Director of Family & Respect Life

Job Summary:

The Secretariat for the New Evangelization provides parishes and college campus ministries within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fall River with evangelistic trainings, events and assistance so that they can accomplish their mission.

The Director of Family and Respect Life is a full-time, salaried position within the Secretariat and will report to the Secretary for the New Evangelization, focusing on the areas of Marriage, Respect Life, NFP/fertility awareness, divorced and separated, as well as those who minister to them.

This position will aid our department in its mission to work with the Diocese of Fall River’s parishes and college campus ministries to be holy centers of evangelization. We strive to provide a culture of service to parishes, clergy and personnel to support their mission to evangelize.

Supervisory Responsibilities: Manage and direct the activities, staff and volunteers involved in the areas of Family and Respect Life, including the Coordinator of Family and Respect Life.

Duties/Responsibilities:

General

• Provide assistance to parishes, schools, and relevant personnel
• Work to educate and promote the Church’s teachings on the Gospel of Life and Marriage
• Develop training opportunities, workshops, written and electronic resources for topics relevant to this position
• Organize Diocesan events relevant to this position, including the Walk for Life, Respect Life Mass and Conference, Respect Life Youth Essay Contest, Cardinal O’Connor Award, World Meeting of Families, Wedding Anniversary Mass, marriage encounters and retreats

Marriage & the Family

• Work to support the Vocation of Marriage within the diocese, including:
  • Aiding parishes evangelize engaged and married couples at every stage
  • Overseeing the diocesan marriage/remarriage preparation program, its implementation and development
  • Supporting clergy in FOCCUS implementation and processing
  • Recruiting and developing Marriage mentor couples
• Work with parishes to ensure ongoing care and enrichment for holy and healthy marriages
  • Special attention given to the first five years of marriage and aiding parishes build a bridge with those recently married
• Develop and promote pastoral responses for ministering with those who are divorced and separated
• Collaborate with the Diocesan Tribunal to provide awareness and education on annulments
• Develop support and awareness regarding Natural Family Planning (NFP) and fertility awareness, coordinating with existing NFP consultants and growing a base of future instructors

Respect Life

• Oversee Pro-Life support initiatives, including Walking with Moms in Need and the Faustina Center, including:
  • Collaborating with parishes to gather supplies and resources for mothers in need
  • Receiving inquires and requests for help; coordinating with individuals to receive Center resources
  • Connecting those in need with outside resources, as needed
• Oversee and further develop Project Rachel support and Rachel’s Vineyard’s Retreat
• Work with parish-based Pro-Life committees to promote and build a Culture of Life locally

Departmental

• Collaborate with other directors to aid parishes evangelize as a whole
• Create benchmarks, metrics and measure trends that define success and effectiveness; leverage those to report on status and successes
• Represent the Diocese in relevant professional and ecclesial organizations
• Aid the Office in developing strategic planning, annual goals and adhering to its mission and vision
• Organize Diocesan responses to USCCB initiatives on Marriage and Respect Life
• Incorporating the needs and perspectives of different ethnic groups and those with disabilities in all programming, as well as aiding parishes at doing the same
• All other duties as assigned

Required Skills/Abilities:

• Deep faith and personal commitment to the life of the Catholic Church
• In depth knowledge of the Catholic Church, its mission, teachings, structures, and ministerial life
• Creative and forward thinking, with the ability to translate best practices and data driven trends into practical ministry
• Demonstrated leadership and organizational ability, skills and desire for collaboration, together with ability to take initiative and work independently
• Strong communication skills, both written and oral; ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from a variety of groups
• Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists
• Knowledge and skills to do research, writing, and prepare formational materials and programs; ability to organize, conduct, and evaluate formation programs
• Ability to do long range planning and project management
• Proficient with the Microsoft Office Suite and Google Suite of products
• Ability to work regularly in the field and travel independently throughout the Diocese

Education and Experience:

• Must be a practicing Catholic and uphold the teachings of the Catholic Church
• Bachelor’s degree in theology or social service (psychology, sociology, counseling, education); Master’s degree preferred
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Minimum of three years demonstrated practical experience in field related to marriage and family life and/or respect life
• Demonstrate ability to work cooperatively and tactfully with other public and private agencies
• Ability to recruit, motivate and support volunteers.
• Valid Drivers License

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to stand, walk, stoop, kneel, crouch and manipulate (lift, carry, move) light to medium weight of 10-50 pounds.
• Ability to sit, hear, talk and use repetitive motion of the hands/wrists
• Ability to perform work in and out of the office setting