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LAUNCH25 Registration will open in late January 2025.

More information, including pricing updates, will be posted then.

Join us August 4 - 7, 2025 at The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C. for the beginning of your professional career as a Catholic campus minister. LAUNCH provides you with the foundation you need to thrive in ministry. LAUNCH participants will be equipped to

  • Articulate a vision of Catholic campus ministry

  • Identify the Church’s role in higher education

  • Build a plan for ministry growth

  • Grasp the importance of personal prayer and devotional life

  • Study the recent trends and data about college students today

  • Understand the dynamics of student mental health

Have questions? We would love to connect with you. Contact Lisa Lytwyn, LAUNCH Coordinator, lytwyn@ccmanetwork.org.

Want to share this information with your supervisor? Download our FAQ and sample justification letter below.

For our LAUNCH24 alumni, join us for one (or both) of these professional development opportunities

  • Jumpstart Cohort - Form students for mission with Evangelical Catholic (EC). Receive ongoing coaching and access to EC’s proven “Reach More Mission” training to form 6-12 student leaders in your first year. Apply here.

  • Certification Cohort - Work toward your tier 1 certification with your fellow peers, led by Emily Klaus, CCMA's Mentorship Program Coordinator, to improve your skills, earning potential and job satisfaction. Apply here.

Location

LAUNCH will be hosted at The Catholic University of America, located in the heart of Washington D.C. We will be steps away from the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, the largest Catholic Church in North America and a short metro ride from the Washington Monuments and museums.

The nearest airport is Reagan Washington (DCA) Airport which is 6.1 miles away and directly accessible to campus by the metro. Other nearby airports include Washington Dulles (IAD) (24.3 miles), Baltimore (BWI) (24.7 miles).

Cost

LAUNCH costs $650 per person. This includes private dorm lodging on campus, meals, materials and resources. It does not include travel expenses.

LAUNCH costs CCMA $900 per attendee. Thanks to our generous donors, we can offer every attendee a scholarship of $250 that reduces the cost as seen above.

Contact Lisa Lytwyn, lytwyn@ccmanetwork.org, for a promo code to save $25 per registration, for registering two or more participants from your team or diocese.

If you need an additional night’s stay on campus due to travel plans, please let Lisa Lytwyn know as soon as possible - lytwyn@ccmanetwork.org. The cost for an additional stay is $65 per night.

LAUNCH refund policy: you can receive a full refund until July 1, 2025.

  • Each participant will have a private dorm room with a sink. Linens and towels will be provided. There is one bathroom shared between two rooms.

    For those wishing for other accommodations, Washington Retreat House, located right across the street from The Catholic University of America, has a very limited number of rooms available for $135/night. Rooms can be booked and paid for directly by contacting franciscansisters@washingtonretreathouse.org.

Audience

LAUNCH is designed for 1st-5th year campus ministers or chaplains. As the only program of its kind in the nation, LAUNCH is ideal for those who want to start their career with intention. Want to reach more students for Christ? LAUNCH is ideally suited for you.

The Catholic University of America, Washington D.C.

A Truly Catholic Experience

Daily Mass | Holy Hour | Reconciliation | Morning and Evening Prayer | Quiet Time | Reflection

Schedule

Check out our 2024 schedule and speakers! This will be updated in January 2025 for LAUNCH25.

  • 2:30 pm - 4 pm Check in

    4:30 pm Opening Mass celebrated by Rev. Aquinas Guilbeau, O.P., University Chaplain at The Catholic University of America

    5:00 pm Dinner

    7:00 pm First Session - Welcome and Introductions
    Rooted in Christ: Cultivating the Spiritual Life by Dr. Susan Timoney, Director of the Doctor of Ministry Program at The Catholic University of America
    Small groups
    Night prayer

  • Breakfast

    Theological Foundations: Empowered by the Spirit and Ex Corde Ecclesiae with Jeff Shaffer, Director of Mission & Ministry at Georgian Court University

    Historical Foundations: Campus Ministry Chronicles with Barbara McCrabb, Assistant Director Secretariat of Catholic Education at The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

    Mass, personal prayer, lunch

    Evangelization: What it is and how to do it consistently with Br. Patrick Reilly, Director of Campus Ministry at Rutgers University

    Break

    Sharpen your Skills: Managing your schedule, to-do lists and more with MJ Richard, Coordinator of Campus Ministry at University of Maryland

    Small group

    Dinner and break

    Evening Happy Hour and Panel - sponsored by Hallow:
    Supporting Mental Health for the minister, ministry and students     facilitated by Hallow’s Annie Foster with panelists Julie Cilano, Associate Director of Campus Ministry at The Catholic University of America, Dr. Brandon Vaidyanathan, Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Sociology at The Catholic University of America and Jessie Tappel, LPC, ACS Associate Program Director, Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program at Divine Mercy University

  • Boundaries with ministry, students and personal life with Jule Coppa, Campus Minister at UPenn

    Do the Things that Transform: Essentialism for Campus Ministry with Lisa Lytwyn, CCMA

    Mass and Lunch

    Forming Student Leaders through Discipleship, Small Groups and A Synodal Spirit with Josh Dart, Evangelical Catholic

    Small groups + Practicum on Testimonies and Teaching Students to Pray

    Dinner

    Eucharistic Adoration and Confession

    (Optional) Drinks at Brookland Pint

  • 7 (Data-Driven) Ways to Thrive as a Campus Ministry Professional

    Sharing of Graces

    11 am Commissioning Mass

    12 pm Departure

 Have questions? We would love to connect with you. Contact Lisa Lytwyn, LAUNCH Coordinator, lytwyn@ccmanetwork.org.

Friends for a Lifetime