Question about teaching kids about the Church

[catholicmamaof6]

I am looking for some guidance on what to do in this subject. I have a niece who is 12 years old, she was baptized as a baby. Her father is a practicing Catholic her mother is not. They are seperated. She lives with her mother. Her father believes that since she lives with her mom that he should not teach her about the church and her religion. I may be wrong but I believe that since she has already been baptized and is Catholic she should be taught and given the oppotunity to do what is right. He doesn’t want to teach her and have her reject the faith though. Can anyone please help me here. Should I just step out of the way and let him do what he thinks? So far I have not said anything on the matter because I don’t truly know what is the right thing to do. Any articles or advice would be very much appreciated. Thank you.

 

[geoformeo]

Catholicmama,

Yes, the father needs to be an active participant in raising your niece in the Catholic faith, and yes, you should talk to him about it. Three things come to mind here that you need to call him out on. First, assuming he got married with a dispensation and had marriage preparation courses with a priest, then he would have agreed (along with his non-Catholic spouse) that any children that would come out of their union would be raised Catholic. That was his first commitment. Second, having had his child baptized Catholic, he would have again made the promise that the child would be actively raised in the faith and that he himself would be held responsible for making that happen. That was his second promise. Lastly, fathers are the spiritual leaders of their household and children. He needs to realize that it is his duty as a Christian father to guide his children in the faith and lead them to the truth, no matter if they accept it or reject it.

As you know as a parent, our #1 job as parents is to get our children to heaven, and we are ultimately going to have to answer to Almighty God about the kind of job we did. We as parents just plant the seed, and God makes it grow. Can you imagine where the Church would be right now, if we did not have courageous missionaries and evangelists throughout the whole of Church history who spread the Word of God to everyone in spite of the possibility of rejection and even death? How much more, then, should we be courageous and dutiful in bringing our kids to the truth of Christ?

I hope this helps. I will be praying for your niece and her father. God bless.

 

[GraceDK]

I am looking for some guidance on what to do in this subject. I have a niece who is 12 years old, she was baptized as a baby. Her father is a practicing Catholic her mother is not. They are seperated. She lives with her mother. Her father believes that since she lives with her mom that he should not teach her about the church and her religion. I may be wrong but I believe that since she has already been baptized and is Catholic she should be taught and given the oppotunity to do what is right. He doesn’t want to teach her and have her reject the faith though. Can anyone please help me here. Should I just step out of the way and let him do what he thinks? So far I have not said anything on the matter because I don’t truly know what is the right thing to do. Any articles or advice would be very much appreciated. Thank you.

Speak about Jesus as a normal part of your life. Speak of Him as a living person among us who helps you on a daily basis and who makes you choose the right things in life…
There are many ways to testify through word and deed… I have the experience that its those who walk with Christ and have a personal relationship that are best witnesses. Those who know Him personally run over with good things about Him… mentioning His Name and His Word. Make sure your niece always sees the Bible in your house opened and studied and then be kind to her as you already are.