There’s a dangerous myth that exists among pockets of faithful, observant Catholic families. I call it the Legend of the Catholic Bubble.

Here’s how the legend goes: you find a devout Catholic parish and a devout Catholic community filled with devout Catholic people who care about devout Catholic things, and you stay away from everything and everyone else, you and your children will be safe from the influence of the evil one. Your children will never fall away from the faith, or even be tempted, and your own faith will stay steel-strong amidst the many tempests and trials of this earthly life.

But like the Loch Ness Monster and the Abominable Snowman, it’s all made up.

Don’t misunderstand me: I love a good devout Catholic parish. I live for a supportive, devout Catholic community. It’s one of the biggest blessings in the Christian life, and I cannot overstate how helpful it is to raise children in an environment that upholds your Catholic faith and does not denigrate it.

But. But.

Make no mistake: the Catholic Bubble will not save you. The trials and the temptations will find you there, too: on the parish council, at Catholic school, in your Catholic moms’ group. No community on earth is so supportive that it mimics Heaven. The weeds have been sown with the good seed, and the harvest time is not yet upon us.

Cherish your community, certainly — but beware of the lure of the Catholic Bubble. We are called to be yeast in the loaf of bread, and yeast is nothing on its own. 

“And the one who searches hearts knows what is the intention of the Spirit, because he intercedes for the holy ones according to God's will.” — Romans 8:27