A Legacy of Faith

By Kate Zink & Family

A year ago I was dragging my feet. There were frequent announcements at Mass about joining the Festival committee, becoming a booth captain, signing up for volunteer spots to support the Festival, and donating basket items. We are a busy family with four children and involved in “all the things” so as a crazy spring was winding down, I was really looking forward to low-commitment, lazy summer days and planning our family vacation. As the Festival drew near, however, I couldn’t shake a nagging thought…

My mom had sent me a recent study about the various factors that impact children who maintain their Catholic faith through adulthood. Among other findings, the study found that children who have warm childhood memories of family involvement in parish life and service are more likely to remain Catholic as adults. As a family, we have been involved in many ministries over the years. We encourage our boys to be reverent altar servers, the kids attend youth group, and my husband and I are in various men’s and women’s groups. We’ve enjoyed the Fish Fry, Chili Cook-off, BINGO and more. But when I asked the kids about their favorite things we do at St. Max, they said donuts after Mass and FESTIVAL!

Albeit a little late, we eventually signed up to captain a couple booths. My husband headed up Putt for Dough and the kids loved every minute of it! Sure, they enjoyed some of the games, rides and treats, but mostly couldn’t wait to get back to chasing golf balls and waiting for the big hole-in-one! I fervently pray that my children will always remain close to Jesus and treasure their Catholic faith. There are certainly no guarantees in life, but it’s a pretty sure bet that they will have warm childhood memories of helping out at the St. Max Festival!