Jim Knowles (’75)

“My time at CBU, then Christian Brothers College, was truly life changing. I knew I wanted to teach, and CBU gave me this opportunity through a year of practice teaching at Christian Brothers High School and a local grade school. ”

While a student at Christian Brothers University, Jim Knowles was a scholastic with the Christian Brothers and played varsity tennis. Upon graduation in 1975 with BA in Humanities, he began teaching History and Religion in schools affiliated with the Brothers and went on to earn an MA in Religious Studies at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota.

After five years of teaching, Jim became a parish Youth Minister, worked for the Archdiocese of Denver in Youth Ministry, and then moved to Washington, DC, where he assumed the role as Executive Director for the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry. He then went on to work for several different Christian and Catholic publishing companies, including Saint Mary’s Press, RCL Benziger, Ascension Press, and the Augustine Institute.

Jim currently serves as Director of Faith Formation and Evangelization at Notre Dame Catholic Parish in Denver, where he is responsible for Faith Formation programs K-12, Sacramental Preparation for First Reconciliation, First Communion and Confirmation, as well as the parish’s Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) program. Jim has been married for 40 years, with two grown children and four grandchildren.

Sports and academics were also central to my life at CBU, from playing varsity tennis for three years and being a part of the council for Intramural sports. Living this time as a Christian Brother helped shape what I do today — ministering to others, whether it be through a school, an Archdiocese, or a local parish. As I mentioned, it was truly life-changing.