One Voice Among Many

Steven Serafin was one of the 400+ participants of the virtual symposia that generated our newest whitepaper on Raising Disciples in an Apostolic Age. As the Executive Director of Faith and Family Life Catholic Ministries, Steven brought a specific knowledge and understanding of the topic to the conversations. His voice, like the voices of so many others, is woven throughout the whitepaper.

Through rich dialogue, symposia participants reflected on the realities families face today and the role parents play in forming their children as lifelong disciples. Read more about what this experience was like in this reflection from Steven.

This symposium brought together hundreds of Church leaders to dream, discern, and design how parishes can better accompany families in passing on the faith. More than simply discussing the challenges before us, we recognized the many ways the Holy Spirit is already at work raising up leaders across the Church who are committed to renewing how we support parents and families.

I was eager to participate in the symposium because the questions it would be addressing are central to my work with Faith and Family Life Catholic Ministries, where we are trying to help leaders understand this mission and resource them to do it effectively. The Church has long affirmed that parents are the primary witnesses of faith to their children, yet many parents do not feel equipped or supported in that role. At the same time, our parish structures have separated children’s formation from family formation, focusing heavily on sacramental milestones rather than a lifelong journey of discipleship.

Our conversations began broadly as we sought to understand this changing mission field. Participants from parish, diocesan, academic, ministry, and family settings brought their experiences to the table with a shared desire to listen, challenge assumptions, and envision a new path forward. As the sessions continued, the conversation became increasingly practical, toward ideas that could have a concrete impact on families and parish communities.

From our conversation, it was made clear that families do not simply need more information or another program. They need communities that know them, listen to their experiences, and continuously walk with them through the changing stages of family life. Parents need practical ways to live and share the faith at home, but they also need relationships that help them grow as disciples themselves.

I hope the Raising Disciples in an Apostolic Age whitepaper, shaped by these symposia conversations, helps Church leaders see that family faith formation cannot be confined to one ministry, age group, or sacramental year. It requires a collaborative parish culture in which families are welcomed, supported to the sacraments, and invited into an ongoing journey of lifelong discipleship.

This document is an invitation and road map to effective parish renewal, and I am honored to have been asked to participate. We have an opportunity to move from siloed programs to a pathway of accompaniment that leads families to encounter Christ, find intentional community, grow within the Church, and learn to share his love with others, and this symposium left me more convinced than ever that the next wave of parish renewal will encourage and embolden families to make disciples in an apostolic age.