Principal's Message

Greetings from the Castle! My role as interim principal has been intense yet rewarding this summer. One interesting change is my workspace, which has transitioned from Room 136 to the central office. The change has taught me two things: windows can limit and change our perspectives, and secondly, possessions and attachments often hold us back or even cause a feeling of privilege.

First, windows serve as a great metaphor. Having spent the last decade or more in Room 136, my view outside of Hoban was limited to semi-trucks, the band field and the parade of teacher parking spots and vehicles. Buses pulled in at the end of the day. Teachers left after school to get to their home responsibilities. At times, my view limited my perspective. In other words, I didn't know what I was missing. My new window faces the chapel, the student lot, admissions, the peace pole and a beautiful oak tree that is perhaps the tallest tree on campus. Instead of seeing people depart Hoban, I see them enter. Prospective students and families enter the admission door for visits and placement tests, taking their first steps to become Hoban Knights. JAM volunteers walk in the building for Mass. Christine Hahn guides a tour with a prospective family. Job applicants ring the doorbell with hopes of a new start and career as Holy Cross educators. Transfer students tread through the dome for their interviews. Athletic teams start their summer workouts. There’s a vitality and new energy force that comes from a change of windows...a change of perspective. We don’t literally have to move to see out a new window, though. God often blesses us with these new windows without us even knowing. My hope is that we embrace the new windows God wants us to view life through.

Secondly, this new position caused me to vacate Room 136. Those who may know me understand that it was a hoarder’s paradise and a sanctuary for me in many ways. Memories, signs, commemorative basketballs, inspirational slogans, pictures of former students, student essay projects, presentational aids and gifts from bygone eras... they defined me and I saw that space as mine. It wasn’t mine. It was Hoban’s. We are all just renting space without an option to buy in this life. If there’s one thing my family has learned this year, it’s that our soul and presence far outweigh our attachments and possessions. In fact, we are only limited by our possessions and unhealthy attachments. These patterns, if not kept in check, can keep us from growth...can cause us to live in the past...and can even give us a sense of privilege. My hope is that all of us can let go of our attachments, especially the ones that impede progress and truth. Our identity is so much more authentic when we travel lightly, empty ourselves of all that is not necessary and let go of possessions, positions and privilege. A renewed focus on relationships, servant leadership and lifelong learning can go far in the process of letting go.

The Hoban family keeps providing inspiration and hope. The Hoban family keeps giving me new perspectives and new windows to see life from its purest form. The Hoban family teaches all of us to relinquish our attachments and exchange them for authentic relationships.

I can’t wait to get back to business at One Holy Cross Blvd. Teachers are recharging their batteries and preparing classrooms and materials for next year so they can deliver the best lessons possible. Students, you give us the hope needed to fuel our zeal, and we cannot wait to greet you again. Parents, your belief in us creates the trust necessary for this school to thrive. Alumni, without your appreciation of the Hoban experience, our school will not harness its full potential.

I’ll be looking out a new window for a while, and I can’t wait to build a relationship with you at Hoban!

T.K. Griffith ’89 Interim Principal