How Fathers Team Helps Men Unite Work and Prayer

by Kary Ellen Berger

To be a Catholic father today is to live at the intersection of faith, family, and responsibility. It is a calling shaped by prayer and presence, providing and protecting, and learning how to love well in the middle of everyday life. Fathers Team exists to help men live that calling with intention, rooted in Christ and strengthened by brotherhood.

Begun 36 years ago at College Hill Presbyterian Church, Fathers Team was founded by Dr. Ron Rand as a place where men could gather to read Scripture, support one another, and put faith into action. Over time, the ministry found a strong presence in Catholic parishes and continues to thrive in places such as St. Gregory the Great Family of Parishes (which includes Immaculate Heart of Mary, Guardian Angels, and St. John Fisher), where Tim Arnold and Todd Schneider serve as Fathers Team members.

“The original purpose was to use the Word of God to help fathers build healthy relationships with their wives, children, friends, and God,” said Arnold. “During the early years of raising a family, men get swallowed up by work. We are focused on providing, but we are not always good at maintaining friendships or nurturing our faith.”

Fathers Team creates space for men to reflect on who they are called to be, not only as workers or providers, but as Catholic husbands and fathers.

“Men are hard-wired to be providers and protectors,” said Schneider. “Fathers Team helps men step back and look at their lives more holistically. It brings faith, family, and daily responsibilities together instead of treating them as separate compartments.”

In 2024, the ministry underwent a rebranding effort to better reflect its mission and expand its reach. Its purpose is now captured in a simple phrase: “Forged in Faith, Bonded in Brotherhood. We stand together, united in Christ in a safe place where vulnerability and authenticity thrive, allowing us to support one another as we navigate the challenges of our faith.”

“When we asked men why they kept coming back, the word ‘brotherhood’ came up again and again,” said Schneider. “But it had to be rooted in faith. This is not just about friendship. Men wanted to grow closer to God alongside other men living the same realities of marriage, fatherhood, and work.”

Fathers Team meets weekly, often early in the morning before the workday begins. Some men arrive even earlier to pray the Rosary together. Meetings include Scripture, prayer, and reflections on topics that connect Catholic teaching to real life. Those topics range from vocation and marriage to work, joy, suffering, and the cultural pressures that shape family life.

Small group discussions form the heart of each gathering.

“The small group is where men can speak honestly about what they are carrying,” said Arnold. “Work stress, job loss, retirement, illness, grief, or struggles at home. When those things are brought into prayer, something shifts.”

Through these conversations, men begin to see their daily work not as an obstacle to faith but as a place where faith can be lived.

“Work becomes something men can offer back to God,” said Arnold. “Instead of pulling them away from prayer or family life, it becomes part of how they live out their vocation.”

Firmly grounded in Catholic teaching and sacramental life, Fathers Team welcomes all Christian men. Participants are encouraged to attend Mass, return to the sacraments, and deepen their prayer lives; always in a way that meets each man where he is.

Looking ahead, the men hope the ministry continues to form men who understand the lasting impact of faithful fatherhood.

“When men live their faith as fathers and husbands, it strengthens families,” said Schneider. “And when families are strengthened, communities are strengthened too.”

For more information about Fathers Team or assistance starting a Fathers Team at your parish, contact Tim Arnold at 513-919-3682, [email protected] or Todd Schneider 513-787-0981, [email protected].

This article appeared in the March 2026 edition of The Catholic Telegraph Magazine. For your complimentary subscription, click here.