On April 13, The Heights welcomed eighty-five fathers to campus for its second annual Fatherhood Conference. Building on the success of last spring’s Fatherhood Conference, which focused on the power and importance of paternal presence, the theme for this year’s conference was the virtue of magnanimity.
Featuring a blend of lectures and breakout discussions, this event also welcomed a long-time friend of the school, Fr. Carter Griffin, Rector of St. John Paul II Seminary in Washington. Following Mass and breakfast, Fr. Griffin opened the day with a lecture titled “Magnanimity and Fatherhood in the Twenty-First Century.” In the talk, Fr. Griffin encouraged fathers to see life as a grand adventure story—a fairytale even.
Headmaster Alvaro de Vicente followed Fr. Griffin’s talk with a lecture titled “Dangerously Good: Forming Great Souls,” in which he offered specific guidance on how to put the ideas of the first lecture into action. Lunch followed Mr. de Vicente’s talk, and Tom Royals followed lunch, discussing the role fathers play in helping their sons discern a vocation. As the father of a priest, a navy pilot, and professionals, Mr. Royals was equal parts witty and wise.
The conference concluded with breakout discussions led by veteran Heights fathers, as well as a happy hour in which participants could continue living that “conspiracy for the good” of their children, for which the school provides a ready forum.
Check out Fr. Carter Griffin’s talk here.