Nancy Bandzuch, a Catholic mother of six and a parishioner of St. Maximilian Kolbe in Delano, said that Mass now is nothing like it used to be for her when she was single.
For many Catholic parents, attending Mass now involves wrangling kids into a car to avoid being late and trying to listen to a homily despite the distraction of misbehaving children. Even the reception of the Eucharist usually involves holding a squirming toddler.
Bandzuch, whose podcast “Catholic Sprouts” has over 12 million downloads, knows the importance of accessible resources for Catholics. But she saw a huge lack in resources for Catholic parents.
“As you look out at all the beautiful Catholic media, there’s stuff for marriage prep, there’s stuff for teenagers, but then for parents, it’s a little bit of a wasteland. There’s not a lot of stuff for us,” she told “Practicing Catholic” radio show host Patrick Conley.
The resources that do exist, Bandzuch said, adhere to a “glossy ideal of kids in Mass with their hands folded and their heads bowed.”
Bandzuch’s new project, which she created in partnership with the Colorado-based Augustine Institute and FORMED, an on-demand Catholic streaming platform, seeks to fill that gap. In a six-part video series titled “The Catholic Parent,” Catholic families from a wide variety of circumstances share how they live out the precepts of the faith. A priest and religious sister provide theological content in the videos.
The project captures a variety of perspectives: Bandzuch’s family is featured, joined by a single mother, empty nesters, a couple who just had their first child and others for a total of six families featured.
Bandzuch said that the series offers insight into how parents can live their faith in a way instructive to their children. She said that parents often have a misconception that teaching the faith has to occur in a classroom or within a formal setting.
“Parents are the primary educator, but that means practicing your faith in front of your kids, even when it’s hard, even when it’s a struggle, but that that is so super essential for parents,” Bandzuch said.
To hear Bandzuch speak more about what led to the creation of “The Catholic Parent” and the fruit she hopes it will bear, tune into “Practicing Catholic” when it airs at 9 p.m. April 12 on Relevant Radio 1330 AM, or when it repeats at 1 p.m. April 13 and 2 p.m. April 14.
Produced by Relevant Radio and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the latest show also includes a discussion with Jean Houghton and Marci Franzen, who head the Catholic Services Appeal. Also, Deacons Michael Panka and Nick Vance talk about their journey to the priesthood ahead of their upcoming ordination.
Listen to interviews after they have aired at PracticingCatholicShow.com or choose a streaming platform at Spotify for Podcasters.
