Parenting is hard. We all know that.
And handing down the Faith is very hard.
And doing those things in 2026?? Well…it’s nothing short of heroic.
Parents today face a smorgasbord of obstacles to handing down their faith, the likes of which have never been encountered before.
I know, I know. Every generation has its fair share of difficulties. No doubt. I don’t want to be a woe-is-me-Millennial.
But.
Between an increasingly secular culture that has stripped itself of any Christian identity, belief and church attendance at or near historic lows (though there’s a noticeable uptick of late!), access to anything you can think of right at your fingertips, and picking up the baton from a generation that lapsed in transmitting the Faith (no offense, Baby Boomers), parents today have an uphill battle.
Therefore, here are four things to help you in that battle of passing the Catholic faith down to your kids:
1) Teach through your witness.
As Pope Saint Paul VI so famously said,
“Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses.”
His words have become a bit of a cliche in recent years, but cliches are generally cliches for a reason. You can’t hand down what you don’t have to hand down.
Your children will listen to you if they see an authentic witness and true joy.
In the section on the duties parents have for their children, the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that bearing witness in our education “requires an apprenticeship in self-denial, sound judgment, and self-mastery” (CCC 2223).
Translation: parents must be true disciples of Christ.
Many modern Christian thinkers argue that a better word for “disciple” in our current age and understanding is “apprentice” – one who deliberately studies under a teacher and embodies their way of life. The art of apprenticeship (read: discipleship) is imitation of your teacher.
The Church reminds us that raising children requires us to become true followers of Jesus–apprentices of Jesus–who genuinely embody His qualities and love.
2) Surround yourself with other witnesses.
Faithful apprentices can raise their children in the faith, but faithful apprentices sharing life in community with other faithful apprentices will raise their children in the faith.
I shouldn’t say that so definitively, because ultimately our children have free will and can do what they want, but they are much more likely to embrace the Faith growing up in a community that walks the walk.
When children see other families living as authentic witnesses, it proves to them that following Jesus isn’t just a “mom and dad thing.” It’s real. It’s attractive. And it’s normal.
If you don’t have friends who are striving to live out the faith, get involved with your parish. Sign up for a mom's and/or dad’s Bible study. Do what you need to do to get plugged in with other families who strive for the same goal.
3) Lean on the ultimate witnesses – the saints.
We are “surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,” as Saint Paul reminds us in Hebrews 12:1. We have heroes from all walks of life who have gone before us to prove that following Jesus as his apprentice is a beautiful way to live – the best way to live, in fact!
The saints inspire, encourage, and endow children with the desire to pursue holiness. They show them that our faith isn’t a “mom and dad thing,” nor a “thing I grew up around,” but the thing, the only way to truly live.
Share stories of the saints with your children. Point them to real people who lived real lives and experienced real transformation through Christ.
4) Take charge of your kids’ Catholic curriculum.
The Church teaches that “Parents have the first responsibility for the education of their children” (CCC 2223). You are the primary educator of your children – not their teachers or catechists.
Do you know what your kids are learning in religion classes? Do you talk about it and help them with lessons?
If not, make sure you're involved and active in it.
Ascension’s new K-8 multimedia curriculum, Pillars of Faith, is carefully designed to extend beyond the classroom and into the home, inviting students, educators, and families into a shared and lasting encounter with Jesus.
It's the only curriculum paired with first-of-its-kind Bibles and Catechisms adapted for young learners and those new to the Faith. These two sources of truth and beauty mirror their adult counterparts, so families can open the same sources together and create a shared language of faith at home.
Schools, parishes, and homeschool groups can sign up now if they are interested in a Spring 2026 preview of the K–2 curriculum and its companion Bible and Catechism for use in the 2026–2027 school year.