STEUBENVILLE, OHIO—Catholic scholars from across the U.S. will gather October 27-28 at Franciscan University of Steubenville for the 25th Anniversary National Conference of the Society of Catholic Social Scientists.

The conference will address a wide range of issues presented by scholars of the law, political science, history, economics, and other social sciences. There will be sessions on business ethics from a Catholic perspective, Laudato Si, marriage and family, human life issues, and the life and works of St. John Paul II.

For an international perspective, there will be sessions on “The Crisis of Human Trafficking,” “Faith Confronts Modernity in Africa,” and an evening talk by Archbishop Gabriel Charles Palmer-Buckle of Accra, Ghana, on “Africa, Wounded Healer for the World.”

On Friday afternoon, a special panel presentation will recognize the legacy of Father Michael Scanlan, TOR, the former president of Franciscan University of Steubenville who died in January 2017. Father Scanlan supported the founding of the SCSS and made many contributions to Catholic higher education and the Church’s evangelistic efforts.

In all, there will be 33 sessions featuring 66 presenters.

At the Friday evening banquet, Dr. F. Russell Hittinger will receive the Pope Pius XI Award for Contributions Toward the Building Up of a True Catholic Social Science. Hittinger is the Warren Chair of Catholic Studies and Research Professor of Law at the University of Tulsa. He is a member of the Pontifical Academy of Social Scientists and the author of over 100 articles and several books. He writes and lectures mainly on the intersection of philosophy, religion, and law, with an emphasis on the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas.

The conference celebrates the silver jubilee of the Society of Catholic Social Scientists, which was was founded in 1992 by Franciscan University political scientist Dr. Stephen Krason and sociologist Dr. Joseph Varacalli and is based at Franciscan University of Steubenville. The Society aims to bring together Catholic social scientists for professional fellowship and to examine political, social, and economic reality in light of empirical data, the Church’s social teaching, and the natural law.​

The conference registration fee, which includes all sessions, is $50 for non-SCSS members and $15 for full-time students. The banquet is $25 and the Saturday luncheon is $18. To register and for more information, go to The Society of Catholic Social Scientists.