What a different way to live out our Easter time in the midst of the passing of our Holy Father, Pope Francis. The Spirit brought to my attention the message that Pope Francis gave to us at the 34th World Youth Day in Panama on Saturday, January 26, 2019, and I wanted to share it with you. I remembered the burning weather but also the burning in our hearts with the fire of the Holy Spirit among the youth as Pope Francis said to us, “only that which is loved can be saved,” such a key element to our mission as Youth Ministers; we must continue to love as He loved us. I know it is a time of many changes, frailties and difficulties, but as Youth Ministers we must recall the greatest mission we have, which is to inspire our youth to dream, “dreaming of a future means learning how to answer not only the question what am I living for, but also who am I living for, the one who makes it worthwhile for me to offer my life. And that is something we must facilitate.” As we honor our Holy Father’s memory, I invite you call to mind the “yes” you have given Jesus and as our dear Pope Francis said “have courage and don’t be afraid to open your heart to him so that he may renew the fire of his love, so that you can embrace life with all its frailty and flaws, but also with its grandeur and beauty. May Jesus help you to discover the beauty of being alive and awake.”
Introducing Our New Director of Youth Ministry - Landon Baird
We are excited to announce that, after several months of interviews with multiple candidates, we have hired our new Director of Youth and Campus Ministry, Landon Baird.
Landon was born and raised in Littleton, Colorado, and grew up in the vibrant community of Saint Frances Cabrini Parish. He graduated from Colorado State University with a B.S. in Business Administration, concentrating in Marketing. After college, Landon returned to his home parish to serve as Assistant Director and later Director of Youth Ministry. After five years in parish ministry, he stepped into the private sector as a Commercial Insurance Producer, where he developed valuable skills in leadership, communication, and relationship-building.
Now serving as the Director of Youth and Campus Ministry for the Archdiocese of Denver, Landon is deeply grateful to return to ministry and support youth ministers across the Archdiocese in spreading the Gospel to the young Church. His own life was transformed in high school by a faithful and devoted youth minister who mentored him through his conversion, and he carries that legacy forward in his ministry today.
We are excited for you to meet and get to know (or say hello to) Landon at upcoming Youth Ministry meetings and events.
Departure of our Associate Director – Stefania Elsmore
We are sad to announce that Stefania Elsmore has decided to step down as Associate Director of Youth Ministry. Stefania has been working in the office of Youth Ministry in various roles since 2007 and we are incredibly grateful to her for all her efforts in helping to create moments of encountering God for the young people of Denver for the past 18 years. Stefania’s last day in the office will be May 1. Please join us in thanking her for all her efforts to bring the Gospel to so many young people!
Monthly Meetings
Pastoral Juvenil Monthly Meeting
May 14, 2025 | 7-9 PM | Room 125 | Meeting is hosted in Spanish
This month we finalize our discussion on the latest document published by the USCCB called Listen, Teach, Send and the guidance it gives us on the accompaniment and evangelization of young people in middle and high school. Deacon Jose Delgado (who will be Father Jose Delgado by the date of this meeting) will join us to expand upon the 3rd principle of the letter: Sent. Please RSVP below and join us!
June 7, 2025 | $30 per person | Saint John Paul the Great Catholic High School
Don’t forget to register your group for Elevate 2025! Elevate is a bridge from elementary school to middle school; this one-day rally will help you build excitement for youth ministry and all the opportunities these young people will have in the coming years. We seek to engage young people, encourage them in faith and send them back to their schools and parishes to be a part of the communities they are already planted in. Register today!
Have you ever celebrated the feast of Corpus Christi in a big way? If not, come and learn how to make sawdust mats this year! Join us to celebrate the Lord in a big way! Register your youth group today using the button below.
LAST CALL: I AM Prayer Ministry Training Opportunity
May 4-9, 2025 | $499 per person | Saint Thomas More Parish
“I AM” Prayer Ministry Training is a five-day training event that will be held at Saint Thomas More in Centennial, CO, from May 4 to May 9, 2025. Participants of the “I AM” Prayer Ministry Training will learn the essential skills to become competent facilitators of healing prayer, including “conference style” prayer and “in-depth” or “inner healing." The overall training will focus on gaining confidence in hearing from God, understanding the nature and effects of a wound, and becoming spiritually fortified to help bring the Gospel message of healing to a hurting world.
Attending a Healing the Whole Person Conference (weekend, weeklong or virtual) is a prerequisite for registering for this event.
This is a great training opportunity; we highly encourage all Youth Ministers to prayerfully consider attending!
SAVE THE DATE: Catholic Youth Day at Elitch Gardens
June 25, 2025 | 10:30 AM-7 PM | $40 per person
Join us for Catholic Youth Day at Elitch Gardens Amusement Park on June 25! Tickets are $40 each. Parking passes are not included in the price (discounted to $20 per vehicle). The deadline to reserve tickets for your parish is June 18. You can reserve tickets by filling out the form below!
Our BASIC Application is not yet available. We will send a separate email once the application is ready. Thank you for your understanding!
SAVE THE DATE: 2025 Parish Leaders Convocation
August 12 | More details coming soon!
Please save the date for our 2nd Parish Leaders Convocation on August 12, 2025! Our Spanish Parish Leaders Convocation will be on August 23, 2025! More details will be available soon.
Happy Birthday!
This month, we would like to wish a very happy birthday to the following leaders. May God bless you abundantly and continue to strengthen you for the work of ministry!
Liz Luttrell Kelley – May 19th
Michael Lynch – May 26th
Youth Ministry Mission Support Page
Our Youth Ministry Mission Support Page offers resources to support you in ministry! We have included some of the most commonly used Risk Management forms and recordings of our recent meetings. This website also contains a Youth Ministry calendar with all the major events that happen throughout the year.
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Office of Evangelization and Family Life Ministries, 1300 S Steele St, Denver, CO 80210
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