What is the Holy Habits Challenge?
The Holy Habits Challenge is a means to teach those who attend weekend Masses at least once a month, and families with children in a Catholic school or religious education program, some of the basic Catholic habits that come to us from the traditions and piety of the Church.
The goal is to instill daily routines that revolve around prayer, the virtues, and the works of mercy so that the average Catholic can deepen his or her relationship with Christ and with the Church. The materials are designed to be a challenge that participants agree to do and incorporate into their lives.
What are the Holy Habits?
There are 8 general habits introduced as part of the Holy Habits Challenge. They are listed below. But in addition to these very general descriptions, each habit is presented more concretely at three different degrees of difficulty in the challenge: basic, intermediate, and advanced.
September: Labor for the Lord
October: Make Meals Matter
November: Make Friends with Saints
December: Manage Heavenly Riches
January: Observe No-Frills Fridays
February: Simplify Sunday
March: Make Amends
April: Make Time for God
How can we introduce our parishioners and families to the Holy Habits Challenge?
The Coordinator’s Manual explains the Holy Habits Challenge and provides detailed instructions. The manual describes ways the Challenge can be used with the whole parish, with the Sunday Mass community, with families of children in a Christian formation program, or with families with children in a Catholic school. All the necessary materials are available on this website.
If you decide to implement the Holy Habits Challenge in your parish or school, please inform us.
What is the origin of the Holy Habits Challenge?
The Holy Habits Challenge was developed by Father Nathan Reesman, a priest of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. He composed the materials for his thesis project for his D.Min. degree from the University of Saint Mary of the Lake and he piloted the Challenge in the parishes of Saint Frances Cabrini and Saint Mary’s Immaculate Conception in West Bend, Wisconsin. Father Reesman graciously gave The Holy Habits Challenge materials to the Archdiocese of Milwaukee in the hope that other parishes would benefit. The intent of this effort is to help individuals and families grow in their relationship with Christ and the Church through deepening their appreciation and practice of these daily routines, the Holy Habits.