10 things that make for a great Catholic dad

OSV News) — Being a Catholic dad is both a great privilege and a big responsibility. Along with their mothers, we’ve been entrusted to raise our kids to know and love God and to prepare them for lives as Catholic men and women. Odds are, we’re good at it, we enjoy it, and we all deserve a pat on the back for the work we do raising our children in the faith. In this list, you will undoubtedly see some things suggested that you’re already doing. But you may also see some that serve as reminders of how to be a better and more effective Catholic dad. As we celebrate Father’s Day, pick one or two of the following practices that will make a big difference for your family, and start doing them.

1. Keep holy the Lord’s Day — and all those other days (Ex 20:8)​

Fatherhood is the ultimate exercise in getting priorities straight. In too many households, mom is the “keeper of the faith.” She’s often the one who herds the family into the car on Sunday morning for Mass. But this cannot be good enough for us. Our kids are watching, and they will do what we do. They’re watching if we’re ambivalent about getting to Mass. They’re watching if we’re checking the time during the homily, calculating whether or not we’ll make it home before kickoff. But the good news is, they’re also watching when we do things right! My dad can’t carry a tune in a bucket, but he sings in full voice every Sunday; our kids notice when we have our priorities straight — when we sing, pray and actively participate with our faith communities.

2. Teach your children faith (Jn 20:29)​

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