When Marie Hanson, host of The Catholic Woman Podcast, posted an Instagram reel this week asking for advice about growing up — and staying — Catholic, she did not expect more than a handful of responses.
The post, which was a video of the inside of a church, asked readers to "Spill the tea. If you were brought up as a Catholic and your parents did a good job, what did they do that worked?"
The tea was spilled. Within hours, there were hundreds of comments, said Hanson, who lives in Wisconsin with her husband and two toddlers. And within two days, more than 1,000 people had shared their stories of what their families did (or did not do) that helped nurture a faith that would grow into adulthood.
Loading
"I made that post because I often see articles or influencers sharing advice on raising children in the faith, but I wanted to hear from everyday Catholics," Hanson told Aleteia. "What actually made their faith stick? It’s such a simple question, but one that’s rarely asked of 'ordinary' people."
The ordinary
Hanson, the eldest of 12 siblings who was born and raised Catholic, has a "deep appreciation for how faith is passed down in families, and not just taught, but lived." But as she is now a mother herself, she was curious to see how other people were raised and what worked, or did not, in developing a faith life.
As it turns out, one does not need to do much beyond the ordinary to help make a faith that "sticks."
"The overwhelming themes were strikingly clear: Sunday Mass, no matter what, and the Rosary," said Hanson.
She continued, "Other recurring themes included family prayer, forgiveness, service, Catholic education, and joy. But it was that steady rhythm, Sunday worship and the Rosary, that people said truly anchored their faith."
For Hanson, one comment that particularly stood out was someone saying that the constant of Sunday Mass was "what I needed as a kid."
"It broke my heart, but it also reminded me why I made the post in the first place, so people could see what’s actually working. It’s the simple, consistent habits, not the extravagant gestures, that form lifelong faith."
Holiness, she said "isn't built in big moments. It's built in repetition."
"Showing up to Mass, praying together, saying sorry, serving quietly: That’s what shapes hearts."
