Raising a Catholic Family Today: Building a Domestic Church A Handbook for Parents

Catholic parenting at its best! Winner at the 2023 Book Awards by Catholic Media Association (06-08-23). This is a handbook for Catholic parents and grandparents on how to raise their children in the current cultural and societal landscape while remaining true to the teachings of the Catholic Church. Easy to read and practical.This book is complemented by a series of 6 free podcasts, one for each chapter of the book. In these, 12 families share the challenges they encounter today in raising a Catholic family and offer suggestions. These podcasts are available free of charge at: https://soundcloud.com/john-bosio/sets/raising-a-catholic-familyThe first step in raising a Catholic family is to protect it physically and spiritually. Children need a home environment that is safe and welcoming. Parents are encouraged to manage how they expose their children to their interpersonal conflicts. They are also advised on how to control the use of electronic devices and the influence of the media.The book explains that it is in the home that children first experience the goodness of God’s love in the love of their parents and grandparents, and learn to relate to Him through simple prayers. In this book the home is described as a school of prayer.Chapter four, which is titles: Our Home is an Apprenticeship to Loving, explains that our home is the place where children learn to love by watching how their parents love. Following their parents’ example, they form habits that will influence their relationships for the rest of their life. Many of these habits are formed through family rituals. The book presents three types of family rituals: rituals of connection – how we greet each other, how we gather for family meals; rituals of healing – how we forgive one another or help each other when one is sick; and rituals of service – how we carry on the needed daily tasks that keep the family running. According to the author, these rituals of the domestic church parallel the rituals we encounter in the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church.Life in the home is punctuated by how we celebrate the passing of time: birthday celebrations, anniversaries, graduations, special events. In the spirit of the Catholic tradition the book reminds us that in our home children learn that time is a precious gift from God, and our celebrations are moments in which we express gratitude for all that we have been given.Finally, the book points out that the family is a community that cannot survive in isolation. It is part of a village, which supports it, and at the same time needs the family’s participation and contributions. Children grow up in a Catholic home learning to be disciples of Jesus. The author calls the Catholic home a training camp for discipleship. Read more