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Check out this 2003 article in Touchstone titled “The Truth About Men & Church.” It is about the role of fathers in the transmission of faith. Here is an excerpt:
“In short, if a father does not go to church, no matter how faithful his wife’s devotions, only one child in 50 will become a regular worshipper. If a father does go regularly, regardless of the practice of the mother, between two-thirds and three-quarters of their children will become churchgoers (regular and irregular). If a father goes but irregularly to church, regardless of his wife’s devotion, between a half and two-thirds of their offspring will find themselves coming to church regularly or occasionally.
A non-practicing mother with a regular father will see a minimum of two-thirds of her children ending up at church. In contrast, a non-practicing father with a regular mother will see two-thirds of his children never darken the church door. If his wife is similarly negligent that figure rises to 80 percent!”
“….You cannot feminize the church and keep the men, and you cannot keep the children if you do not keep the men.”
I think our example as men doing what is right while facing the “realities” of the world is the most powerful weapon we have in safeguarding the faith of our children. As a church, the battle is clear - to ensure our future, we must engage fathers.
Btw, if your a Catholic dad, consider joining Catholic Dads.
