Cornerstone Speaker Series

Presents

The Beauty of Married Love


Saturday, April 11, 2026
8:30 am - 2 pm
Princeton Theological Seminary, Mackay Hall
43 College Road West, Princeton, NJ

A beautiful vision of love is presented in the writings of two great philosophers of the human person: Dietrich von Hildebrand and Karol Wojtyła (Saint Pope John Paul II). Join us for a half‑day conference, where four captivating scholars will illuminate this vision of love and its profound implications for marriage, as well as inspire us to live it more fully—and to teach it more effectively—within our families.

The Beauty of Married Love conference, sponsored by The Nassau Foundation, is free and open to the public. A light breakfast and lunch will be provided. For questions, email Jerry Yandoli at: [email protected].

Register Now!

Featured Speakers

Dr. John F. Crosby is Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at Franciscan University. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Salzburg and was a friend and student of Dietrich von Hildebrand. Dr. Crosby has published widely on John Henry Newman, Max Scheler, Karol Wojtyła, and Hildebrand, and is the author of two books in philosophical anthropology, The Selfhood of the Human Person and Personalist Papers. Dr. Crosby is the co-translator of Hildebrand’s The Nature of Love and co-founder of the Hildebrand Project.

Dr. Maria Fedoryka is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at Ave Maria University. She received her Ph.D. from the International Academy of Philosophy (Lichtenstein). In addition to her publications on Aristotle, Aquinas, and Hildebrand, Dr. Fedoryka is the author of The Special Gift of Women for God, the Family, and the World (2010), and a pair of articles entitled, “The Personalist Basis of the Church’s Teaching on Human Sexuality and the Natural Law in the Work of John Paul II. Parts I & II” (2024).

Fr. Zachary Swantek is the Chaplain and Director of the Aquinas Institute for Catholic Life at Princeton University. He attended seminary at the Pontifical North American College in Rome and received his Doctorate in Sacred Theology at the Pontifical University of Saint John Paul II in Kraków, Poland. Fr. Swantek’s 2024 doctoral dissertation is entitled, Marriage as a Healing Sacrament: Marriage Preparation in Light of St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body and 1960 Retreat for Engaged Couples, which included a first-ever English translation of the text of the retreat then-Bishop Karol Wojtyła gave in 1960 for engaged couples in Kraków.

Mr. John H. Crosby is the President and Founder of the Hildebrand Project. He received his M.A. in Philosophy from Franciscan University of Steubenville. Mr. Crosby is the translator and editor of Hildebrand’s memoir, My Battle Against Hitler: Faith, Truth, and Defiance in the Shadow of the Third Reich (2014), the co-translator (with his father) of Hildebrand’s major philosophical work, The Nature of Love (2009 [1971]), and is the editor several other books by and about Hildebrand and his wife, Alice von Hildebrand. In addition to his popular and scholarly publications, he has spoken widely about Hildebrand’s writings on television and radio.

Conference Schedule

8:30AMArrival, Registration, and Breakfast (provided)
9:00AMWelcome & Introductions
9:10AMProf. John F. Crosby's talk on Hildebrand's vision of marriage, spousal love, and the virtues and vices of sexual intimacy
9:55AMBreak for Refreshments
10:10AMProf. Maria Fedoryka’s talk on Hildebrand’s insights into the special relationship between human sexuality and the supernatural virtue of purity.
11AMQ&A and Discussion with Prof. Crosby and Prof. Fedoryka
11:30AMBox Lunch (provided) & Social Time
12:10PMFr. Zachary Swantek presents on Karol Wojtyła’s vision of marriage as a unifying, sanctifying, and healing Sacrament, followed by discussion
1:15PMBreak
1:25PMQ&A with Speaker Panel
1:55PMFarewell

Free Will Offering

Please consider making a donation to our event sponsor, The Nassau Foundation. The Nassau Foundation's mission is to support educational and religious programs offered by Mercer House of Princeton, NJ that foster Christian formation, character development, and a deeper spiritual life. The Nassau Foundation, is an IRC 501(c)(3) public charity, EIN 13-3534894. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.