The world places many demands on twenty-first century parents and caregivers. There is constant pressure to balance and manage busy schedules while not conceding the importance of quality family time. There are new stressors that plague families, such as increased mental health challenges, exposure to inappropriate content on social media, and destructive ideologies that can cloud the minds of children and make it difficult for parents to steer them in the right direction. As children grow older (and as more are added to the family), it becomes increasingly challenging to find time for oneself, for one’s spouse, and for one’s friends. Many parents operate in constant survival mode, not having the opportunity to slow down and to reflect on one’s day, never mind having the time to pray.

 

Picture an overflowing sock drawer (you’ve undoubtedly got at least one in your home). There are so many pairs of socks stuffed inside that the drawer won’t close on its own. We shove them down, fish out the ones that have fallen behind, creatively attempt to rearrange the drawer, but no matter what we do we just can’t get it to close. Life today is like this sock drawer. With so many commitments and expectations that the world places on parents and that parents place on themselves, it becomes impossible to make everything happen and to make everyone happy. And then throw in being asked to pass on the Catholic faith to your kids, which you may or may not feel equipped or excited to do, on top of everything else going on, and it feels like the drawer of your life is exploding. You are not alone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here at the Catholic Parenting Initiative, we know that for many parents and caregivers, passing on the Catholic faith to children can feel complicated, confusing, and challenging. But it doesn’t have to be. You don’t need to have a degree in Theology or experience in ministry to share the joy of the Gospel with your child. You just need an open heart, an open mind, and the desire to journey with them.

 

The Catholic Parenting Initiative was created to help unburden parents, not by adding things to their plate, but by walking with them and giving them the tools and the relationships to succeed. Our ministry aims to remove the obstacles that stand between you and growing in your faith, which will in turn, will remove obstacles that stand the way of passing on the Catholic faith on to your child. We offer:
 

• Resources - on parenting, prayer, liturgical living, mental health, sexuality, marital support, becoming intentional disciples, and other topics that are essential to Catholic parenting with the goal of equipping parents and caregivers to pass on the faith to their children
   

• Enrichment – workshops, speakers, and trainings for parents to grow in their faith, to answer salient questions about parenting through the eyes of the Catholic faith, and to provide support for challenges that parents and caregivers are facing in the twenty-first century
   

• Encounter – opportunities to form community, make friends, strengthen your sense of belonging to your parish, and grow in your personal relationship with Christ
   

• Formation - in relational ministry and evangelization for members of the community who want to learn how to share their faith with others and create small faith-based communities