St. Jude Church and Shrine
Chalfont, PA
Position Description: Director/Coordinator of Faith Formation
Reports To: Pastor
Status: Full-Time
Position Overview
The Director/Coordinator of Faith Formation (hereafter “Director”) is a member of the pastoral staff and shall be responsible for the faith formation of children and young adults of the parish to be carried out according to the catechetical norms of the Roman Catholic Church.
This role’s primary focus is to ensure that a well-rounded faith and sacramental preparation formation program is developed for the parish. In addition, the Director /Coordinator works with other members of the parish staff to foster and maintain a working environment where worship, prayer, hospitality and learning is evident among all ministries. This position is a 12-month position. This position includes evening and weekend hours for the celebration of the Sacraments, as well as parents’ meetings and events preparing for the celebration of the Sacraments. Regular working hours are flexible to meet the needs of the individuals of those taking classes.
Interested candidates are invited to send their application packet, including both two letters of recommendation and Resume should be sent to Rev. Anthony Costa at [email protected].
Key Responsibilities:
Religious Education Program
- In conjunction with the Pastor and in compliance with diocesan guidelines, sets the general direction of the Religious Education program and develops the curriculum for youth and adult faith formation.
- Works in developing and implementing an effective, well-rounded, faith formation program.
- Coordinates in developing a yearly youth/adult formation calendar.
- Recruits, trains and provides ongoing support to volunteer catechists, assistants, and other volunteers.
- Records, tracks and works with parents regarding attendance.
- Oversees student evaluations for all grades.
- Ensures teaching materials and supplies are available for catechists’ weekly lessons
- Supervises religious education session times: Monday evening; Sunday Family noon – 1 PM; and other times as needed
- Organizes and supervises the arrival and dismissal of students from Religious Education classes
- Inspects religious education classrooms immediately before and after each session to ensure rooms are in proper order.
- Promotes a positive and cohesive relationship among school and Religious Education families.
- Provides clear communications on upcoming activities and expectations to religious education families. This may include special mailings, weekly bulletin announcements, special announcements during Mass, parish website, and maintaining parent and catechist handbooks.
- Works with parents and children who are in a home school program to ensure diocesan and parish guidelines are being met. Meet with these families 3 times a year.
- Ensures that the Safe Environment requirements, policies and mandates for Parish religious education volunteers are in compliance with the Office for Child and Youth Protection.
- Perform other task as assigned/needed.
Vacation Bible School
- Oversee a Vacation Bible School program, including but not limited to:
- Program curriculum by age groups
- Identifying teachers/facilitators and train, develop and assess performance
- Coordination of facilities, supplies, and appropriate technology
Parish Wide Catechetical Opportunities for children/families
- Develop and conduct special programs for families each year, e.g. Advent, Lenten Workshop/Retreats.
Faith Formation
Responsible for catechesis of children in grades 1 through 7 in public elementary, middle schools, and homeschool, as well as adult faith formation.
- plan the yearly Religious Education calendar, consistent with the liturgical year and the public school calendar
- evaluate and incorporate Religious Education curriculum in accordance to diocesan standards
- work with and communicate with the archdiocesan Office of Catechetical Formation
- integrate diocesan curriculum guidelines
- investigate and purchase media resources for the Parish Library
- establish and maintain accurate sacramental records for the Parish Office
Catechist Formation
The supervision of all catechists in the Religious Education programs shall be the responsibility of the Director, including:
- Recruits, on-boards and trains all catechists
- Conducts ongoing assessment of all catechists through classroom visitation, cohort feedback, etc.
- Identifies and provides learning resources to support curriculum
- Encourages catechists to obtain Catechetical Certification according to the policy set by the Archdiocesan Office for Catechetical Formation
Sacramental Formation
The Director/Coordinator shall follow the guidelines and regulations of the archdiocese regarding the reception of the Sacraments. The Director/Coordinator will collaborate with the parish to:
- develop and implement parent sacrament meetings for First Reconciliation, First Eucharist, and Confirmation
- direct sacramental preparation of students in both the Religious Education and school
- prepare all parish sacramental certificates
- relay proper communication to the home regarding sacraments
- work with those children who need to be caught up on sacraments both in school and in Religious Education
- conduct all practices and events for each sacrament (First Communion, First Reconciliation, Confirmation), including respective retreats
Faith Formation for Families
The Director/Coordinator will make an effort to be attentive to the needs of families by:
- providing information that will challenge families in their Faith Formation in the monthly Religious Education newsletter
- establishing communication with families through the parish bulletin
- Provides resources and programs for Adult formation
Adult Faith Formation
The Director will manage relationships with Parish lay ministry leads conducting faith formation programs to ensure:
- outcomes are defined and achieved
- all program content is appropriate
- programs are led by vetted volunteers having requisite skills, training, certifications
Other
- Participate in and represent Saint Jude Church and Shrine at regional and archdiocesan Director, Religious Education meetings, catechetical workshops and conferences
Qualifications
- Must be an active, practicing Catholic and have an excellent knowledge of the Catholic Faith and striving to live in conformity with the moral teachings of the Church.
- A Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in theology or ability to obtain such degree is highly desirable.
- Participates in ongoing formation and educational opportunities to keep current on trends in catechetical ministry.
- Must have excellent interpersonal skills, oral and written communication skills, and problem solving skills.
- Must be able to work both independently and in a team environment. Must be self-motivated and able to multitask.
- Integrating technology into formation offerings is a plus
The candidate must provide (or obtain prior to employment) clearances required by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania: PA Criminal Background Check and FBI Fingerprint Check. Also, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia requires “Safe Environment” Training Parts 1 and 2 (Mandated Reporting training).
