Raising children in the Catholic faith today can be challenging, but some believe it does not require complex solutions. Father Rob Johnson offers five practical suggestions for parents aiming to nurture their children's faith into adulthood.

“Never miss Mass — even on vacation. This one’s straightforward: when Sunday comes, unless you are sick, you go to Mass. No exceptions. If you’re on vacation, find the closest parish and go, even if it takes sacrifice (go to masstimes.org when you’re on vacation to easily find a Mass and time near you). Let your kids see that the Eucharist comes first. Wherever you are and whatever the schedule, Sunday belongs to Jesus. That kind of steady witness builds deep roots,” Johnson says.

He also encourages families to prioritize confession by scheduling it regularly. “Kids learn what matters by watching what we are committed to. So, schedule confession. Mark the date of your parish’s Lenten penance service and go together as a family. Make it an annual thing. If your kids grow up seeing it as normal, even expected, they’ll come back to it when they need it most.”

Johnson stresses honoring the Sabbath as another essential practice: “This may be the most countercultural thing we can do today. In my opinion, the neglect of the Sabbath is one of the great sins of our time. Sunday should be different. Go to Mass, don’t overschedule, rest, eat as a family, and take time to be together. If your kids see you protecting the Sabbath, they’ll know how to protect sacred time in their own lives later.”

The priest points out that family meals provide important opportunities for discussion and growth: “St. Cardinal John Henry Newman talked about the power of a ‘lively exchange of minds,’ and your dinner table should be that place. Let your kids know they have a seat there — literally and intellectually. Eat together when you can, even if it’s frozen pizza at 9 p.m. after a long night of practices and games. Some of my best memories growing up are from those late dinners. Bring age-appropriate depth to the conversation. Ask your kids what they’re thinking about. Let them wrestle with big ideas. Don’t rush to give answers. Just be present and curious.”

Lastly, he recommends making pilgrimages part of family life: “Every family should go on pilgrimage at some point. If you have the means and can swing a trip to Rome or the Holy Land, that’s fantastic. But there are powerful places close to home too: visit the grave of Venerable Father Augustine Tolton in Quincy, the shrine of St. Rose Philippine Duchesne in St. Charles, Mo., a museum and the tomb of Venerable Fulton Sheen in Peoria, the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Wisconsin, the Cathedral and Corpus Christi Priory/St. Francis of Assisi Church in Springfield, the Basilica of St. Louis in St. Louis, The St. Mother Theodore Guerin Shrine in Terra Haute, and Our Lady of Champion Shrine in Wisconsin (the only approved apparition of Mary in the U.S.). These trips don’t have to be fancy. They just need to point your family toward something holy.”

Johnson concludes that these practices help children recognize faith as genuine because they see it lived daily: “None of this is magic. But if your kids grow up seeing that the faith matters in the calendar, the priorities, the table, and time, they’ll know it’s real because they saw it lived; and they stand a much better chance of growing into faithful Catholic adults who will then pass it on to their children.”

Father Rob Johnson serves as pastor at Mother of Perpetual Help Parish in Maryville and holds additional roles including director of campus ministry at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.