Why aren’t our kids staying Catholic? A new Vatican document says we’re facing a crisis in handing on the faith, and Dave thinks it’s also a huge opportunity. In this solo episode, he walks through _Venite Ad Me_ from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. He covers its call to rediscover the kerygma, build real community, and put parents back at the center of passing on the faith. In a world more connected and more isolated than ever, simple Christian love can change everything.

Shownotes

Works of Mercy and the Early Church
Dave points out that the early Church became known for loving people who weren’t their own, including people who didn’t love them back. Supporting ministries financially matters, he says, but Christians also need to personally encounter the poor, the incarcerated, and those in need. He shares his family’s new monthly rhythm: two weekends praying at the abortion clinic, one serving at a soup kitchen, and one off. His goal is for his kids to grow up knowing you can’t live the fullness of Christianity from the couch.

What Is Venite Ad Me?
Venite Ad Me (“Come to Me”) is a new document from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, formerly the CDF that Cardinal Ratzinger led for years. It was commissioned under Pope Francis and will serve as the foundation for five years of work by the International Theological Commission. Dave stresses that it isn’t a doctrinal document. It’s a diagnosis of modern culture and of how the faith is or isn’t being handed on today. He also encourages listeners to read it charitably, in a culture where every new document seems to get met with suspicion.

The Core Problem: A Transmission Crisis
The document names a crisis in the “intergenerational transmission of the Christian faith.” Put simply, children aren’t receiving the faith the way previous generations did. The crisis is concentrated in the developed world, especially Europe, with the U.S. not far behind. Dave connects this to the last three popes’ call for a New Evangelization of once-Christian cultures that have grown lax.

Key Themes of the Document

• The kerygma: The faith has to be passed on through the core proclamation of the Gospel, that Christ lived, died, and rose. Dave shares how he deliberately weaves the kerygma into family life through dinner conversations, Bible study, The Chosen, and the Metanoia series.
• Community: Dave admits community is a weakness for many Catholics, including himself. He describes his family’s practice of “radical availability” and says the last three years of opening their home have borne more fruit than years of preaching. He urges priests and parish staff to personally meet parishioners rather than handing community off as a program.
• Liturgy, beauty, and music: The document highlights liturgy as formation. Dave notes that despite the “liturgy wars,” more people are clearly coming to care about liturgy.
• Adults and children: We need to catechize children and re-evangelize the adults raising them. Being in the pews doesn’t mean someone knows Jesus.
• Digital culture and AI: Faith has to stay embodied, even as Catholics work to use new technology for evangelization.
• Women in the Church: The document calls for expanding women’s participation in Church leadership.

Parents, Not Programs
Dave says the document’s biggest reminder is the primary role of parents. Kids need to see the faith lived, and their trust in their parents can be a bridge to Christ. He shares how intentional, unforced conversations shaped the real faith of his 18-year-old son, and encourages every parent to have a plan.

A Crisis Is an Opportunity
After the break, Dave reflects on why the crisis feels so severe: the sexual revolution, a louder and more aggressive culture, and a disembodied, screen-driven life that has dulled our sense of beauty. But where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more. He tells the story of a lonely woman his family invited to dinner who broke down during prayer and told them she hadn’t been touched by another person in 19 years. In such an isolated age, Dave says, opening your home and your life to someone is groundbreaking. It’s a way to show the overflowing love of Christ.