b'NEWS FROM AROUND THE STATEFocused on FatherhoodNow More than Everby DEACON GREG OLLICK, M.A.Faithful Director for the State of Georgia, May 2020As men of faith, Knights of Columbus are always calledwas convinced I knew nothing.Thank God now that hes to put their faith into action.Nowhere is this more critically45, and working with me in our family business, I know important than in the family.As fathers, grandfathers andeverything again. even great grandfathers, we Knights must be Focused onBut during the teenage years it seemed like one battle Fatherhood.Especially during this time of world-wide pan- after another, and I couldnt figure out what happened. demic and shelter-in-place orders, we all need to hear thisUp until then, Greg was always a good kid and an excel-message loud and clear. lent student, but now he seemed to be Experts in sociology and family coun- making all the wrong choices.He was selingallagreethatfatherhoodisthealways in trouble, his grades were slip-most important vocation that a man canping, there were all sorts of problems, have, and that with fatherhood comes anand I just couldnt get through to him.awesome responsibility.They say thatOne day I learned the most profound a Fathers absence, whether physical orlesson of my life when my sister-in-law emotional or both, is a critical problem insaid, Dont you see wants wrong with our country, because fathers play suchGreg?Did you ever think that maybe akeyroleinthedevelopmentoftheirhes just trying to get your attention? children.Currently, more than 27 millionCould the problem be that youre not childrenthats over 40% of all childrenemotionallyattentivetothekidsany-in this country - live apart from their fa- more?Could it be that Greg is finding ther.That statistic is appalling, but ourpoor substitutes for your attention and culture has deemed it acceptable evenhe just wants you back?He wants to though research clearly shows that thebe able to look up to you again.He still cost of a fathers absence is astronom- wants to be just like you, but youre just ically high. not there for him.I believe that there is a dire need to- You see, when the kids were younger, dayformentoriseup,riseupwithinwe did everything together and we had the home, the job, the community, andcontinuous healthy interaction.But as the Church.There is a dire need for men to rise up andthey got older, I became so intensely involved in the pro-be leaders, examples, and pursuers of God, - ministers,cess of building my business that even when I was home, prayers,teachersandtrainersofourchildren,-loving,I wasnt really there.I was preoccupied, even obsessed, compassionate and caring husbands. with the business.I might as well have been an absent Today God is calling men, husbands, fathers and grand- father.I certainly wasnt focused on fatherhood.I had fathers who are FOCUSED on FATHERHOOD, focused onsacrificed the family on the altar of the bottom line, and Ill becoming the fathers that God has called us to be.Therenever ever do it again.By the grace of God, I learned a big is no doubt that our children will model themselves after uslesson that day, and that has made all the difference.My and will model our actions as they have seen them in theson had wanted nothing more than to get my attention and childhood years.And this is also true, Dad:A childs viewto become just like me.of God as Heavenly Father will often be based upon theirOur children do want to be just like us, Dads, and our view of us as Earthly Fathers.It has been said, a child isvocation is to help them to be just like Jesus.That can only not likely to find a Father in God, unless he finds somethingbe done if Jesus is who they see in us.of God in his father. Gentlemen, we must be focused on fatherhood.We Recently, a deacon I met in while in formation asked themust be completely present in our homes.We must make first-grade class in his parish school of religion to draw aour homes - homes where Christ resides, homes where picture of God.He intended to use the pictures for an illus- Christ is welcome, homes where Jesus is more than a pic-tration in his homily.Nearing the end of the class the kidsture on the wall, but a place where his presence is acknowl-were excited to show the deacon the pictures that they hadedged, his name is honored, and his word is obeyed.The drawn.Finally, the deacons granddaughter showed himhome doesnt need a man in the house, it needs a father!her picture, and it was a man in an alb and a stole.ThenI read an account of a thirteen-year-old boy who saved she said to the class, I dont know what God looks like, sohis brothers life by driving him to a hospital in his fathers I just drew my Grandpa instead. car. Never having driven before, his explanation was sim-Ive got two kids.My daughter, Kara, as born a perfectple: I just did what I saw my father do.angel and still is.My son, Greg Jr., has been more of aAt this time, more than ever before, we have children challenge. who are looking to us for guidance and spiritual direction. When he was 4 years old, he thought I knew everything.I just did what I saw my father do.If our children are do-Life was a constant barrage of questions and answers.ing what they see us do, if they want to be just like us, then When he was 14, it seemed like he got up one day andwho will they become?Its up to us, guys.83'