On this Sunday, dedicated to honoring fathers, the Church has a powerful opportunity—not only to offer thanks for the men who give life, guidance, and protection to their families—but to renew our understanding of the irreplaceable role fathers play in passing on the Catholic Faith.
The Catholic Church has long understood the family as a “domestic church,” a term rooted in the early Church and echoed at the Second Vatican Council (Lumen Gentium, 11). In this domestic church, the father traditionally served as a kind of household priest—leading prayers, teaching the Faith, and modeling virtue. It was once common for fathers to be the visible spiritual leaders of their homes, handing on the Church like a treasured heirloom to their children. But in many parts of the Western world, this model of Catholic fatherhood has grown dim.
I remember attending my daughter’s First Confession at a parish we previously belonged to. Of the roughly two dozen children receiving the sacrament that day, I was one of only a couple of fathers present. The room was full of mothers and grandmothers—faithful, loving women doing their best—God bless those mothers! But where were the fathers? Sadly, for many of those children, it wasn’t just their first confession—it was likely their last confession. The absence of their fathers may result in the absence of a living example of faith, one that could have helped keep their children anchored to the Church and her sacramental graces. This isn’t just a symbolic absence; it points to a deeper rupture in the spiritual life of the family that can be measured.
A 1994 Swiss study on religious practice offers striking insights into the long-term impact of parental involvement in church life. When both parents attend church regularly, about 33% of children remain faithful as adults. But if only the mother practices the Faith while the father is indifferent, only 2% of the children will become regular churchgoers. Conversely, if only the father is practicing, the number of children who remain regular attendees jumps to 44%.
Let that sink in: when dad takes the lead in living the Faith, children are more than 20 times more likely to stay in the Church than when only mom does. The father’s example is not just important—it’s decisive.
As we arrive at another Father’s Day, it is worth noting that this holiday ranks at the bottom for average church attendance—even below Labor Day, Memorial Day, and the Fourth of July, according to LifeWay Research. In contrast, Mother’s Day is the third highest church-attended Sunday of the year, after Easter and Christmas. Scott McConnell, director of LifeWay Research, reflects:
Clearly, mothers want to be present for the affirmation that is typically offered in most churches, but families also are present knowing their attendance will honor their mother . . . The attendance difference between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day is telling . . . Either churches are less effective in affirming fathers, or families believe Christian fathers don’t value their participation in worship services.
This cultural gap between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day may reflect more than family dynamics—it may also suggest that we as a Church have not yet fully affirmed fatherhood as a spiritual calling. Yet Scripture and Tradition have long placed fathers at the heart of God’s plan.
St. Paul calls fathers to a high standard: “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4). Similarly, Pope St. John Paul II, in his apostolic exhortation Familiaris Consortio, affirms that fatherhood is a vital expression of self-gift: “The task of giving education is rooted in the primary vocation of married couples to participate in God’s creative activity.”
It is no accident that God chose to reveal Himself as a Father. And it is no small thing that Jesus Christ entered the world within the care of a human father, St. Joseph—a man who listened to God, protected his family, and quietly handed on the Faith through daily example.
On this Father’s Day, let us give thanks for the men who show up, who kneel beside their children, and who bring their families to the altar of grace. And let us also extend an invitation: fathers, your presence in the life of faith matters. Your children are watching. They will walk the path you walk. And it is never too late.
The Church needs more St. Josephs—quiet, faithful men who know that being a good father means being a spiritual father. This Father’s Day, may our churches become places not of absence, but of presence. Not of retreat, but of mission.
To all who lead their domestic churches with love, courage, and faith, today we salute you. You are building the Kingdom of God, one family at a time.
Photo by Vitolda Klein on Unsplash
