Strong and faithful fathers must first be strong and faithful young men

A new Gallup poll has found that “young men in [the] U.S. now surpass young women on importance of religion, have slight edge on affiliation, [and] tie on attendance.”

Michael New, a senior associate scholar at the Charlotte Lozier Institute, discussed the findings in a National Review article, stating that the “survey finds that today, young men are more likely than young women to say religion is ‘very important’ in their lives.”

In an email, New explained that “between 2022-2023 and 2025, the percentage of young men (18-29) who said that religion is very important in their lives increased from 29 percent to 43 percent—a 14 percentage point gain.”

He continued, “Young men are more likely to 1) attend religious services at least monthly, 2) say that religion is very important, and 3) identify with a specific faith tradition.”

This is encouraging news, especially in a culture saturated with hedonistic behaviors, anti-Christian sentiments, and the emasculation of men.

I pray that this trend will continue, especially for future generations, because if we want to create strong, faith-filled fathers who teach Catholic and pro-life beliefs and values to their children, we must first create strong and faith-filled young men.

Fatherhood is one of the greatest gifts a man can be given, but it’s also an enormous responsibility. Boys need good and faith-filled examples to look up to as they grow into manhood. Ideally, that person is his father.

But this isn’t always possible, which is why it is crucial for another man to step in when needed. Whether that’s his grandfather, his godfather, or another significant man in his life, this man can make a profound impact on a young boy’s life.

In Familiaris Consortio, St. John Paul II wrote about the role of the Christian family in the modern world and about the importance of fathers. He explained that a father’s absence “causes psychological and moral imbalance and notable difficulties in family relationships.” He continued:

A man is called upon to ensure the harmonious and united development of all the members of the family: he will perform this task by exercising generous responsibility for the life conceived under the heart of the mother, by a more solicitous commitment to education, a task he shares with his wife, by work which is never a cause of division in the family but promotes its unity and stability, and by means of the witness he gives of an adult Christian life which effectively introduces the children into the living experience of Christ and the Church.

Fathers cannot take their roles in the family lightly. Teaching about the Faith is something they must do not just on Sundays, not just every day, but many times throughout each day.

A good father teaches his children that they and all people are valuable, in his eyes and in the eyes of God. He cares about the souls of his children, builds moral courage into their daily lives, works to instruct them in the Faith, and knows that it’s his job to get his children to heaven. He takes opportunities to share his love of Christ, to read good books about saints and God, to teach his children to protect the vulnerable and defend those who have no voice, to shelter his children from harmful shows and movies, and to teach them how to resist sinful temptations. He talks with them about how to treat others and leads by example by volunteering, praying both alone and with his family, giving of himself to those who need him, and treating his wife well.

A good father leads his family in all aspects of the Faith, and we certainly need more of that today.

That’s why it’s heartening to see that young men are describing religion as “very important.” Faith should be the most important thing in our lives, regardless of whether you are a man or a woman.

But many men prey to worshipping false gods, putting material things before our Lord. We may not have the physical idols that Old Testament characters did, but we have money, fame, social media status, phones, and other such things to keep us from God and from doing His work here on earth. These false gods often steal our time, lie to us, drive a wedge between us and our Heavenly Father, make sin look enticing, and sometimes suck the goodness out of us, as many people feel that, because of online anonymity, they can say and do anything.

We sometimes forget that God put us here to know, love, and serve Him, and in order to do this well, we must care for those around us, starting with our families and working outward to our communities.

While it’s great news that more young men find their faith important, we recognize that 43% is just a beginning. An increase over the last few years is certainly positive, but we cannot stop working until that number is 100%. The future of our families, especially strong and faith-filled fathers, depends on these efforts.