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Hometown:
I grew up in a Navy family, so no hometown
High School:
Central High School
Seat Pleasant, MD
College:
Bachelor of Arts in Biology
Goucher College, Towson MD
Contact Information:
aperrella@holyfamilyacademy.org
Current residence:
Goffstown NH
In her eleventh year at the Academy, Mrs. Anne Perrella teaches Earth Science; Life Science; Biology; and Physics. She is also the assistant director of the Drama Program for juniors and seniors. She holds a B.S. from Goucher College in Biology. As the instructor of Life Science and Biology, Mrs. Perrella is the undisputed record holder as the recipient of the most dead animal specimens delivered to the Academy in the entire history of our institution. She is also a devoted prayer warrior in the pro-life movement and assists with the Pro-Life Club at the Academy. She is the proud mother of Deacon Christopher Perrella who is scheduled to be ordained a priest this May.
How beautiful the natural world can be! From Genesis to Psalm 104 to Sirach (Sir 16:26-30; 43:1-33) to Daniel (Dn 3:29-68), the inspired authors of Scripture note the order, variety and beauty of creation, and react with wonder and praise for the Creator. For us, this beauty can be as accessible as a meadow at sunrise. It can also be a source of even deeper appreciation and wonder when the natural laws responsible for everything in that beautiful scenery are known.
Science, as a systematic way of coming to know the physical world, has tremendous power to improve the material circumstances of our daily lives. A scientist doing research on a particular enzyme system, for example, may come to know in detail the interlocking chain of cause-and-effect that regulates that enzyme’s expression at the proper place and time. This can have a two-fold result: first, that knowledge may be used to correct a disease caused by a misstep in the pathway. Second, the scientist may appreciate how intricate and interconnected the regulation pathway is, in and of itself, and marvel at how beautifully it all works in synchrony, and in this admiration, draw closer to God.
The truths learned by natural science have sometimes been portrayed as in conflict with the truths known by revelation. But natural science, by its nature, is restricted to questions that can be answered by its methods. Revelation, the truths imparted by God to us for our salvation, is not bound to the scientific method, because it deals with the metaphysical truth about our purpose, our origin and our ultimate destiny. Science must then step back in deference and let theology, grounded in the wisdom of the Church, to lead us to that destiny, our union with God beyond space and time.