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Becoming Parents
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Becoming parents is a tremendous blessing but also a tremendous challenge. When both spouses work full-time, they must negotiate child-care, job responsibilities, household chores and try to figure out when to spend time alone together. The marital relationship becomes a low priority as sheer exhaustion sometimes takes over. But the truth is, the best thing for children is a strong and healthy marriage. “We're so accustomed to making our children the center of our world, but experts say that your marriage needs just as much nurturing.” (Parent’s magazine, 2009)
One of the greatest gifts that Catholic parents can give to their children and each other is to make Sunday a day for family and faith – a respite from the hectic pace of daily life just as God intended. Though attending Mass together as a family may sometimes seem impossible, nothing is more wonderful than to be surrounded by your parish family – to experience the love and support of your own faith community as you pray together, hear the Word of God together, and share in the Eucharistic meal. Sometimes it’s the Eucharist alone, the real presence of Jesus in our lives that enables us to get through the week when life begins to overwhelm us.
Catholic parents have the special privilege of passing along the Catholic faith to their children. Parents are the first and most important teachers of the faith, and young children are completely open to learning about Jesus. Catholic parish communities support all efforts of parents to nurture faith in their children.
Read more about Catholic parenting. -
Pope Francis on Catholic parenting:
"It's beautiful when mothers teach their children to send a kiss to Jesus or to the Virgin Mary. At that very moment, the kid's heart transforms into a site of prayer. It's a gift from the Holy Spirit.”
“Ask yourselves, 'Do you have a Gospel at home? Do we read it together as a family? Do we meditate while praying the rosary?' A Gospel that is read within the family is like good bread that nurtures the hearts of everyone.”
"There are children who have not learned how to make the sign of the Cross. Mothers and fathers, teach your children this. It's a good assignment for parents to have.” -
