The Founding: A Philosophy of Family Culture

Presented by Father James Searby, Parochial Vicar. July 7, 14, 21, 28 at 7 pm in the Basilica. In 2026, America marks 250 years since a group of remarkable men stopped and asked a question most societies never bother to ask: What kind of world do we actually want to build? Before they wrote laws, they argued about philosophy. The debated justice, human dignity and what kind of culture could sustain a free people across generations. That deliberate act of founding is what made America more than an accident of history. It made it an idea. This anniversary is an invitation to do the same thing, not at the level of the nation, but at the level of the home. Because before the republic can be transformed, the family has to be. Most conversions about family life start with tactics. This one starts with vision. Drawing on the great thinkers of Western civilization, the four-part series asks the question the Founders asked, only closer to home: What are we trying to build and why? The family is the first nation. It has its own language, customs, laws and moral imagination. It is the first place a human being learns what is true, what is beautiful and what is worth dying for. And that teaches us what is worth living for. This course is for anyone who takes family seriously, whether they have one, are preparing for one or dreaming of one.