Father Daniel Griffith, a priest of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, was ordained in 2002. The youngest of nine children, Griffith grew up in Northeastern Wisconsin and is an avid golfer and sports fan who enjoys music, travel, and cooking. Fr. Griffith joined the University of St. Thomas School of Law faculty in 2011 and currently serves as the Wenger Family Faculty Fellow of Law. At St. Thomas Law, Griffith teaches courses in Catholic Thought, Law, and Policy, Jurisprudence, and Restorative Justice, Law, and Healing. Fr. Griffith is the founding director of the Initiative on Restorative Justice and Healing (IRJH) which launched in fall of 2021. Rooted in the Catholic intellectual tradition, IRJH seeks to respond to harm that occurs from leadership and institutional failures, racial injustice, and polarization in a way that promotes accountability and healing.

In addition to his work at St. Thomas School of Law, Griffith has served in a variety of assignments in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis since ordination, including as archdiocesan delegate for safe environment in 2013 and 2014. Fr. Griffith was named pastor and rector of The Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis effective July 1, 2022. Fr. Griffith, preaches, teaches, and facilitates restorative practices in response to harm of the three focus areas of IRJH. His work in restorative justice has taken him beyond the Twin Cities where he regularly speaks and facilitates programming.

Law Courses Taught:

Catholic Thought, Law and Policy
Jurisprudence
Restorative Justice, Law and Healing

Links:

Follow Fr. Griffith's blog Faith, Justice and Flourishing.

Healing the Harm - the Effectiveness of Restorative Justice in Response to Clergy Abuse Daniel Griffith, University of St. Thomas Law Journal, Fall 2020, Vol. 17:1

Harm, Healing and Culture Change: A Case Study of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis Daniel Griffith, University of St. Thomas Law Journal, 2022, Vol. 17:4