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Conversations with the Sparhawk community

Conversations with the Sparhawk community about Catholic life, culture, community, and education. surgite.substack.com

  1. Ben Houde - The Moral Imagination

    Mar 15

    Ben Houde - The Moral Imagination

    Ben Houde - The Moral Imagination Sparhawk Academy Parent Formation Series March 12th, 2026 Ben Houde is the Director of Lower School and 5th grade homeroom teacher at Sparhawk Academy. In this talk, Mr. Houde explores a guiding principle of Sparhawk’s education: building and strengthening a healthy moral imagination. He highlights how classic literature and fairy tales inspire virtue by providing compelling models of courage, sacrifice, and heroism. Beyond the positive models offered in literature, boys need regular invitations to give of themselves and to take part in a grander mission, and they thrive when they undertake real-life adventures that test and strengthen their courage. This talk aims to provide parents with both a deeper understanding of the moral imagination as well as practical insights for nurturing its healthy formation in their sons. Recommended reading: Defending Boyhood by Anthony Esolen Raising Boys by Design by Gregory Jantz and Michael Gurian The Mysteries of Life in Children’s Literature by Mitchell Kalpakgian Tending the Heart of Virtue by Vigen Guroian Sparhawk Academy is an independent day school for boys in Millis, Massachusetts that supports parents in the education and formation of virtuous, cultured, and competent men. Sparhawk Academy:  https://sparhawkacademy.org Videos: “A day in the Life of a Sparhawk Boy” https://youtu.be/Svf9oXWhGFA “I Want to Grow Up to be a Competent Man” https://vimeo.com/1138649321?fl=pl&fe=sh This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit surgite.substack.com

    58 min
  2. Fr. John Grieco, Chaplain of Sparhawk Academy

    Feb 1

    Fr. John Grieco, Chaplain of Sparhawk Academy

    In this conversation, host Dan Taylor speaks with Father John Grieco, a priest of Opus Dei and the chaplain to Sparhawk Academy and MontroseSchool.  Father John is also the creator of the excellent weekly meditation podcast “Come Away By Yourselves” which provides spiritual reflectionson sacred scripture, church doctrine, and teachings of the saints. During the discussion Father Johnrecounts meeting Opus Dei while at the University of Dallas and his subsequent vocation to serve as a numerary and later a priest in the Work.  He also shares his thoughts on many other topics, including the hope he has in the future of the Church, the importance of the mass, and some benefits andrisks of artificial intelligence. Listen to “Come Away By Yourselves: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/come-away-by-yourselves/id1503216953 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7rDYEntuVOzz0HrqJ1dKU5?si=49ac1cf9f2d4441f Sparhawk Academy is an independent day school for boys grades 3 - 9 in Millis, MA https://sparhawkacademy.org Video: A day in the Life of a Sparhawk Boy: https://youtu.be/Svf9oXWhGFA Montrose School is an independent middle and high school for girls in Medfield, MA https://www.montroseschool.org Opus Dei is a personal prelature of the Catholic Church: https://opusdei.org/en-us/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit surgite.substack.com

    59 min
  3. Joe Billmeier, Director of the Opus Dei Chestnut Hill Center

    11/19/2025

    Joe Billmeier, Director of the Opus Dei Chestnut Hill Center

    In this conversation, host Dan Taylor speaks with Joe Billmeier, the director of the Opus Dei Chestnut Hill Center in Newton, Massachusetts. Joe is the author of an upcoming book, The Tenth Hour - Ten Transforming Encounters with Jesus in the Gospels by Scepter Publishers. Joe is also on the board of directors for Sparhawk Academy and is involved in the entrepreneurship program for the older grades. During the discussion Joe recounts his meeting Opus Dei wile a freshman at Notre Dame, reviews his various positions at different centers throughout the country, and describes the different levels of membership in the organization. Joe also reveals the genesis of his new book and describes how he finished writing it despite a recent cancer diagnosis and undergoing treatment. Pre-order The Tenth Hour: The Tenth Hour pre-order: https://scepterpublishers.org/products/the-tenth-hour-ten-transforming-encounters-with-jesus-in-the-gospels?_pos=1&_sid=58f07e6a5&_ss=r Sparhawk Academy is an independent day school for boys grades 3 - 9 in Millis, MA https://sparhawkacademy.org Video: A day in the Life of a Sparhawk Boy: https://youtu.be/Svf9oXWhGFA Opus Dei: https://opusdei.org/en-us/ Chestnut Hill Center: https://chestnuthillcenter.org Scepter Publishing: https://scepterpublishers.org This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit surgite.substack.com

    49 min

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Conversations with the Sparhawk community about Catholic life, culture, community, and education. surgite.substack.com

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