WHAT LINKS A NUN
from Connecticut, an
FDA ban on cheese
barrels, and the nature of vocation?
If your answer is ‘nothing’, let me
tell you the true story of Mother
Noella Marcellino.
Mother Noella is a Benedictine nun
at the Abbey of Regina Laudis. The
motto of the Benedictine order is
Ora et Labora – pray and work.
For Benedictines, working with
spotlight 21
Helen Billam offers a
tasty example of
science and faith
working hand in hand
for the wellbeing of
our world
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one’s hands is to participate in
Creation, and their chosen career
is determined by their passion
and vocation.
This is how Mother Noella came
to cheese-making. With the
encouragement of her order, she
completed a doctorate in a field
that could help her make bettertasting
cheese: microbiology.
Through her studies, Mother
Noella was able to genetically
isolate a remarkable number of
strains of geotrichum candidum,
a microorganism that contains
enzymes to break down protein
and fat and help cheese
become… well, cheesier. Her
research confirms that traditional
cheesemaking
techniques have
selected for a diversity of
microorganisms that create the
range of textures and flavours we
enjoy. Together with fellow
microbiologists and cheesemakers,
she managed to stop the FDA
from banning the practice of
ageing cheese in wooden barrels.
For Mother Noella, cheese is
special, in that it’s made through
the interaction of enzymes with
milk. As Mother Noella explains:
‘an enzyme moves in, brings two
compounds together, and then
moves away’, making it an example
of selflessness in Creation.
So, there you have it. Now, why
have I told you this story?
It’s an example of a fresh
perspective of how science and
faith work together, and it’s one
element of a research project run
by my colleagues at Equipping
Christian Leadership in an Age of
Science. We want to overturn the
outdated idea that science and
Christianity must be in conflict,
and to do it, we’d like your help.
We’re producing Stories of Science
and Faith, like the one above, and
making them freely available for
churches, study groups, and parish
magazines to re-use and adapt.
We want people to use them to
start conversations, rethink
preconceptions, and affirm science
as a gift from God. Our latest
series contains six narratives which
connect to the season of Advent.
We’d love to hear about how you
used them and if you found
them helpful.