Taking risks in faith led Christina Lamas to break barriers, focus on empowering Catholic youth

When asked how her faith and culture impact her day-to-day life and responsibilities as the executive director of the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry, Christina Lamas responds with a brief yet resolute, “It grounds me.”

Lamas stepped into the NFCYM leadership role in 2016 — a position that required her to move across the country from her native California to the capital of the country — to oversee the administration, management and operations of the nonprofit member organization, which aims to connect and empower youth ministry leaders as they evangelize the next generation of Catholics.

“When I took this position here in Washington, D.C., the thought of moving across the country by myself, as a single parent, and trying to figure this out without the support of my family and community that has always been a part of who I am was daunting,” Lamas told OSV News.

But Lamas has been a trailblazer within her own family and community — and not one to pass on such an offer, having cultivated leadership skills like courage and commitment from a young age, especially to something as cherished by her as youth ministry.

One of the eight children of Mexican immigrants from the state of Zacatecas, Lamas grew up in a household in La Puente, Calif., with a “deep-rooted Mexican culture.”

“(That culture) is present in every aspect of my life, from the moment that I was born to even today: it’s a part of who I am,” she said.

While her parish, St. Louis of France Church in La Puente, welcomed Lamas and her family among its faithful, Lamas credits her mother for instilling the seeds of the Catholic faith. Whether it was by taking her to “el grupo de oración” (“the prayer group”), to pray the rosary on Thursday nights, or to Catholic congresses happening within the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, her mother “took it upon herself to expose us” to the Catholic faith, Lamas said.

She would embrace that faith tightly when she headed off to college at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Lamas recalls her parents being hesitant at the idea of her living on campus and being away from home for prolonged periods, but she said, again resolutely: “Since a very young age, I’ve been wanting to break barriers … so, in faith, I took the risk and said, ‘This is what I’m doing,’ and moved forward. And that (also) opened doors for the rest of my siblings.”

Armed with two degrees — a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and psychology and a master’s degree in social work from USC — Lamas became the youth ministry and confirmation coordinator for St. Louis of France Church. She shared that this role spanned from 2004 to 2009, leading to positions at the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, including as youth ministry and confirmation consultant (2009-2010) and division coordinator of youth ministry (2013-2016).

Her experience at the St. Louis of France, which boasted a large Hispanic community, was pivotal as she built a career related to youth ministry, not only because it informed her of the spiritual needs of parishioners but also because she identified with the struggles they faced.

She could relate to parents of teens who “had one foot in the U.S. and one foot in Mexico and were dealing with some of the culture that comes with it, trying to balance it all.” The work was challenging, Lamas revealed, but she embraced it, finding profound joy in “having a conversation with parents and then helping them navigate that with their young persons.”

“That brought me closer to the community, which allowed me then to raise a group of volunteers that embraced their faith but also wanted to pass that on to the youth,” she said.

As the executive director of the NFCYM, Lamas now connects with youth ministry leaders across the nation, striving to offer intentional formation and committing to create initiatives so everyone feels included.

“It’s always being mindful of who’s around the table, who’s voice is not there, and identifying the leaders that may or may not be there,” she said.

She has also been inspired by the vision expressed in “Evangelii Gaudium” about “our collective ability to empower young people to embrace their role of ‘street preachers’ or ‘callejeros de la fe’,” she said, according to the NFCYM website.

“It brings me great joy to envision them spreading the message of Jesus throughout every street, town square, and corner of the world, with the support of nurturing adults through formation, resources, and networking,” she said.

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