Sophomore Learns from Top Vatican Astrophysicist 

For the past few months, in the rare free time he had left after school, football, and rugby, Johnathon Geruso ’18 contemplated the intersection of science and religion in a course taught by the Vatican's top astrophysicist.

The class was made possible by the Jesuit Virtual Learning Academy, which provides online for-credit courses, workshops, and lectures for Jesuit high school students in addition to professional development and collaboration opportunities for teachers. But this was no ordinary class. Brother Guy Consolmagno, S.J., Director of the Vatican Observatory and author of numerous books on science and faith, took the helm of instruction, introducing students to a subject they don't often contemplate in Astronomy: An Introduction.

Before becoming a Jesuit brother, Consolmagno earned a degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and completed post-doctorate work at MIT and the Harvard College Observatory. He is the author of six astronomy books, and his work has been featured in more than 200 scientific publications.

Geruso was wowed by the Jesuit brother's knowledge, which he encountered as a result of a personal challenge. The sophomore from Hoboken noted that his path to enrolling in Consolmagno’s class was an interesting one—and a prime example of Xavier’s traditional sense of discipline.

“I have ADD, and because of that, it makes languages hard for me,” Geruso said. “I went through the process to get a foreign language waiver, and when I submitted it to Mr. Lovallo, he said that if I wanted to drop a course I would need to make it up with another course.”

So Geruso turned to JVLA. Astronomy piqued his interest, drawing him to reflect on aspects of the universe he hadn’t yet considered.

“The class dragged me outside more,” he said. “It gave me a greater appreciation for the stars.” Geruso’s parents own a second home in upstate New York, and they spent a weekend there during his astronomy class so he could better observe the moon, the stars, and constellations.

“We don’t often see these things in the city,” he said. “You start to wonder what else is out there.”