Lisa and Todd Welch, Catholic parents of six children, are using a special program they created to build community for Catholic families in Denver while helping grow their faith.

The Archdiocese of Denver has drawn attention to the initiative, Families of Faith, by naming the couple Archbishop’s Catholic Appeal Disciples of the Month for August.

“Now, more than ever, families need to be able to support each other while raising families with Catholic values,” said Lisa, according to the diocesan profile on the couple. “We’re blessed to have a home that can accommodate large groups, and now we help families walk together while figuring out how to raise families rooted in faith.”  

In the program, groups of five to seven families meet regularly to grow in their faith. They pray together, learn catechesis side by side, and encourage each other.

The program was inspired by Ut Fidem, which brings teenagers together in small groups to grow in faith. The Welches were impressed by Ut Fidem, but they were struck by the realization that there wasn’t an equivalent program that helped parents and children to grow in faith together.

“We wanted to offer the same companionship to parents, because it’s really important that parents also have a faith-filled community while raising teenagers,” said Lisa, according to the profile.

Families of Faith emphasizes the need for fathers to be spiritual leaders for their families.

“In many homes, it’s the mother who takes the reins of spiritual formation, but as fathers, we have a duty to rise up and become leaders of the faith in our own homes,” Todd said. “We’ve seen many fathers rise to this challenge, and it makes the faith life of the family even stronger.”  

Academic studies suggest that this focus on fathers’ faith and religious observance is important. A study conducted in Switzerland found that it’s the “religious practice of the father of the family that, above all, determines the future attendance at or absence from church of the children,” according to a report in the Christian journal Touchstone.

The Welches believe that, while Catholic institutions can help pass on the faith, it is the families who love their faith who make the biggest difference.

“We’ve raised six kids in Catholic schools, and we’ve learned that faith needs more than just classroom instruction,” said Todd, according to the profile. “Families are the frontline of the Church, and the faith needs to be lived at home and in community.”

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