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A legacy of faith

Passing the Catholic faith on to the next generation

BETH SIMKANIN

is a freelance writer with 20 years of journalism and public relations experience. She is a parishioner at The Church of the Holy Spirit in Memphis.

BY BETH SIMKANIN | PHOTOGRAPHY BY KAREN PULFER FOCHT

For the Byrd family, their Catholic faith is a way of life. For over 40 years, Artie, Sr. and Janet Byrd’s ultimate goal has been to teach their three children how to live a faith-filled life with the hope they would pass on that same way of life to their own children.

It doesn’t take long, while in the presence of three generations of the family, to realize the Byrds achieved their goal.

For the Byrds, the key to passing on their Catholic faith from generation to generation is building a solid foundation of faith, establishing meaningful relationships with Catholic priests and fostering a strong family bond.

A foundation of faith

Both native Memphians, Artie, Sr. and Janet met in the 1970s. Janet grew up in the Catholic faith attending Catholic schools. Her mother was a first-generation American of Italian descent. Artie, Sr. attended both Baptist and Methodist churches in Memphis growing up. While he and Janet dated, he began to attend Mass with her and admits that he was drawn to the holy Mass, but intimidated at the same time.

“I was scared by the Catholic faith at first, but Janet helped me understand the importance of celebrating the holy Mass and why we believe what we believe,” Artie, Sr. said. “Forty-five years later, I know I discovered what true faith is like.”

Janet shared with Artie, Sr. her Catholic faith, and in the early 1980s, shortly after their marriage, he joined the Catholic Church. He and the couple’s three children, Staci, Ashleigh and Artie, Jr., say that Janet was instrumental in helping them understand Church doctrine. Ashleigh and Artie, Jr. affectionately credit their dad with showing them how participating in the Mass and becoming involved at church are important to being stewards of their faith. The Byrds gave their children a solid faith foundation from which to grow and prosper.

“Mom and Dad created a strong faith foundation for us growing up,” Artie, Jr. said. “Mom was our teacher and answered all of our questions. She made sure we understood why we attended Mass on holy days and never missed a Mass while on vacation. Dad made sure we sat in the front row, even when we didn’t want to, and participated in the holy Mass. That involvement made a big difference in our childhood and influenced how we raise our own children as adults.”

Artie, Sr. says it was necessary to show his children that it’s important for them to use their talents to help others and participate in church activities. He and Janet enrolled them in Catholic schools and encouraged them to become altar servers, extraordinary ministers of holy Communion and lectors at Mass. Over the years, his children and their spouses have been lectors at Mass, taught parish religious education classes, organized community service projects, planned church events and served on various parish councils throughout the Catholic Diocese of Memphis.

All three of the Byrd children are practicing Catholics and are raising their children in the Catholic Church. Artie, Jr. says he understands why it was important that his parents laid down a strong faith foundation for them growing up now that he’s a parent of four children, and a fifth one on the way. He uses the values his parents taught him to teach his own children about the Catholic faith. He says instilling a sense of purpose at a young age, like his parents did, makes a big difference.

“[This generation of] kids now have a phone in their hand at all times,” said Artie, Jr. “They have a window to the world at their fingertips that we didn’t have. It’s more important now than ever to give them a strong foundation of faith and lead by example.”

Both Ashleigh and Jamie Byrd, Artie, Jr.’s wife, say they see the fruits of their labor through their own children. Ashleigh says her 10-year-old daughter always makes sure the family

The Byrds’ children credit their parents for instilling in them their own Catholic values, which they, in turn, are passing down to their own children.

“Being Catholic is a part of who we are,” said Ashleigh Siddiqui, one of the Byrds’ three children. “It’s important to know our faith and grow in it. We need it. The world is hard. Knowing how to live our faith is just how we grew up. We learned from our parents how to show our children what it means to be a good steward and be active in our faith. My goal now, as an adult, is to pass that on to my own children.”

It’s important to know our faith and grow in it. We need it. The world is hard. Knowing how to live our faith is just how we grew up. We learned from our parents how to show our children what it means to be a good steward and be active in our faith.”

prays before meals. Jamie says her 4-year-old carries a statue of Mary wherever she goes in the house to make sure Mary never misses a fun activity with the family.

The importance of our priests

Artie, Sr. and Janet married in 1979 and lived in Michigan and England during most of their marriage, but no matter where they lived, the two made sure to find a parish home for their family. While living in Michigan, the couple befriended the pastor at their local Catholic church. Artie, Sr. says that he played a pivotal role in his conversion to the Catholic Church.

“Father Consanti would often come over for dinner,” said Janet. “Besides being our pastor, he became our friend. He has a very engaging and fun-loving personality, and we all looked forward to his visits.”

Artie, Sr. says that Father Consanti was patient and answered his questions regarding the Catholic faith. Today, he is a longtime friend, and Artie, Sr. speaks with him by phone once a month. “Our Catholic priests are crucial to our faith formation,” said Artie, Sr. “They can be a model for young people and can encourage them to use their talents for the Church. Locally, we’ve been blessed to know inspiring priests in our diocese such as Father Bill Parham, Father Ernie DeBlasio and Father Ben Bradshaw. They have helped develop our family’s faith and our desire to be active participants in the Mass.”

Artie, Jr. and Jamie stress how beneficial Catholic priests can be to married couples. The Rev. Ben Bradshaw, now pastor at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Memphis, was instrumental in their marriage preparation seven years ago.

“With the right priest, the Church becomes your second home,” said Jamie.

Strong family bond

The Byrds and their children agree that their strong family bond plays an integral role in both practicing and living out their Catholic faith. Artie, Jr. points out that leading by example can make a big impact and help a family grow spiritually together – even between married couples. He references an example when his children mentioned to him that his wife was a lector at Mass. He admits that he became more involved at his church after his children pointed out that Jamie was active in the church.

Ashleigh says that the whole family makes sure to attend Mass together. Artie, Sr. and Janet will frequently attend Mass with their children and grandchildren on Saturday evenings. Additionally, Ashleigh says volunteering as a family is a great way to show the next generation that giving back is a tangible way of living out their faith.

“It’s important for us as parents to take our children to Mass, get involved in the parish and teach them how to give back,” said Ashleigh. “It’s not scary for them; it’s exciting!”

Last month, members of the Byrd family, along with family friends, volunteered at the soup kitchen at St. Patrick Catholic Church in downtown Memphis. Ashleigh says it’s imperative that her children learn to give back at a young age, so they will continue the tradition as adults and understand that it makes a direct impact on those in need.

Artie, Sr. recognizes that God has a hand in fostering both his faith and family. In 2003, all of his adult children moved from Michigan to Collierville in order to live closer to one another. As a result, his children and grandchildren are closer than ever attending Mass and volunteering together.

“We are blessed to have the Church and each other,” Artie, Sr. says. “Both make us stronger as individuals. God has gathered us all together, and we are very blessed.”