Pope St. John Paul II outlined the four pillars of formation for seminarians back in 1992 with his apostolic exhortation Pastores dabo vobis. For years, Fr. Carter Griffin has used this framework to walk with seminarians through a program of human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral formation at St. John Paul II Seminary in Washington, DC.
With his recent book, Forming Families, Forming Saints, Fr. Griffin brings that rich framework into the context of parenting. In this episode, he provides parents with an overview of the four pillars of formation, and offers encouragement and practical wisdom about what it means for the family to be a “domestic church.”
Chapters:
5:43 Family: the domestic church
8:38 Similarities to seminary formation
10:45 Not just self-optimization
15:03 The four pillars of formation
18:30 Sincerity: the truth is never a problem
25:50 Parental expectations
30:29 A childlike relationship with God
33:48 What faith is
37:41 Introducing our children to prayer
43:42 Struggles with prayer
46:41 An apostolic approach for families
48:34 Comfortable with being different
52:52 Awareness of vocations: 11 and 11th
56:31 An outlook of hope
Links:
Forming Families, Forming Saints by Fr. Carter Griffin
Optimal Work Program by Dr. Kevin Majeres
Featured opportunities:
Parents Conference at The Heights School (April 12, 2025)
Teaching Essentials Workshop at The Heights School (June 16-20, 2025)
Also on the Forum:
Fostering Vocations in a Digital Age featuring Fr. Carter Griffin
Magnanimity and the Great-Souled Man featuring Fr. Carter Griffin