Ramon promoted to director of youth, young adult, and campus ministries
FORT WORTH — While growing up, attending Mass was just part of the routine for Victoria Ramon in her close-knit family. But, in the fall of 2014, everything started to change.
A developing focus on her faith in Christ began to grow, which led her to meaningful times of worship in Mass and attending conferences and retreats. During a 2015 visit with the Salesian Sisters of Saint John Bosco in San Antonio, she sensed what God wanted her to do.
“As I’ve reflected even more just on my journey here, I’m still receiving so much grace from that initial adult encounter,” Ramon said. “It’s definitely that encountering Him in the Eucharist that moved me to let go of my old life, to take off the old and to put on the new in Christ. It’s just encountering Him at Mass in the Eucharist.”
When she returned from the retreat to her home parish of St. Ann in Burleson, she talked to the church’s director of youth ministry. Soon she became an assistant director and eventually director of the youth ministry office at St. Ann.
She loved the curiosity and the enthusiasm of teenagers. Ramon connected both with those actively engaged in their faith and with those who needed encouragement.
She continued her work with youth and those who minister to youth as the associate director of youth and young adult ministries for the Diocese of Fort Worth in 2019.
Then, on September 21 of this year, Ramon was promoted to director of youth, young adult, and campus ministry for the diocese.
She now functions as a support and resource for all the youth and young adult coordinators, as well as campus ministers, helping them to grow their ministries at parishes and universities around the diocese.
“I’m really looking forward to working with adults,” Ramon said. “Most of my ministry has been to youth and their families, and so I have some experience with parents, but being able to work with these young adults, these emerging adults coming into adulthood, that’s probably what I’m really most excited about.”
Her coworker and friend, Julie Kiehlbauch, executive assistant to the Department of Evangelization and Catechesis, has worked with her for years. They worked at St. Ann Parish in Burleson together, and now work within the same department in the diocese.
“She is just very active in participating and trying to improve, and learn, and grow her relationship with Christ, and that shows in the ways that she works and the things that she plans,” Kiehlbauch said. “She takes it very seriously.”
Ramon says that her biggest goal in her new position is “to help form missionary disciples from these emerging young adults,” and “to help them to encounter Christ and to share Him with the world.”
She is impressed with how young adults use technology and social media to share the Gospel: “They’ve got so many ideas, and they see the world through possibilities, and so it really gets them to be creative in how they would want to spread the Good News,” Ramon said.
“I recognize now, more than before, the great responsibility of this position, and I continue to ask the Lord what His will is for me, what He’s asking of me, because for whatever reason, He’s called me to this moment, at this time,” Ramon explained. “I am clinging to Christ as I continue to learn and to grow in this position, and I’m just really excited for this new adventure that He’s taking us on, and I’m really excited to help further the vision of our bishop for youth and young adults and campus ministries in our diocese.”
Ramon, 33, graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington with a degree in business administration and is pursuing a master’s degree in catechetics and evangelization from Franciscan University, to be completed in December 2022. She and her husband live in north Fort Worth and attend Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish.