Examining Successful Transmission of the Catholic Faith in Families

This article reports the results from a mixed-methods study of families in the United States where Catholic parents have successfully raised children to adulthood as weekly Mass attenders active in the Catholic faith. In the past 15 years, an abundance of research has focused on young Catholics who leave the faith. Researchers have found that only about 15% of those raised Catholic in the United States remain Catholic as adults and attend Mass weekly. This study explores the patterns among those who successfully transmit the Catholic faith across a generation to this 15%. To accomplish this, I explored existing survey data in the General Social Survey, a national survey of Catholic adults, and conducted qualitative interviews with parents and adult children who are active in the faith in the United States. We found that successful transmission of the faith is associated with families who live the Catholic faith at home, not just at Mass on Sundays. These families often pray together, spend a lot of time together, and are able to discuss matters of religion openly. Outside of family life, these families tend to be active in their parish and community beyond attending Mass on Sunday. This includes charitable works and interactions with other families in their neighborhood.