paul Guldin, SJ (1577–1643) mathematician and astronomer who discovered the Guldinus theorem to determine the surface and the volume of a solid of revolution
Benedetto Castelli, OSB (1578–1643) mathematician; long-time friend and supporter of Galileo Galilei, who was his teacher; wrote an important work on fluids in motion
Jean François Niceron, OM (1613–1646) Minim mathematician who studied geometrical optics
Bonaventura Cavalieri (1598–1647) Jesuate known for his work on the problems of optics and motion, work on the precursors of infinitesimal calculus, and the introduction of logarithms to Italy. Cavalieri's principle in geometry partially anticipated integral calculus; the lunar crater Cavalerius is named in his honor
Marin Mersenne, OM (1588–1648) Minim philosopher, mathematician, and music theorist who is often referred to as the "father of acoustics"
Bartholomeus Amicus, SJ (1562–1649) wrote on philosophy, mathematics, astronomy, and the concept of vacuum and its relationship with God.
Giulio Alenio, SJ (1582-1649) astronomer and mathematician. He was sent to the Far East as a missionary and adopted a Chinese name and customs. He wrote 25 books including a cosmography and a Life of Jesus in Chinese.
Christoph Scheiner, SJ (c. 1573–1650) physicist, astronomer, and inventor of the pantograph; wrote on a wide range of scientific subjects
Niccolò Cabeo, SJ (1586–1650) mathematician; the crater Cabeus is named in his honor
Giovanni Battista Zupi, SJ (c. 1590–1650) astronomer, mathematician, and first person to discover that the planet Mercury had orbital phases; the crater Zupus on the Moon is named after him.
Jan Brożek (1585–1652) Polish canon, polymath, mathematician, astronomer, and physician; the most prominent Polish mathematician of the 17th century
Jean-Charles de la Faille, SJ (1597–1652) mathematician who determined the center of gravity of the sector of a circle for the first time
Alexius Sylvius Polonus, SJ (1593 – c. 1653) astronomer who studied sunspots and published a work on calendariography
Juliana Morrell, OP (1594–1653) First woman to receive a Law degree; studied physics, metaphysics and canon and civil law, entered the Dominican convent in 1608
Gerolamo Sersale, SJ (1584–1654) astronomer and selenographer; his map of the moon can be seen in the Naval Observatory of San Fernando; the lunar crater Sirsalis is named after him
Pierre Gassendi (1592–1655) French priest, astronomer, and mathematician who published the first data on the transit of Mercury; first named the northern lights the Aurora Borealis
Mario Bettinus, SJ (1582–1657) philosopher, mathematician and astronomer; lunar crater Bettinus named after him
Johann Baptist Cysat, SJ (1587–1657) mathematician and astronomer, after whom the lunar crater Cysatus is named; published the first printed European book concerning Japan; one of the first to make use of the newly developed telescope; most important work was on comets
Angiolo Marchissi, OP (c. 1600-1659) one of the first aromatologists, created the scent for Catherine de Medici when she travelled to France and popularized it.
Michał Boym, SJ (c. 1612–1659) one of the first westerners to travel within the Chinese mainland, and the author of numerous works on Asian fauna, flora and geography.
Giovanni Battista Hodierna (1597–1660) Priest and astronomer who catalogued nebulous objects and developed an early microscope
Anton Maria Schyrleus of Rheita, OFM.Cap (1604–1660) astronomer and optician who built Kepler's telescope
André Tacquet, SJ (1612–1660) mathematician whose work laid the groundwork for the eventual discovery of calculus
Francesco Maria Grimaldi, SJ (1618–1663) discovered the diffraction of light (indeed coined the term "diffraction"), investigated the free fall of objects, and built and used instruments to measure geological features on the moon
Antoine de Laloubère, SJ (1600–1664) first mathematician to study the properties of the helix
Gaspar Schott, SJ (1608–1666) physicist, astronomer, and natural philosopher who is most widely known for his works on hydraulic and mechanical instruments
Godefroy Wendelin (1580–1667) Priest and astronomer who recognized that Kepler's third law applied to the satellites of Jupiter; the lunar crater Vendelinus is named in his honor
Gregoire de Saint-Vincent, SJ (1584–1667) mathematician who made important contributions to the study of the hyperbola
Théodore Moret, SJ (1602–1667) mathematician and author of the first mathematical dissertations ever defended in Prague; the lunar crater Moretus is named after him.
Alphonse Antonio de Sarasa, SJ (1618–1667) mathematician who contributed to the understanding of logarithms
Niccolò Zucchi, SJ (1586–1670) claimed to have tried to build a reflecting telescope in 1616 but abandoned the idea (maybe due to the poor quality of the mirror). May have been the first to see the belts on the planet Jupiter (1630). The crater Zucchius on the Moon is named in his honor.
Giovanni Battista Riccioli, SJ (1598–1671) astronomer who authored Almagestum novum, an influential encyclopedia of astronomy; The first person to measure the rate of acceleration of a freely falling body; created a selenograph with Father Grimaldi that now adorns the entrance at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C.
Albert Curtz, SJ (1600–1671) astronomer who expanded on the works of Tycho Brahe and contributed to early understanding of the moon; The crater Curtius on the Moon is named after him.
Ignace-Gaston Pardies, SJ (1636–1673) physicist known for his correspondence with Newton and Descartes
Francis Line, SJ (1595–1675) magnetic clock and sundial maker who disagreed with some of the findings of Newton and Boyle
Emmanuel Maignan, OM (1601–1676) Minim physicist and professor of medicine who published works on gnomonics and perspective
Jacques de Billy, SJ (1602–1679) produced a number of results in number theory which have been named after him; published several astronomical tables; The crater Billy on the Moon is named after him.
Athanasius Kircher, SJ (1602–1680) Called the father of Egyptology and "Master of a hundred arts"; wrote an encyclopedia of China; one of the first people to observe microbes through a microscope
Louis Moréri (1643–1680) priest and encyclopaedist
Juan Caramuel y Lobkowitz, O.Cist. (1606–1682) wrote on a variety of scientific subjects, including probability theory
Jean Picard (1620–1682) Priest and first person to measure the size of the Earth to a reasonable degree of accuracy; also developed what became the standard method for measuring the right ascension of a celestial object; The PICARD mission, an orbiting solar observatory, is named in his honor
Edme Mariotte (c. 1620–1684) Priest and physicist who recognized Boyle's Law and wrote about the nature of color. He discovered the eye’s blind spot
Daniello Bartoli, SJ (1608–1685) credited as probably having been the first to see the equatorial belts on the planet Jupiter
René François Walter de Sluse (1622–1685) Canon and mathematician with the conchoid(s) of de Sluze named after him
Pietro Mengoli (1626–1686) Priest and mathematician who first posed the famous Basel Problem
Bl. Nicolas Steno (1638–1686) convert, physician and bishop who is often called the father of geology and stratigraphy, and is known for Steno's principles
Francesco Lana de Terzi, SJ (c. 1631–1687) referred to as the Father of Aviation for his pioneering efforts; he also developed a blind writing alphabet prior to Braille.
Honoré Fabri, SJ (1607–1688) Jesuit mathematician and physicist
Ferdinand Verbiest, SJ (1623–1688) astronomer and mathematician; designed what some claim to be the first ever self-propelled vehicle – many claim this as the world's first automobile. He corrected the Chinese calendar then in use, and rebuilt the Beijing Ancient Observatory
Laurent Cassegrain (1629–1693) Priest who was the probable namesake of the Cassegrain telescope; The crater Cassegrain on the Moon is named after him
Ismaël Bullialdus (1605–1694) Priest, astronomer, and member of the Royal Society; the Bullialdus crater is named in his honor
Gabriel Mouton (1618–1694) abbé, mathematician, astronomer, and early proponent of the metric system

Carlos de Sigüenza y Góngora (1645–1700) Priest, polymath, mathematician, astronomer, and cartographer; drew the first map of all of New Spain
Paolo Boccone, O.Cist. (1633–1704) botanist who contributed to the fields of medicine and toxicology
Charles Plumier, OM (1646–1704) Minim friar who is considered one of the most important botanical explorers of his time
Valentin Stansel, SJ (1621–1705) astronomer who made important observations of comets
Jean-Baptiste du Hamel (1624–1706) French priest, natural philosopher, and secretary of the Academie Royale des Sciences
Georg Joseph Kamel, SJ (1661–1706) missionary and botanist who established the first pharmacy in the Philippines
Paolo Casati, SJ (1617–1707) mathematician who wrote on astronomy and vacuums; The crater Casatus on the Moon is named after him.
Jean Mabillon, OSB (1632–1707) considered the founder of palaeography and diplomatics
Jean Gallois (1632–1707) French scholar, abbé, and member of Academie des sciences
Franz Reinzer, SJ (1661–1708) wrote an in-depth meteorological, astrological, and political compendium covering topics such as comets, meteors, lightning, winds, fossils, metals, bodies of water, and subterranean treasures and secrets of the earth
Eusebio Kino, SJ (1645-1711) missionary, mathematician, astronomer and cartographer who drew maps based on his explorations first showing that California was not an island as then believed and who published an astronomical treatise in Mexico City of his observations of the Kirsch comet.
Nicolas Malebranche, CO (1638–1715) Oratorian philosopher who studied physics, optics, and the laws of motion and disseminated the ideas of Descartes and Leibniz
Bernard Lamy, CO (1640–1715) Oratorian philosopher and mathematician who wrote on the parallelogram of forces
Vincenzo Coronelli, OFM (1650–1718) cosmographer, cartographer, encyclopedist, and globe-maker
Pierre Varignon (1654–1722) Priest and mathematician whose principle contributions were to statics and mechanics; created a mechanical explanation of gravitation
Bartolomeu de Gusmão, SJ (1685–1724) known for his early work on lighter-than-air airship design
Joachim Bouvet, SJ (1656–1730) sinologist and cartographer who did his work in China
Louis Feuillée, OM (1660–1732) Minim explorer, astronomer, geographer, and botanist
Giovanni Girolamo Saccheri, SJ (1667–1733) mathematician and geometer, wrote the second work on non-Euclidean geometry
Tommaso Ceva, SJ (1648–1737) mathematician and professor who wrote treatises on geometry, gravity, and arithmetic
Andrew Gordon, OSB (1712–1751) physicist, and inventor who made the first electric motor
Joseph Galien, OP (1699 – c. 1762) professor who wrote on aeronautics, hailstorms, and airships
Nicolas Louis de Lacaille (1713-1762) French deacon and astronomer noted for cataloguing stars, nebulous objects, and constellations
Václav Prokop Diviš (1698–1765) constructed among other inventions, the first electrified musical instrument in history
Nicolò Arrighetti, SJ (1709–1767) wrote treatises on light, heat, and electricity.
José Torrubia, OFM (c. 1700–1768) linguist, scientist, collector of fossils and books, and writer on historical, political and religious subjects
Jean-Baptiste Chappe d'Auteroche (1722–1769) Priest and astronomer best known for his observations of the transits of Venus
Jean-Antoine Nollet (1700–1770) abbé and physicist who discovered the phenomenon of osmosis in natural membranes. Published works on electricity against Benjamin Franklin
Vincenzo Riccati, SJ (1707–1775) Italian Jesuit mathematician and physicist
Giuseppe Asclepi, SJ (1706–1776) astronomer and physician who served as director of the Collegio Romano observatory; The lunar crater Asclepi is named after him.
Laura Maria Caterina Bassi (1711-1778) physicist and academic, recognized as the first woman in the world to earn a university chair in a scientific field of studies; part of 25 scholars known as the Benedettini, who were gathered by Pope Benedict XIV; had 12 children, worked from home
Joseph Stepling, SJ (1716-1778) transposed Aristotelian logic into formulas, thus becoming an early precursor of modern logic
Francesco Cetti, SJ (1726–1778) zoologist and mathematician
Jacques de Vaucanson, OM (1709–1782) French Minim friar inventor and artist who was responsible for the creation of impressive and innovative automata and machines such as the first completely automated loom.
Christian Mayer, SJ (1719–1783) astronomer most noted for pioneering the study of binary stars
Paolo Frisi (1728–1784) Priest, mathematician, and astronomer who did significant work in hydraulics
Joseph Tiefenthaler, SJ (1710–1785) one of the earliest European geographers to write about India
Roger Joseph Boscovich, SJ (1711–1787) polymath known for his contributions to modern atomic theory and astronomy
François Jacquier, OFM (1711–1788) mathematician and physicist; at his death he was connected with nearly all the great scientific and literary societies of Europe
Louis Receveur, OFM (1757–1788) naturalist and astronomer; described as being as close as one could get to being an ecologist in the 18th century
Giacopo Belgrado, SJ (1704–1789) professor of mathematics and physics and court mathematician who did experimental work in physics
Placidus Fixlmillner, OSB (1721–1791) one of the first astronomers to compute the orbit of Uranus
Maximilian Hell, SJ (1720–1792) astronomer and director of the Vienna Observatory; the crater Hell on the Moon is named after him. . Observed the transit of Venus while in Lapland in 1769
Ignacije Szentmartony, SJ (1718–1793) cartographer, mathematician, and astronomer who became a member of the expedition that worked on the rearrangement of the frontiers among colonies in South America
Alexandre Guy Pingré (1711–1796) French priest astronomer and naval geographer; the crater Pingré on the Moon is named after him, as is the asteroid 12719 Pingré
Jan Krzysztof Kluk (1739–1796) Priest, naturalist agronomist, and entomologist who wrote a multi-volume work on Polish animal life
Giuseppe Toaldo (1719–1797) Priest and physicist who studied atmospheric electricity and did important work with lightning rods; the asteroid 23685 Toaldo is named for him.
Maria Gaetana Agnesi (1718-1799) Italian mathematician, sometimes called “mathematician of God,” worked for the ill and homeless after her father’s death. Honored by Pope Benedict XIV
Lazzaro Spallanzani (1729–1799) Priest, biologist, and physiologist who made important contributions to the experimental study of bodily functions, animal reproduction, and essentially discovered echolocation; his research of biogenesis paved the way for the investigations of Louis Pasteur
José Antonio de Alzate y Ramírez (1737–1799) Priest, scientist, historian, cartographer, and meteorologist who wrote more than thirty treatises on a variety of scientific subjects

Antonio José Cavanilles (1745–1804) Priest and leading Spanish taxonomic botanist of the 18th century
Franz Xaver von Wulfen, SJ (1728-1805) botanist, mineralogist, and alpinist
José Celestino Mutis (1732–1808) Canon, botanist, and mathematician who led the Royal Spanish Botanical Expedition of the New World. He found medicinal qualities to new American species of plants
Marcin Odlanicki Poczobutt, SJ (1728–1810) astronomer and mathematician; granted the title of the King's Astronomer; the crater Poczobutt on the Moon is named after him.
Franz de Paula Triesnecker, SJ (1745–1817) astronomer and director of the Vienna Observatory; published a number of treatises on astronomy and geography; the crater Triesnecker on the Moon is named after him.
Maximus von Imhof, OSA (1758–1817) German physicist and director of the Munich Academy of Sciences. Directed the placement of lightning rods in Bavaria for 22 years
René Just Haüy (1743–1822) Priest known as the father of crystallography [his brother, Valentin, founded the first school for the blind]
Giovanni Battista Venturi (1746–1822) Priest who discovered the Venturi effect about fluid under pressure
Maria Angela Ardinghelli (1730-1825) Translated into Italian and annotated works on plant and animal physiology, even correcting the French translator
Giuseppe Piazzi, CR (1746–1826) Theatine mathematician and astronomer who discovered Ceres, today known as the largest member of the asteroid belt; also did important work cataloguing stars
Nicholas Halma, (1755–1828) French abbé, mathematician, and translator of Greek scientific texts
Juan Ignacio Molina, SJ (1740–1829) naturalist, historian, botanist, ornithologist and geographer
Barnaba Oriani, CRSB (1752–1832) Barnabite geodesist, astronomer and scientist whose greatest achievement was his detailed research of the planet Uranus, and is also known for Oriani's theorem
Pierre André Latreille (1762–1833) Priest and entomologist whose works describing insects assigned many of the insect taxa still in use today
Franz Paula von Schrank (1747–1835) Priest, botanist, entomologist, and prolific writer
Lorenzo Fazzini (1787-1837) Priest and mathematician who prepared the way for non-Euclidean geometry
John MacEnery (1797-1841) Priest, archaeologist who investigated the Palaeolithic remains at Kents Cavern discovering that man and mammoths existed at the same time
Franz von Paula Hladnik (1773–1844) Priest and botanist who discovered several new kinds of plants, and certain genera have been named after him
Giuseppe Zamboni (1776–1846) Priest and physicist who invented the Zamboni pile, an early electric battery similar to the Voltaic pile
Nicholas Callan (1799–1846) Priest & Irish scientist best known for his work on the induction coil
Bernard Bolzano (1781–1848) Priest, mathematician, and logician whose other interests included metaphysics, ideas, sensation, and truth.
Francesco de Vico, SJ (1805–1848) astronomer who discovered or co-discovered a number of comets; also made observations of Saturn and the gaps in its rings; the lunar crater De Vico and the asteroid 20103 de Vico are named after him
Giovanni Inghirami, SChP (1779–1851) Italian Piarist astronomer who has a valley on the moon named after him as well as a crater
Lorenz Hengler (1806–1858) Priest often credited as the inventor of the horizontal pendulum used in many seismograph machines
Louis Rendu (1789–1859) Bishop who wrote an important book on the mechanisms of glacial motion; the Rendu Glacier, Alaska, U.S. and Mount Rendu, Antarctica are named for him
Giambattista Pianciani, SJ (1784–1862) mathematician and physicist
Eugenio Barsanti, SChP (1821–1864) Piarist who is the possible inventor of the internal combustion engine
Marian Wolfgang Koller, OSB (1792–1866) professor who wrote on astronomy, physics, and meteorology
Giovanni Antonelli (1818–1872) Priest and director of the Ximenian Observatory of Florence who also collaborated on the design of a prototype of the internal combustion engine
Francesco Zantedeschi (1797–1873) Priest who was among the first to recognize the marked absorption by the atmosphere of red, yellow, and green light; published papers on the production of electric currents in closed circuits by the approach and withdrawal of a magnet, thereby anticipating Michael Faraday's classical experiments of 1831
Louis-Ovide Brunet (1826–1876) Priest who was one of the founding fathers of Canadian botany
Angelo Secchi, SJ (1818–1878) pioneer in astronomical spectroscopy, and one of the first scientists to state authoritatively that the sun is a star; Father of astrophysics
François-Napoléon-Marie Moigno, SJ (1804–1884) physicist and mathematician
Gregor Mendel, OSA (1822–1884) Augustinian monk and father of genetics
Alessandro Serpieri (1823–1885) Priest, astronomer, and seismologist who studied shooting stars, and was the first to introduce the concept of the seismic radiant
Bl. Francesco Faà di Bruno (c. 1825–1888) Priest and mathematician
James Curley, SJ (1796–1889) first director of Georgetown Observatory and determined the latitude and longitude of Washington D.C.
Jean Baptiste François Pitra, OSB (1812–1889) Cardinal, archaeologist and theologian who was noteworthy for his great archaeological discoveries
Julian Tenison Woods, CP (1832–1889) Passionist geologist and mineralogist
Stephen Joseph Perry, SJ (1833–1889) astronomer and Fellow of the Royal Society; made frequent observations of Jupiter's satellites, of stellar occultations, of comets, of meteorites, of sunspots, and faculae
Benedict Sestini, SJ (1816–1890) astronomer, mathematician and architect; studied sunspots and eclipses; wrote textbooks on a variety of mathematical subjects
Joseph Bayma, SJ (1816–1892) worked in stereochemistry and mathematics
Léon Abel Provancher (1820–1892) Priest and naturalist devoted to the study and description of the fauna and flora of Canada; his pioneer work won for him the appellation of the "Father of Natural History in Canada"
Benito Viñes, SJ (1837–1893) meteorologist who made the first weather model to predict the trajectory of a hurricane.
Francesco Denza, CRSB (1834–1894) Barnabite meteorologist, astronomer, and director of Vatican Observatory
Ányos Jedlik, OSB (1800–1895) engineer, physicist, and inventor; considered by Hungarians and Slovaks to be the unsung father of the dynamo and electric motor
Francesco Castracane degli Antelminelli (1817–1899) Priest and botanist who was one of the first to introduce microphotography into the study of biology
Jean Baptiste Carnoy (1836–1899) Priest who has been called the founder of the science of cytology

Armand David, CM (1826–1900) zoologist, and botanist who did important work in these fields in China
Pierre Marie Heude, SJ (1836–1902) missionary and zoologist who studied the natural history of Eastern Asia
Johann Dzierzon (1811–1906) Priest and pioneering apiarist who discovered the phenomenon of parthenogenesis among bees, and designed the first successful movable-frame beehive; has been described as the "father of modern apiculture"
Manuel Magri, SJ (1851–1907) ethnographer, archaeologist and writer; one of Malta's pioneers in archaeology
Eugene Lafont, SJ (1837–1908) physicist, astronomer, and founder of the first Scientific Society in India
Vincenzo Nardini, OP (1830-1913) started an observatory at the College of St. Thomas in Rome, then founded a Dominican Province, an observatory and Institute of Physics in Peru
Giuseppe Mercalli (1850–1914) Priest, volcanologist, and director of the Vesuvius Observatory who is best remembered today for his Mercalli scale for measuring earthquakes which is still in use
George Mary Searle, CSP (1839–1918) Paulist astronomer and professor who discovered six galaxies
John Zahm, CSC (1851–1921) South American explorer
Désiré-Félicien-François-Joseph Mercier (1851-1926) Belgian Cardinal who wrote a book on contemporary psychology
Gyula Fényi, SJ (1845–1927) astronomer and director of the Haynald Observatory; noted for his observations of the sun; The crater Fényi on the Moon is named after him
Martin Stanislaus Brennan (1845-1927) Priest and astronomer who wrote several books about science
Landell de Moura (1861–1928) Priest and inventor who was the first to accomplish the transmission of the human voice by a wireless machine
Victor-Alphonse Huard (1853–1929) Priest, naturalist, educator, writer, and promoter of the natural sciences
Edward Pigot, SJ (1858–1929) seismologist and astronomer
Franz Xaver Kugler, SJ (1862–1929) chemist, mathematician, and Assyriologist who is most noted for his studies of cuneiform tablets and Babylonian astronomy
Jozef Murgaš (1864–1929) Priest who contributed to wireless telegraphy and help develop mobile communications and wireless transmission of information and human voice
Johann Georg Hagen, SJ (1847–1930) director of the Georgetown and Vatican Observatories; The crater Hagen on the Moon is named after him
José María Algué (1856–1930) Priest and meteorologist who invented the barocyclonometer
James Cullen, SJ (1867–1933) mathematician who published what is now known as Cullen numbers in number theory
Julius Nieuwland, CSC (1878–1936) known for his contributions to acetylene research and its use as the basis for one type of synthetic rubber, which eventually led to the invention of neoprene
George Schoener (1864–1941) Priest who became known in the United States as the "Padre of the Roses" for his experiments in rose breeding
Joseph Maréchal, SJ (1878–1944) philosopher and psychologist
Marie-Victorin Kirouac, FSC (1885–1944) Christian Brother and botanist best known as the father of the Botanical Garden of Montréal
Theodor Wulf, SJ (1868–1946) physicist, one of the first experimenters to detect excess atmospheric radiation
Hugo Obermaier (1877–1946) Priest, prehistorian, and anthropologist who is known for his work on the diffusion of mankind in Europe during the Ice Age, as well as his work with north Spanish cave art
Johan Stein, SJ (1871–1951) astronomer and director of the Vatican Observatory, which he modernized and relocated to Castel Gandolfo; the crater Stein on the far side of the Moon is named after him
Wilhelm Schmidt (1868–1954) Austrian priest, linguist, anthropologist, and ethnologist.
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, SJ (1881–1955) paleontologist and geologist who took part in the discovery of Peking Man
Paul McNally, SJ (1890–1955) astronomer and director of Georgetown Observatory; the crater McNally on the Moon is named after him.
James B. Macelwane, SJ (1883–1956) "The best-known Jesuit seismologist" and "one of the most honored practitioners of the science of all time"; wrote the first textbook on seismology in America.
Agostino Gemelli, OFM (1878–1959) physician and psychologist; founded Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan
Henri Breuil (1877–1961) Priest, archaeologist, anthropologist, ethnologist and geologist.
Georges Lemaître (1894–1966) Belgian priest and father of the Big Bang Theory
Carl Cori (1896-1984) and Gerty Radnitz Cori (1896-1957) discovered how glycogen is broken down in animals through the Cori Cycle. Received a Nobel Prize for this
James Weisheipl (1923-1984) wrote important works on natural philosophy and philosophers
Mary Kenneth Keller, BVM (ca. 1913-1985), along with Irving Tang at Washington University, became the first people in the United States to earn a doctorate in computer science
Otto Kippes (1905–1994) Priest acknowledged for his work in asteroid orbit calculations; the main belt asteroid 1780 Kippes was named in his honor
Józef Maria Bocheński, OP (1902-1995) Polish logician and philosopher
Karl Kehrle, OSB (1898-1996) World authority on bee breeding, developer of the Buckfast bee.
Mary Celine Fasenmyer, RSM (1906-1996) mathematician who worked on what came to be called Sister Celine's polynomials.
James Robert McConnell (1915-1999) Irish Theoretical Physicist, Pontifical Academician, Monsignor
Mariano Artigas (1938–2006) Spanish physicist, philosopher and theologian who received the Templeton Foundation Prize in 1995
Alberto Dou, SJ (1915-2009) president of the Spanish Royal Society of Mathematics, member of the Royal Academy of Natural, Physical, and Exact Sciences, and one of the foremost mathematicians of his country.
Stanley Jaki, OSB (1924–2009) prolific writer who wrote on the relationship between science and theology
Roberto Busa (1913-2011) wrote a lemmatization of the complete works of St. Thomas Aquinas (Index Thomisticus) which was later digitalized by IBM.
Rosalie Bertell, GNSH (1929-2012) American scientist, author, environmental activist, epidemiologist, and sister of the Grey Nuns of the Sacred Heart, best known for her work in the field of ionizing radiation.
Lorenzo Albacete (1941–2014) Priest physicist and theologian
Paula González, S.C. (1932- ) earned her doctorate in biology at the Catholic University in Washington, DC, and was a biology professor at the College of Mount St. Joseph in Cincinnati, lOhio, for 21 years. Since 1972, Sister Paula has been freelancing as an environmentalist
George Coyne, SJ (1933– ) astronomer and former director of the Vatican Observatory
Michał Heller (1936– ) Polish priest, Templeton Prize winner, and prolific writer on numerous scientific topics
Noella Marcellino, O.S.B. (1951- ) American Benedictine nun who has earned a doctorate in microbiology from the University of Connecticut. Studying fungi in France on a Fulbright Scholarship, she concentrated on the positive effects of decay and putrefaction as well as the odors and flavors of cheese.
Guy Consolmagno, SJ (1952– ) astronomer and planetary scientist
José Gabriel Funes, SJ (1963– ) astronomer and current director of the Vatican Observatory
Tadeusz Pacholczyk (1965- ) Priest, neuroscientist and writer
Andrew Pinsent (1966- ) Priest whose current research includes the application of insights from autism and social cognition to 'second-person' accounts of moral perception and character formation. His previous scientific research contributed to the DELPHI experiment at CERN
Nicanor Austriaco, OP - studies biology of aging and programmed cell death, biology and ethics of stem cell research, health care ethics and bioethics in the Catholic tradition

Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."

Comments