STEUBENVILLE, OHIO—Franciscan University of Steubenville and the Veritas Amoris Project will welcome theologians, philosophers, clergy, physicians, and Catholic educators from around the world to Gaming, Austria, for the sixth annual Truth of Love Conference.

Titled “Toward a Theology of Healing,” the conference will be held September 4-6, 2026, at Kartause Maria Thronus lesu, the historic home of Franciscan University’s Austrian study abroad program.

Drawing from the healing narratives of Scripture, the conference will consider wounds that touch the whole human person, including loneliness, mortality, physical suffering, and abuse and other sins. Speakers will explore how healing is found through encounters with others and ultimately with Jesus Christ, who draws near through his word, the communion of believers, and especially the sacraments of the Church.

“In the Gospel, Our Lord Jesus described himself as a physician and us, whom he saves, as the sick, whom he has come to heal (Matt. 9:12). And St. Ignatius of Antioch presented the Eucharist as the ‘medicine of immortality,’” said Dr. Stephen Hildebrand, provost and professor of theology at Franciscan University. “These are more than metaphors, for our ultimate salvation consists in the healing, the making whole, of the human person, body and soul, and the human community. The Truth of Love Conference promises to be a rich exploration of this theme at the heart of the Christian message: Even in the midst of suffering and death, God will restore us and make us whole.”

Dr. Katharina Westerhorstmann, professor of theology and medical ethics at Franciscan University’s Austrian Program, organized the conference after seeing how deeply the subject resonated with her students.

“I have been teaching Theology of Healing classes for some semesters now, and I have seen the huge impact it has had on our students,” Westerhorstmann said. “The three parts of the conference cover our human brokenness as woundedness, the healing impact of encounter—with others and with Christ in the sacraments—and the paradox that we may experience healing in being wounded by the love of the Lord, which invites us to begin to love as well.”

Hildebrand will open the conference on Friday, September 4. The first session, “Human Brokenness,” will feature Westerhorstmann on human loneliness and Dr. Stephan Herzberg on mortality. Herzberg holds the chair of history of philosophy and practical philosophy at the Sankt Georgen Graduate School of Philosophy and Theology in Frankfurt, Germany.

Dr. Gabriel Weiten, theological advisor to Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer of Regensburg, Germany, will address sexual abuse and perspectives for healing. Franciscan University associate professor of philosophy Dr. Maria Wolter will also present on human brokenness. Vespers, dinner, and a Holy Hour in the Kartause chapel will conclude the day.

On Saturday morning, Bishop Alois Schwarz of St. Pölten will celebrate Mass and speak on the Sacrament of Reconciliation as a sacrament of healing. Dr. Andrzej Kuciński, a research associate in dogmatic theology and ecumenical dialogue at the Cologne University of Catholic Theology, will examine the Christian response to suffering and death through the call to be present to the sick.

Dr. Christoph von Ritter, a German internist, gastroenterologist, and professor at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, will address the physician’s task of healing from a Christian perspective. Meghan O’Malley, a Franciscan University alumna and residence director for the University’s Austrian Program, will reflect on her experiences of practical charity in Calcutta.

The Saturday afternoon session, “Wounded by Love,” will consider the wounds that can accompany self-giving love. Father Dominikus Kraschl, OFM, professor of philosophy at the Benedict XVI Philosophical-Theological University in Heiligenkreuz, will speak on St. Francis of Assisi and his wounds as sources of healing.

Dr. Stephan Kampowski, professor of philosophical anthropology at the Pontifical John Paul II Theological Institute in Rome, will examine the “suffering” of love in St. Thomas Aquinas. Franciscan University associate professor of theology Dr. Hannah Barrett will discuss being wounded by love in the writings of St. John of the Cross.

Vespers and a reception in the Kartause’s Baroque Library will conclude the formal conference. An extended program on Sunday will include Mass in English, an optional guided tour of the Kartause, and an informal dialogue among speakers and invited guests.

Conference presentations will be delivered in English or German with simultaneous translations available. Attendees who wish to use the translation service should bring a smartphone and headsets or earbuds.

The Kartause Maria Thronus Iesu—“Monastery of Our Lady, Throne of Jesus”—was founded in 1332 by Duke Albrecht II of Austria. Carthusian monks lived, prayed, and worked there for more than four centuries until Emperor Joseph II suppressed the monastery in 1782.

Austrian architect Walter Hildebrand began restoring the complex in the 1980s. Franciscan University established its Austrian study abroad program at the Kartause in 1991. Today, the restored monastery in the foothills of the Austrian Alps includes classrooms, student residences, courtyards, a hotel, a Baroque library, and a chapel adorned with restored frescoes.

Early-bird registration is €50 through August 15. The registration fee will increase to €70 after that date, and registration closes September 1.

For the full schedule, accommodations, and registration information, visit https://franciscan.edu/veritas-amoris-austria-2026.