Principal's Message

Holy Family Community,

I keep hearing a phrase from my peers and in the media: "Kids these days." I sense your eyes rolling because young people know what that phrase means. It means they are about to get a lecture on their inadequacies, and they are about to hear a litany of complaints. Each generation thinks they are the last, best hope of civilization and that society will decay when a new group takes the stage. Every society has some version of this.

If it is the case that every generation has had these same concerns, and yet the world keeps turning, then is the complaint baseless? It must be no more than a case of each generation looking at the next and yelling, "You kids, get off my lawn." On the other hand. How could something so universal not be grounded in some empirical reality? It cannot be the case that each generation turns irrationally grumpy and pessimistic when they hit 35. This inclination has existed for thousands of years across cultures and must be grounded in something rational. I offer up my amateur take.

We talk this way because we are concerned. We know the challenges that life has for you. We have all been through the turmoil of maturing, and we know the decisions are hard. The questions I faced as a young man were much bigger than the ones I face today, and I wasn't nearly as capable of wrestling with them. When we question your readiness, it is our way of letting you know that it will be hard and you need to be prepared.

We question you because our time steering society is winding down, and yours is rapidly approaching. We worry because we know how important it is that you get it right. Everything each generation has accomplished: the defeat of Marxism, the battle for civil rights and the desegregation of schools, the fight to gain ground against diseases like Polio, Aids, and Malaria. Every one of these victories has come at a terrible cost, and there were many moments when it seemed that good would not win out over evil.

When I talk with my peers about our culture, I hear a great deal of pessimism about the future, but I do not share it. I reject any notion of inevitable civilizational decline. I face the future with faith, optimism, and hope. And the reason I have this hope is because I have come to know young people like you. "Kids these days" who began their high school career with a bizarre and terrifying set of events that have no precedent. "Kids these days" who were asked at an early age to make decisions about their health and that of their loved ones. "Kids these days" who learned way too early the people who make decisions that affect everyone's lives often make those decisions with poor judgment or bad incentives. You have already been asked to make adult choices, and you have already been asked to make adult sacrifices. You have already shown yourself worthy of leadership and responsibility. I am confident in the future because I have come to know you.

I am confident in the future but confident with one caveat. You must hold steady to your path. We need leaders guided by faith who understand all persons' dignity and the value of each life. Leaders guided by sacred virtues and not the trends of the day. Leaders who know the measure of their actions will be judged by their place in eternity and not their position in next week's polls. You are on that path today, but the next four years will be a trial. We live in an age where Christ's message is not just refused but broadly mocked. Nowhere is this more true than on the University campus.

Our paths began together four years ago, and now those roads diverge. I hope you will return to visit us. I am grateful for all you have done at this great school. You have made your mark on this place and our hearts; we will always be thankful to the Class of 2023!

Pax Christi, Matt Hauptly Principal Holy Family High School