Biography

Lara has spent twelve of the last seventeen years answering the call to give back to young people some of what she was blessed to have experienced as a youth. As a parish Director of Youth Ministry for the past eight years, she has focused her gifts in the development of retreat experiences for Middle School and High School students that combine catechesis with elements that make them relevant to the lives of young people.

Lara’s ministry started as a child, through her mom- one of the “church ladies”. Realizing that she and her five siblings would get home more quickly if they helped out, her adventure into serving the Church began by wiping tables, taking out the trash and teaching the younger kids how to swing from the metal handrails in front of St Mary Magdalene in Worland Wyoming. It was her own experiences in youth ministry that opened her to the possibilities of service to the young Church. After leaving ministry for a few years to start a family, the tragedy at Columbine High School and her personal connections to some of the families and young people affected, called her back to full time youth ministry.

Lara is the mother of two sons who keep her grounded and aware of the simple presence of Christ in each aspect of life. She lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado and serves as the Director of Youth Ministry at Divine Redeemer Catholic Community.