Pastoral Care Minister

Job Summary:

Position Summary: Works in collaboration with the Pastor to respond to the pastoral care needs of the parish.

Actions required to be consistent with Culture and Values:

• Explore Potential: Nurture and challenge the God-given potential and gifts in others so they translate their own potential into action and reach the hearts of even more people through missionary discipleship.
• Connect to Inspire: Connect with each individual person and ignite their desire to accomplish the vision and mission of the Church.
• Embrace People’s Hearts: See Christ in all who are served and treat each person with respect and honor with positive regard and appreciation for all individuals.
• Empowered to Act: Take personal responsibility for diocesan mission, vision and culture with a personal desire for accountability to reach souls for God.
• Nurture Abundant Life and Growth: Actively nurture life and growth of each individual with a desire to cultivate their own ability to inspire discipleship in others.  Cultivate leaders and teams outside of their comfort zone in their personal journey of discipleship actions.

Required Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities:

Knowledge

• MA in Theology, Pastoral Ministry or Religious Studies (or equivalency); experience relating to parishioners and shared faith.
• Previous ministerial experience desirable.
• Practicing Catholic in good standing.
• An understanding of Church structure, knowledge of religion and loyalty to the parish and community are essential ingredients in relationships with the pastor, staff, parishioners and community members.
• Demonstrates a working knowledge of theology which can be translated into practical pastoral and liturgical situations.

Skills and Abilities

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to train, motivate and sustain pastoral staff volunteers in pastoral ministry.
• Evidence of effective “bridge building” between families and the parish especially those in need of evangelization.
• Maintains confidentiality.
• Works well and collaboratively with pastor, staff, committees and individual parishioner

Duties and Responsibilities:

“Embrace the mission and vision of the Catholic Diocese of Green Bay and work in accordance with Catholic Social Teachings and the moral and ethical values of the Catholic Church.”

Pastoral Care

• Assess and provide a pastoral presence in times of need and as assigned by the Pastor
• Maintains direct pastoral contact and visitation with parish members who are hospitalized, at care facilities, or homebound
• Ministers with pastor to families during times of grief, including funeral liturgy planning and pastoral care after a funeral

Baptism Preparation

• Coordinate and implement the baptismal preparation process
• Provide ministry to young families

Parish Resource

• Functions as a member of the parish pastoral team
• Works with appropriate parish committees and organizations in carrying out major responsibilities
• Assists in recruiting, training and supporting volunteers for various ministries including Liturgical and Music Ministries and outreach programs
• Coordinating programs and outreach as needed, to address the spiritual and corporal needs of the parish to include – but not limited to:
  • Living Justice Ministry - Parish Staff liaison
    • Feed my Starving Children Program
    • Ecumenical Partnership for Housing
    • NEW Shelter Meals
    • Christmas Giving Tree Program
    • Angel Tree Program
• Welcome and register new parish members
• Performs other duties as assigned

Nature of Supervision Received:  Works under the direction of the Pastor.  Works independently within authority-limits and expertise. The direction from the Pastor to assign objectives, assist in task priority setting, review results and offer guidance.  Requires individual initiative in recognition of problems and solutions.

Judgment Exercised/Decisions Made:  Must function independently, have flexibility, personal integrity, and the ability to work effectively with the community, clergy, parishioners, staff, and support agencies.  Must be able to relate to and work with ill, disabled, elderly, emotionally upset, and people who are grieving.

Financial Responsibility:  Recommend purchase of major expense items and controls individual expenses to parish pre-approved limits.

Supervision Exercised/Number of Employees Supervised:  None

ADA

Physical/Visual/Mental Demands:  While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear.  Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.  This position requires intermittent physical activity, including standing, walking, bending, kneeling, stooping and crouching as well as the ability to push, pull, move, and/or lift a minimum of 25 pounds to a minimum height of 5 feet and able to push, pull, move, and/or carry such weight a minimum distance of 50 feet.  Must be able to cope with the mental and emotional stress of the position.

Typical Working Conditions:  Frequent work in office setting during regular business hours, however, position may require travel to community persons’ residence, hospitals and/or long-term care facilities during evenings and weekends several times per week. Regular work in excess of 40 hours per week, with some flexibility to accommodate longer workdays, evenings and weekends.