Keynote Speaker

Because of Wonder: Our (Underrated) Premise and Task by Reverend Matthew J. Kuna 

To wonder about what extends beyond one’s immediate grasp does not belong merely to the philosopher who searches or the child who develops, plays, and discovers. Authentic wonder invites each of us to discover new interests, ask searching and good questions, and begin to pierce the depths of what we do not know—whether as researchers, practitioners, students, or simple inquirers. Together, we will unpack the meaning and value of this essential (though often underrated) intellectual virtue and chart a path for how to better cultivate it.

Reverend Matthew J. Kuna is a priest of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Allentown and a proud graduate of Kutztown University. He received a Bachelor of Science in Education from Kutztown, concentrating in Spanish and English as a Second Language (2016). During his undergraduate studies, he was a member of the University Honors Program and participated in various undergraduate research initiatives and conferences. After KU, he began studies in the priestly formation program at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia, where he received a Master of Divinity (2021) and a Master of Arts in Systematic Theology (2022). In 2021, he was selected as part of the inaugural cohort of the Church Communications Ecology Program at the University of Notre Dame’s McGrath Institute for Church Life. This research opportunity allowed him to study digital culture and ecclesial communications, and to present his findings at the university. On June 4, 2022, Father Kuna was ordained to the Priesthood at the Cathedral of Saint Catharine of Siena in Allentown. Currently, he serves as Parochial Vicar of Saint Catharine of Siena Parish in Reading and as Chaplain of Berks Catholic High School.