Growing up in Mexico, Junuee Castro had a close relationship with her grandparents. It was a bond imbued with deep Catholic faith that continues to propel her forward today.
“They were involved in church, so that really stuck with me,” Castro said. “My grandfather, for example, every Thursday he would bring me to a full hour of adoration, to our small chapel there in town. My grandmother, she taught me the prayers that I still pray to this day.”
Castro, the bilingual coordinator of Youth and Young Adult Ministry for the Diocese of Phoenix, was hired in October of 2024. She shines in a role that has been vacant for nearly 14 years at the diocesan level.
Last fall, Castro hit the ground running with bright dreams for the future of youth and young adult ministry in the diocese — dreams backed by years of national and international experience as a wealth of education.
Castro relates to many young people today who were raised Catholic but wandered away from the practice of the faith during their college years. As it turned out in her case, Providence intervened. While attending Phoenix College, Castro was embraced by a group of friends on fire for their Catholic faith.
“They were leaders,” Castro said. “They were participating, involved and they invited me to retreat events.
“I had the chance to see these young adults — they also have whatever other issues, but they were happy, they were joyful and they were sharing something good, something greater than me.”
Attending a four-day retreat her newfound friends, she was transformed. “It changed my perspective completely about life and about myself,” said Castro.
It was the leadership of these friends and the fact that they reached out to Castro as peers and as missionary disciples that made the difference.
“Coming back to the Church and just seeing that invitation, which is so crucial in ministry. Peer-to-peer ministry, youth to youth, young adult to young adult — it’s essential.”
Castro describes herself as the fruit of young adult ministry in the Church. Not only did she recommit herself to her faith, but she also decided she wanted to learn even more about it.
Development in leadership
Castro holds a bachelor’s degree in pastoral ministry from the University of the Incarnate Word in Texas and a master’s degree in theology and ministry from Boston College. Having come to the U.S. from Mexico with her family when she was 9 years old, she also relates culturally to the experience of many young Catholics. According to Pew Research from 2025, about 36-percent of U.S. Catholics are Hispanic.
Castro was a U.S. delegate of the Fifth National Encuentro of Hispanic/Latino Ministry at the Vatican in September of 2019. She was the director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry for the Diocese of Salt Lake City for four years.
She also has years of experience in the Diocese of Phoenix, having served as the manager of Adult Faith Formation and Enrichment at St. Francis Xavier Parish in Phoenix for three years and the director of Religious Education and Hispanic Ministry at St. John Vianney Parish in Sedona, Ariz. for two years.
Last November, Castro invited Paul Jarzembowski, the associate director for the laity for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB,) and Dr. Maria Parker, the assistant director for the laity for the USCCB, to come to Phoenix to speak at the Diocesan Youth and Young Adult Leadership Convocation. The two-day event held earlier this month featured Bishop John Dolan and four other speakers who zeroed in on young people and mental health.
“Just seeing the numbers, statistics and the reality of our young people and even other generations as well, struggling with mental health — it’s crucial that we respond as a Church,” Castro said. “My intention is to continue to strengthen the collaboration with the Office of Mental Health Ministry.”
Castro said she is working closely with that office in accompanying and providing resources and education on mental health, especially for young people.
The event Castro organized also included a daylong event for youth and young adult ministry leaders to gather at St. Andrew the Apostle Parish in Chandler for keynote addresses and breakout sessions with Parker and Jarzembowski.
Moving forward
Although many of the Diocese of Phoenix’s 94 parishes lost their youth ministry and young adult ministry leaders during the Covid pandemic, Castro said that as of today, there are nearly 70 youth ministries and 20 young adult ministries currently operating around the diocese.
In meeting with youth and young adult ministry leaders around the diocese, Castro said they often share what their ministries were like before Covid, pointing to diocesan events and a summer camp up north.
“They are eager to bring that back, so that’s definitely where my office is going to support and accompany these ministries in order for us to continue building and hopefully brining back those experiences they had.”
Castro is working with diocesan leadership on a youth initiative that will take place in June. Some 160 young adults have been nominated to help facilitate listening sessions across the diocese. They will be commissioned by Bishop Dolan April 12 at St. Mary’s Basilica in downtown Phoenix.
The diocese’s new youth and young adult ministry coordinator has her work cut out for her. According to a recent Pew Research survey, 46-percent of young adults ages 18-to-24 are Christian. Just 27-percent of those age 18-to-24 pray daily and only 25-percent report they attend religious services at least monthly.
Castro said she plans to work alongside pastors and youth and young adult ministry leaders to strengthen the ministries they have. She also wants to focus on parishes and communities that currently do not have youth and young adult ministry.
“My plan is families and communities,” Castro said. “Fostering lifelong Catholics within youth and young adult ministry.
“I would love to see lifelong Catholics as a fruit of today’s youth and young adult ministry. That would be my hope.”
Learn more or contact Junuee Castro here Evangelization, Discipleship and Spirituality – The Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix
