Editor’s Note: Matthew Chicoine interviewed Thomas Salerno, via phone call on February 7th, 2024. Some of the questions have been rearranged and edited to provide the best reader experience without losing any integrity of the answers given.
What drew you to write about Blessed Nicolas Steno?
I’ve known about Nicolas Steno for a while. In college, I took a lot of geology classes and came across him in my textbooks. The textbooks rarely mentioned he was a priest. He is not well known even in Catholic circles. He’s not as familiar to people as Gregor Mendel. But Nicolas has been a hero of mine and I wanted to write about him.
Because he is still “just” a blessed he doesn’t get as much “air-time” as a fully canonized saint.
If you could sum up Nicholas Steno’s life in a couple sentences for my readers?
His life represents a relentless pursuit of truth. He came into the Catholic Church from a Lutheran family. No matter what subject he was studying, he was never afraid of where that journey towards truth would lead him.
How did you balance making complex geological concepts accessible to young readers while maintaining scientific accuracy?
That’s a great question. I tried to keep the book as jargon-free as possible without “dumbing” it down. I thought about it as if I was a 10 year old again. How would I process these concepts at that age?
Your book connects scientific discovery with religious devotion. Could you share a particular moment in Steno’s life that you found most compelling in demonstrating this harmony between faith and reason?
I think it would probably be during his conversion story. Steno initially tried to reason his way to the faith by studying the Church Fathers. On All Souls Day, he had a very powerful experience when he perceived God personally telling him to join the Catholic Church. It was through an ordinary experience: he was about to make a wrong turn on the street and a passerby told him to go the other way. In his heart, Steno was wavering on “which way to go” (that is, whether to stay Lutheran or become Catholic) and he took those words as coming directly from God.
As someone writing for children about both science and faith, how do you approach explaining the relationship between understanding God’s creation through scientific inquiry while maintaining a sense of wonder and reverence?
Another great question! I really try to communicate in my writing that scientific inquiry is a way for God to help us learn about His creation. It’s a way to give praise back to God and to give thanks for creating the beautiful, diverse, and complex world He has made.
The title mentions “Tongue-stones” – could you tell us about the significance of these fossils in Steno’s work and how they became a gateway to his broader discoveries?
“Tongue-stones” is a name that people from centuries ago in Europe gave to fossils of sharks’ teeth. Steno was originally an animal anatomist. So when he dissected a shark, he noticed how their teeth were identical to tongue-stones; they were essentially petrified shark’s teeth. This allowed him to marshal evidence that fossils were actually what they were evident to be: remains of organisms from long ago.
During your research, what surprised you most about Blessed Nicolas Steno’s journey from scientist to Catholic bishop?
Two things surprised me. Firstly, that he was still able to keep practicing science while performing his duties as a bishop. And the other thing that surprised me was how much trouble he got himself into in both the Protestant and Catholic areas. He was a reformer at heart so he didn’t have a whole lot of support from his congregations. At one point he was receiving death threats simply by opposing corruption in his diocese.
Your book includes field-guide sketches and a glossary. How did you decide which visual elements would best help young readers connect with both the scientific and spiritual aspects of the story?
To be honest, I left that in the hands of my design team at Word on Fire. One thing I have learned in this experience is how much of a team effort it is putting together a children’s book.
As a Catholic writer addressing scientific topics, what advice would you give to parents and educators who want to nurture both scientific curiosity and religious faith in children?
I think that the best advice I can give is to not be afraid to learn about these things with your children. If your child shows an interest in science or nature, nurture that interest, but also find out why they are interested and show celebrate that passion. Ask questions and be engaged with your children’s interests.
I dedicated the book to my mom because she allowed me to be interested in my study of paleontology and fossils. She took me to museums and we collected various things from outside like rocks and minerals. She let me chart my own path of learning.
Any last words of advice for my readers about how to grow in your Catholic faith?
Two things recently have deepened my faith: Spiritual reading and a dedicated daily prayer routine. The Church provides a wealth of different types of prayer, but if you can establish that daily prayer time with God it will be a game-changer.
Learn more about Thomas and his book by visiting: his Word on Fire interview.
About Thomas:
Thomas Salerno is a museum educator, author, freelance essayist, and podcaster from Long Island, New York. Thomas has a degree in anthropology from Stony Brook University and is the author of the debut children’s nonfiction book, The Riddle of the Tongue-Stones: How Blessed Nicolas Steno Uncovered the Hidden History of the Earth.