Name: Jamie Cross
Position: Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministries
Parish: St. Mark
Office Phone:703-938-5656
E-mail Address: [email protected]
Website: stmark.org
Youth Ministry program includes:
- FALL/WINTER/SPRING
-CYO Sports
-Catholic Scouting
-weekly high school small groups (one for girls, one for guys)
-weekly-ish 7th & 8th grade ROAR, a combination of youth ministry/RE confirmation prep blend
-monthly 6:15am Mass & Minis (first Fridays except Jan & April)
-high school apostolate (Lion’s Den)
-retreats for middle & high schoolers
-One Act Play Festival/Living Stations
-Mother/Daughter Baking With the Saints grouping (father/son version coming soon!)
-monthly fun outings (ex. bowling, skiing, DC United game, pilgrimages, Christmas caroling, etc.)
-service opportunities
-diocesan events like RALLY, BASH, LifeFest, etc. - SUMMER
-High School WorkCamp w/diocese
-Middle School WorkCamp w/nearby parishes
-Steubenville Conference
-Kings Dominion Day
-weekly drop-in sports & game night (Thursday Night Lights)
-weekly college bible study
History/Resume
Active in Youth Ministry since: September 2018
In current position since: June 2024
About Me: Born in New Jersey and mainly raised in Chesapeake, VA, I have been Catholic my whole life, but really claimed our faith for my own when I was 15 and had a particularly powerful encounter with Christ in adoration. I attended Christopher Newport University (go Captains!) where I majored in History and minored in Leadership Studies, and was a member of CNU Swimming. In college, the Catholic Campus Ministry quickly became my home away from home-having a tabernacle with Our Lord and a community of other young people striving for sainthood be just a five-minute walk from my dorm absolutely changed my life. I am a full member in Women Youth Apostles, a community of Catholic women dedicated to deep relationship with Jesus, each other, and ministry, that we might lead young people closer to Christ. I am a huge fan of the New York Yankees, matcha lattes, the beach, any kind of trivia game or karaoke, and the Glorious Mysteries of the rosary.
After I was confirmed in 10th grade, I began volunteering in the middle and elementary school religious ed classrooms at my parish. When I got to college, I joined my new parish’s middle school core team and helped lead the HS confirmation retreats. By my junior year at CNU, I realized the handful of hours every week I spent doing youth ministry were some of the highlights of my day and biggest cup-fillers, so I decided it was time to start praying about that. With the guidance of my community and our brother community, Youth Apostles, I accepted a summer gig as the Youth Ministry Missionary at All Saints in Summer 2023, and the Lord blessed me abundantly through it. After graduating from CNU in May 2024, He called me here to St. Mark! I am so grateful that my job is to serve Jesus in His young people and help cultivate a community of disciples that will build up the Kingdom on earth and become Saints in Heaven one day.
Birthdate: July 4
Favorites
Favorite Food(s): Penne pollo e funghi, broccoli, ice cream, smoothies, pickles!
Favorite Band: Ben Rector, Lauren Daigle, Thomas Rhett, Coldplay, Yo-Yo Ma
Favorite Pastime: Swimming, cooking, visiting museums, card/board games, yapping, rosary walks in nature, cheering for the NY Yankees Feb-Nov!
Favorite Saint: This is SO hard. Mama Mary, St. Pope John Paul II, Bl. Chiara Luce Badano, St. Maximilian Kolbe, St. Josephine Bakhita, and St. Tarcisius have been my besties for the past few years. I could go on and on…
Favorite Scripture: Mark 5:25-42, the healings of the hemorrhaging woman and of Jairus’ daughter, have been a massive part of my testimony.
Favorite Book: Jesus the Bridegroom by Brant Pitre, The Bedford Boys by Alex Kershaw, The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall, and every Harry Potter
