Hanging on the Faith
Dear Friends,
Often as a priest and now as a bishop, I meet people who ask
me about how to “hand on” our Catholic faith to their children
and families. Many adults realize that we cannot assume that
our culture and everyday life will support the importance of
believing in God or practicing as a Catholic. In fact, it seems that
the culture has changed so much in the past twenty years that the priorities of many people
have changed, and that faith and religious practice are not as important to many people as
before.
What helps us hand our Catholic faith on to the next generation of our families? Sharing with
our family the importance of our life with Jesus Christ is important if we want the spark to catch
in the hearts of our children and grandchildren. Plus, we have to model the importance of living
as Catholics and share things about who is Jesus Christ and why he is important in our lives if we
hope that others will come to know and believe in him. For instance, because my father shared
with me his interest and support for Chicago sports teams by watching many games together on
television or talking about sports at the breakfast table, I knew which were his favorite teams
and they became my favorite teams. On a much deeper level, it was vital that my parents both
spoke with me about the importance of Sunday Mass, prayer and works of charity as well as
showing me that importance by taking time for Mass together, prayer and acts of charity. I did
not have to guess at what my parents believed because they talked to me openly about their beliefs and showed me what was important by how they spent their time during the week. When
our family filled a pew in the parish church and each of us was kneeling next to one another
praying on a Sunday morning, it made an impression upon me.
Young people are impressionable. As parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, we have the opportunity to make a meaningful impression upon the young people in our families. If we are
vague about our faith or our values, or we keep private those experiences of God that formed
us, we miss the opportunity to make a positive lasting impression on our families. As we move
toward Thanksgiving, share with your family why you are grateful to God. In Advent, share with
them why the presence of Jesus is so important to you. Steadily sharing your faith, praying with
our youth and showing the importance of serving the Lord can be great ways to plant the seeds
of faith in the hearts and souls of the young people in our lives.
Please be assured of my prayers for you and your families this Thanksgiving.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Most Reverend Michael McGovern
Bishop of Belleville
