Dear Saints,

Earlier this month our school hosted its annual - and much beloved - Father/Daughter dance. Beautiful young ladies from age three to eighteen stepped out in colorful finery on the arms of proud dads, grandpas, and other beloved father figures. Fred and Ginger never saw such a night!

Our Father/Daughter dance is more than just a charming tradition; it’s a formative encounter that reinforces the centrality of family and the beauty of rightly-ordered love. For the girls, it offers a lived experience of being accepted, cherished, and deeply honored by their fathers. That in turn shapes their understanding of their own worth and the kind of reverence they’re right to demand in other relationships. For fathers, it’s an intentional act of paternal presence: an opportunity to lead with both strength and tenderness, and maybe even to feel a little awkward or silly, just to please their dates.

For most of our duos the daughters leave the dance thinking about how beautiful they felt and how much fun they had, while the dads leave thinking about how tired their feet are and how much fun they had. The reality is that and so much more: it is a testament to the fact that a family is nothing short of a divine masterpiece, and a devoted father’s love for his baby girl is a glimpse into God’s love for his beloved world.

Christ’s Peace,

Father Daniel

δοῦλος Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ