Franciscan University of Steubenville

06/01/2026

Our first Baron Day starts JUNE 11th! 👏 Will we see you there?

05/31/2026

A blast hosting the .creators Conference at Franciscan University!

Creators who are serious about their faith, their craft, and their mission gathered together to learn how to spread the gospel in the digital age.

Thank you to everyone who joined us! 🙏

05/30/2026

This weekend, Catholic creatives from across the country gathered right here at Franciscan University for the .creators Conference! 🤩

With time for talks, great conversations, interviews, and learning about how to serve the mission of the Church through media, it was a beautiful weekend. 🙏

Swipe through to relive some of our favorite moments! 👉

05/30/2026

On Monday, Dr. Fernanda Psihas, assistant professor of physics and computer science at Franciscan University of Steubenville, joined renowned Vatican analyst Dr. Robert Moynihan and Vatican correspondent Delia Gallagher for an in-depth discussion of Pope Leo XIV’s new encyclical on AI, human dignity, and the future of civilization.

Dr. Psihas reflected on the Holy Father’s call “neither to reject nor to embrace the culture and the current moment, but to transform it,” describing the encyclical as a challenge not simply to decide whether to build with technology, but “what to build and how to build it.”

Throughout the conversation, she emphasized the urgent need for Catholics, educators, developers, and universities to engage AI with wisdom, discernment, and a deep understanding of the human person grounded in Catholic teaching.

“At Franciscan University,” Dr. Psihas said, “we’ve spent a long time discussing how to approach AI and the education that we’re providing,” highlighting the importance of forming students not only technically, but philosophically and spiritually as well.

As Pope Leo’s encyclical sparks global conversations about ethics, technology, and the destiny of the human person, Franciscan University remains committed to forming leaders capable of bringing faith and reason into one of the defining debates of our age.

https://ow.ly/jKmI50Z4V2I

05/29/2026

In a new commentary for the National Catholic Register, Dr. Stephen Hildebrand, provost of Franciscan University, reflects on Pope Leo XIV's first encyclical and the urgent need to form men and women who can use powerful technologies without becoming enslaved by them.
As AI reshapes education, work, communication, and even how we understand ourselves, Dr. Hildebrand argues that Catholic education has a vital role to play: forming students who love truth, exercise wisdom, and recognize the inherent dignity of every human person.
The future of AI won't be determined by technology alone. It will be determined by the people building it.
Read more:

COMMENTARY: In his first encyclical, Pope Leo XIV makes striking use of the metaphor of building to explain the position in which both the world and the Church now find themselves.

05/27/2026

As artificial intelligence reshapes the future, what does it mean to remain profoundly human?

In a powerful new Daily Wire opinion piece, Dr. Fernanda Psihas, professor of computer science at Franciscan University of Steubenville, reflects on Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas and the urgent responsibility of Catholic universities to form the “builders” of the AI age with wisdom, virtue, and faith.

“The classroom might be one of the few arenas we will have left to train the builders of the AI era — not with replaceable skills, but with the skills of wisdom and discernment.”

Read the full op-ed:

I often ask my students, “If you can learn this from AI, why are you here in my classroom?” Every time, they arrive at the same conclusion: They come to learn from a human. They come for the part of a college education that turns information into formation and expertise into opportunities to gro...

05/27/2026

“Am I called to marriage or religious life?”

It’s a question many young Catholics wrestle with—and often overthink.

On The Everyday Saint Podcast, Jessica Palm, a sophomore discerning religious life at Franciscan University of Steubenville, offers a radically freeing insight:

Your vocation isn’t something you figure out.
It’s something you receive.

Instead of chasing answers, Jessica explains that true discernment begins with something much simpler—and much harder:

Letting God love you.

Through a life of daily Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, and authentic Catholic formation, Jessica has discovered that the present moment—not the future—is where God’s will is revealed.

In this deeply Catholic conversation, she shares:

✝️ Why overthinking your vocation can actually block God’s will
✝️ How to live fully in the present moment
✝️ What it really means to imitate the Blessed Virgin Mary
✝️ Why surrender and gratitude are the foundation of discernment
✝️ How Eucharistic prayer transforms everything

This is the kind of formation students encounter every day at Franciscan University—not just preparing for a career, but learning to follow God’s call with clarity and trust.

🎧Listen to How to Stop Overthinking Your Vocation and Follow God on The Everyday Saint Podcast.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3hGjWwYlcA5ClyQBYlti4M?si=9xccE_IcTz2XwOMiy8zt9A&nd=1&dlsi=723893c58a6943e1

05/26/2026

While many colleges across America are struggling with declining enrollment and an uncertain future, Franciscan University of Steubenville continues to grow by fully embracing its Catholic identity.

In a new feature from The Pillar, Franciscan University President Father Dave Pivonka, TOR, and Vice President for Enrollment Management Tim Reardon discuss why faithful Catholic education is resonating with students and families more than ever.

For the 11th straight year, Franciscan welcomed a larger incoming class with 1,227 new students and more than 4,250 total students enrolled across undergraduate and graduate programs. The article highlights how Franciscan’s commitment to academic excellence, authentic Catholic identity, meaningful community, and formation of the whole person continues to attract students from across the country and around the world.

As Tim Reardon told The Pillar: “You want to be who you are and do it well.”
Read the full article below:
https://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/never-going-out-of-style-how-catholic

05/25/2026

Remembering those who gave everything for our freedom 🇺🇸 May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

05/22/2026

Franciscan University wouldn't be the same without ✨ YOU! ✨

We already miss having our students on campus and can't wait for the 2026-2027 school year!