HOUSTON (Oct. 21) — The University of St. Thomas in Houston hosted an international, interdisciplinary conference, “A Sun is Born into the World: St. Francis and the Smallness of God,” on October 15–18, 2026, on the UST campus. The conference brought together scholars from around the world to explore the enduring and timely relevance of St. Francis of Assisi. See all the livestreamed lectures from the conference.
UST President Dr. Sinda Vanderpool was enthusiastic to welcome so many distinguished speakers to campus.
“This conference highlighted the University’s unique place as a great Catholic university in such an international city,” she said. “University of St. Thomas is a logical place to expand a conversation that has been taking place for 800 years now, the story of all that the life of St. Francis has inspired—from beautiful sacred art to ecumenical dialogue and what subsidiarity and economic justice entails for our time.”
The conference unpacked the legacy of St. Francis of Assisi across theology, philosophy, history, literature, economics, science, art, and culture. Three internationally renowned scholars headlined the event. The opening keynote was given by Monsignor Timothy Verdon, canon of Florence Cathedral and former director of the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo, Florence. A former consultor of the Vatican Commission for Sacred Art and Religious Heritage, Monsignor Verdon is the steward of masterpieces by Donatello, Ghiberti, and Michelangelo, and he led the re-installation that made it one of the finest sculpture museums in the world. A leading international authority on Christian art, Monsignor Verdon spoke on “Francis, Image of Christ.”
Also, Maria Pia Alberzoni, professor of Medieval History at the Catholic University of Milan and a leading scholar of Franciscan women, opened one of the two sacred art exhibitions, “St. Francis and the Sultan: The Encounter on the Other Shore.” This exhibit will be open to the public through Nov. 13 in Doherty Library on campus. The second sacred art exhibition was a showcase of contemporary sacred and spiritually inspired art made possible through the generosity of the Scanlan Foundation. This exhibit will be open to the public through Oct. 30 in Doherty Library as well.
The keynote on the second night, Oct. 16, was given by the Rev. Augustine Thompson, O.P., president of the Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies at the University of Toronto. Fr. Thompson is one of the foremost historians of St. Francis and early Franciscan history and spoke on “After Sabatier: St. Francis of Assisi from Historical Positivism to Critical Realism.”
Dr. Francesca Guerri, associate professor of history and committee chair for the conference and St. Francis celebrations at UST, shared that the caliber of the speakers made it possible to explore the legacy of St. Francis in depth.
“St. Francis is among the most beloved figures in the history of Christianity, but far less known is his profound impact on Italian and Western culture,” she said. “His Canticle of the Creatures opened a path toward the vernacular that Dante would later follow in the Divine Comedy. The Franciscan movement shaped the art of Giotto, and Franciscan thought renewed medieval theology, reaching one of its summits in St. Bonaventure.”
Other speakers of note include Jeffrey Bloechl of Boston College speaking on philosophy and theology, and Kevin L. Hughes of Villanova University. In history, Maria Pia Alberzoni and the Rev. Gianluca Zuccaro, OFM, of the Catholic University of Milan joined Rev. Michael Cusato, OFM. The Rev. Ryan Thornton, OFM, of the Franciscan Institute spoke on economics, and Sr. Damien Marie Savino, F.S.E., of the University of Notre Dame, spoke on science and creation.
Dr. Guerri said a driving narrative of the conference was that St. Francis stands as an eminent example of a truth and authentic holiness.
“Together, in a dialogue among friends, these speakers showed the very vocation of a Catholic university: to be a place where the many branches of human knowledge come together in friendship, to share in the beauty of the created world and to give glory to God,” she said.
Pope Leo XIV named January 2026 to January 2027 a “Special Year of St. Francis” to commemorate the 800th anniversary of the Saint’s death. As a time for “authentic spiritual renewal,” the Franciscan Jubilee Year was inaugurated on January 10, 2026, with a decree issued by the Apostolic Penitentiary of the Holy See.
The University of St. Thomas began its celebration of “St. Francis: 800 Years of Adventure” at the beginning of the fall 2026-27 semester. The organizing group, the St. Francis committee, is a dedicated group of faculty and staff who seeks to renew the desire for a deeper understanding of St. Francis’ legacy, not only through historical or theological study, but through creative, scientific, artistic, philosophical, and communal explorations.
Dr. Guerri emphasizes that this moment in the Catholic Church is a wonderful time of reflection for Catholic faithful and universities alike.
“The 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi invites our university community to pause before one of the most luminous figures in Christian history and to recover, with fresh eyes, the meaning of faith as an encounter that renews life,” she said.
See the full list of conference details and all the livestreamed lectures from the conference, including the ongoing art exhibitions, as well as other events hosted by UST during this semester at stthom.edu/stfrancis.
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