On this episode of Footsteps to Heaven, Terry Modica talks with Nick Clune, a CPMAP Mentor and the founder of Crafted for More, about how mentorship can assist young mento grow in holiness. To learn more about his ministry, visit craftedformore.com
This podcast is also available as a video >>
From The Impact of Mentoring Young Men:
Terry Modica:
At Good News Ministries, our mission is to reach two key groups: Gen Z young men entering the Church, and the individuals guiding them. We want to help parishes, dioceses, and lay ministries recognize that we’re in a rare and powerful moment—one unlike anything I’ve seen in my lifetime.
This is a window of opportunity we can’t afford to miss.
So, Nick, what’s your perspective?
Nick Clune:
Absolutely—you’re right on target. This is a special moment for the Church to engage a group we’ve often overlooked: young men.
Before joining CatholicPsych as a mentor, I spent seven years in youth ministry. What stood out to me over time was a shift—traditionally, youth groups skew female, but in my experience, the opposite was happening. My groups were consistently male-dominated.
Part of that may be my own background—sports, a beard, and a faith journey that reflects a more traditionally masculine energy. I think that helped me connect with young men. But more than that, there was a broader shift taking place. I started seeing more guys showing up—and staying engaged into young adult ministry.
When I transitioned to leading young adult ministry, the trend continued. Sometimes, we had five men for every woman. I remember thinking, “This is unusual. Why are so many guys showing up?”
Then the question became: how do we respond to this? These young men bring valuable strengths to the Church—what St. John Paul II called the “masculine genius.” For too long, the stereotype has been that faith is a woman’s domain. Moms led the way spiritually, often bringing Dad and the kids along.
That was my own experience growing up—my mom led us to retreats and Church events, and Dad followed. Only later did he experience his own conversion.
This dynamic is common in many families. But now, with more Gen Z men stepping up in faith, we have a real opportunity. Just imagine the impact when both parents are spiritually invested.
There’s a telling stat from Pew Research: when fathers are actively involved in their children’s faith lives, about 93% of those children stay committed. When fathers aren’t involved, that number drops sharply.
This doesn’t lessen the role of mothers—who have always been faith leaders in the home—but it highlights how powerful a father’s engagement can be, especially in helping children integrate faith with real life.
Currently, we’re witnessing the beginnings of this balance—and it’s something we need to embrace and nurture.
For more help on this topic, see our WordByte called Healing Our Image of God’s Fatherhood.
More episodes on The Masculine Revival of Faith>>
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