The biggest adjustment, by far, was that since I no longer worked at a church, I had to drive my kids to ministry events. While I was eager to encourage participation, I was shocked at how much time we now spent dropping off and picking up — often after a long day when I’d rather be in pajamas. Fellow parents of tweens and teens agreed; it felt like all we did was feed and drive kids around, often at the same time. It was exhausting.

At this point, you’re probably thinking, “Gosh, Alison, did you forget that this year it’s all about the Catechism of the Catholic Church? Where are all those thoughts on footnotes and appendixes we’ve come to expect in the Year of Catechesis?”

The Catechism is a tremendous resource for the study of our Catholic faith, and I’ve loved exploring the many ways it can be studied and appreciated. However, as we begin to plan the academic year, it’s worth pausing to emphasize just how important it is that we intentionally plan community, especially for the students in our lives. 

Catechesis for our children is essential. This year of understanding the Catechism of the Catholic Church is offering so many excellent strategies to enhance catechesis for ourselves and the youth in our care. However, what I’ve learned as a parent is that my children’s experiences in community with their peers at church are what seem to be making their faith “stick.”

One of our teens has a group chat where peers invite each other to adoration and to pray the rosary on their way to get ice cream. Another teen plays basketball with his youth group buddies and a “cool” adult leader who can answer his questions about video games and his faith — should questions on faith arise; currently it’s mostly video games. Are my kids perfect? Of course not. But this community is a daily reminder that they’re not alone in their journey of faith. 

These relationships didn’t happen by accident. Getting children anywhere between school and bedtime takes clearing the calendar, adjusting work schedules and, to be perfectly honest, missing a lot of my Netflix shows. But I can now look at the connections our 16- and 13-year-olds are forming with other young Catholics and know that we’ll continue to prioritize the drive.

If your parish doesn’t have regular activities for students or a youth ministry program, you can still support your kids and form community. It may take more thinking outside the box and a solid parent group text. Order pizza or cook hot dogs and host a night of board games or Mario Kart. Contact other parents and commit to bringing kids to the next food drive or parish cleanup day, and then take them out for ice cream after.

If you’re a grandparent who has these hopes for your grandchildren, there are so many ways to offer support. Transportation can be a tremendous challenge for all families, so offering to drive one way or pick up and drop off for parish events can be a game changer for busy families. Paying for retreats, camps or conferences is an excellent Christmas or birthday gift that provides experiences that might be beyond Mom and Dad’s budget.

Parents and caregivers have a lot of choices when it comes to what they encourage their kids to do and how they plan their days, nights and weekends. As we continue on this way of faith (Via Fidelis), choices that foster community help our kids and teens know they aren’t walking alone.