Our Story

The Faithful Fatherhood Project was born at the intersection of two vocations:
the priesthood—and fatherhood.

My name is Jacob Rose. I was ordained a Catholic priest in 2013, serving the Church with sincerity, reverence, and a deep love for the sacraments and God’s people. For nearly a decade, I lived the life of an ordained minister—preaching, teaching, counseling, walking with families through joy, grief, and crisis. I was known then as Father Rose.

In 2021, after much prayer, discernment, and interior wrestling, I stepped away from active ministry. In 2025, I received formal laicization, bringing canonical closure to that chapter of my life.

That story matters—but it is not the whole story.

Today, I am a husband and biological father, raising children, building a home, and living the daily, ordinary heroism that fatherhood requires. I now carry firsthand experience of both spiritual fatherhood and physical fatherhood—of guiding souls, and of raising children under my own roof.

The Faithful Fatherhood Project exists because very few men get to stand in both places.

Why the Faithful Fatherhood Project Exists

Fatherhood is under pressure.

Men are expected to lead without formation, provide without support, and remain emotionally present without models for how to do so well. Many fathers feel isolated, unsure, or quietly overwhelmed—especially those who want to live with faith, integrity, and purpose.

Faithful Fatherhood is a place for:

• Men who want to be present, engaged fathers

• Men navigating faith, doubt, marriage, work, and identity

• Men who want formation, not platitudes

• Men who believe fatherhood is a calling, not just a role
  

This project draws from:

• My years as an ordained Catholic priest

• My experience offering pastoral care and spiritual direction

• My current reality as a working, imperfect, learning father

• Hard-earned lessons from failure, humility, and rebuilding

What You’ll Find Here

Faithful Fatherhood is not about nostalgia for clerical life, nor is it about rejecting faith.

It is about integration.

Here you’ll find reflections on:

• Fatherhood as a vocation

• Faith lived in the messiness of family life

• Masculinity rooted in responsibility, not bravado

• Leadership that begins at home

• Formation for men who want to grow—not perform
  

This is a space shaped by prayer, experience, reason, and real life.

Resources and Transparency

As part of this project, I periodically share resources, tools, books, and products that I believe can genuinely support men on the journey of fatherhood—spiritually, emotionally, and practically.

Some of these recommendations include affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only share resources I personally use, trust, or believe add real value to family life and faithful leadership in the home. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

This transparency helps support the ongoing work of the Faithful Fatherhood Project while keeping the mission rooted in service, integrity, and trust.

Walking Forward

I no longer wear a collar.
But I still believe deeply in formation, accountability, and faithful presence.

I now TRY to live what I once preached—learning daily how to love my family well, how to lead without control, and how to remain grounded in faith while embracing the responsibilities of fatherhood. I wasn't the perfect Father, and I'm not the perfect father. But, the journey of life gives us a chance to learn and grow, and hopefully we can do it together.

Faithful Fatherhood is an invitation to walk that path together.

Welcome.

— Jacob Rose
Founder, Faithful Fatherhood Project