Paul and Kay Halfmann draw on life experiences as parents, grandparents to continue nurturing prayer life through adulthood
In 36 years of marriage, with seven children ranging from 18-33 years old and nine grandchildren, Kay and Paul Halfmann have the real-life experience to know what works — and what doesn’t — when it comes to nurturing a prayer life.
The Halfmanns launched D:6 Ministries in 2020 to equip parents with the tools to pass on the Catholic faith to their children and to cultivate a culture of prayer within their families.
Now as empty nesters, the Halfmanns continue to nurture that sense of prayer within their marriage with some practical approaches:
Keep it small: Small faith groups are an excellent way to strengthen individual prayer life, the Halfmanns said. Finding other people who are in the same place in life and walking together in prayer can bolster prayer at home.
Passing prayer to the next generation: Kay Halfmann’s mother often prayed with her children using a simple blessing as she touched their foreheads: “Remember who you are,” she would say, with the child answering, “A child of God.” Now Kay practices that with her own grandchildren. “They all know what it is,” she said.
Pray as a couple: In 2023 at the SEEK conference in St. Louis, Kay heard a talk by Catholic speaker Jason Evert, in which he encouraged participants to pray more. The Halfmanns took that to heart and began praying the Rosary together, which has now become their after-dinner ritual. Sometimes they’ll pray it in the car.
Volunteer opportunities: This past year, the Halfmanns’ youngest child moved out to go to college. With some extra time on their hands, the Halfmanns decided to give it to their parish through volunteering, including a team that prepares eighth graders for confirmation.
Family Mass attendance: Even with their adult children’s busy schedules (and some living out of town), the Halfmanns often invite them to attend Mass with them at their parish, St. Joseph in Imperial. “It’s nice to see multi-generational families coming together for worship,” Paul said.
This is the fourth in a six-part series on keeping prayer alive in the home. To read the other parts of the series, visit www.stlouisreview.com/story/prayer-alive-in-the-home/
