Unfortunately, in today’s world, parish jobs are often seen as simple, walk-in-the-park vocations. People often imagine that they are for individuals interested in doing something that is a little more challenging than a hobby, but not as intense as a corporate position. But the truth is, to be able to get a parish job and be successful in meeting all its demands, you need a rich set of skills. Let’s look at five indispensable skills you need to get a Catholic parish job and do it well.

Understanding the Stakes

A parish is not the same as an NGO, a secular non-profit, or community organization. It is in the business of saving souls. Rather than think of a parish as a low-stakes way to do some vague good, you need to understand that it is more like working as an EMS or as a doctor in the ER.

To work in a parish is to go to work every day trying to save souls for Jesus Christ. There is nothing more important than the salvation of souls, and parishes are charged with taking care of the day in and day out tasks that make that happen.

When you interview for a Catholic parish job, you will likely be interviewing with the Pastor of the parish. He will be acutely aware of the weight of parish responsibilities. The ability to clearly articulate and embrace the stakes of parish work will be a huge aid. It will also allow you to be better prepared for taking on the challenges of parish ministry with zeal if you do get the position.

Living the Spiritual Life

There is no better way to get a Catholic parish job than to be living a vibrant spiritual life. Working in a parish is all about leading others to encounter Jesus Christ and helping them to form a deep relationship with Him. If you don’t regularly encounter Him or if You do not have a deep relationship with Him, then you won’t be able to give this.

So, evaluate your prayer life. Do you receive the sacraments regularly, especially Confession and the Eucharist? Do you daily have one-on-one conversations with the Lord? Do you try hard to pursue Him every day the

best you can and run to Him when you fail?

It’s very easy to tell the difference between someone who truly knows Jesus, and someone who is faking it! A true, living relationship with our Lord speaks for itself and will be one of the best aids in helping you to get a Catholic parish job. Plus, it will help you avoid ministry burnout!

Understanding the Spiritual Life

For the person who wants to work in a parish, it isn’t enough to just live the spiritual life. It’s also important to understand the ins and outs of having a relationship with Jesus. This doesn’t mean that you need to have a PhD in Spiritual Theology! It just means that you need to understand the different challenges and joys that come with following Christ. A great place to begin understanding the spiritual life is to pursue a living knowledge of self and of God.

Remember, getting a Catholic parish job is about showing that you can help the Pastor save souls. And this requires a working understanding of how to love the Lord in the good and tough times—that is, how to respond to His different promptings and invitations.

Communication

In order to get a Catholic parish job, good communication skills are a must. Every job seems to demand this, but it is especially important in the parish context. We have discussed living and understanding the spiritual life, but if you can’t communicate these things to others, then it will be very difficult to find success in a parish job.

Being able to communicate well in a parish demands a unique ability. It requires the skill to take deep, sometimes complicated truths and simplify them in a way that anyone can understand. This is a craft that takes time to hone. As part of your preparation for interviewing, be sure to take time to think through how you can talk about and teach the most relevant mysteries of the Faith in a way that anyone can understand. This will give you a big leg-up in getting a Catholic parish job.

Humility

Ministry is hard. And, the truth is, you will probably fail … a lot! But that’s okay. Remember, many people walked away from Jesus, so we should expect that we will often be met with failure. The important thing is to be at peace, knowing that every failure is an opportunity for two things. First, it is a chance for growth. By humbly going to the Lord in times of weakness and failure, He will help you discover how to grow. Becoming more humble will be a true aid in your pursuit for a Catholic parish job.

Second, it will allow you to become more dependent on God. Jesus told us that without Him we can do nothing (Jn. 15:5). The more we learn to rely on Him and the less we think it is all up to us, the more prepared we will be for ministry.

I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. John 15:5

Knowing and meditating on your limitations, weaknesses, and inevitable failure will sober your heart, bring you closer to God, and show to anyone interviewing you that you have a realistic, Christ-centered mindset in ministry. People hiring for ministry positions are often on the lookout for naive individuals who think they can save the world. By embracing humility, you will set yourself apart, and, most importantly, draw closer to Jesus Christ.

Conclusion

If the Lord is calling you to a Catholic parish job, then it is incredibly important to follow that call and find Catholic professional work. Knowing these five skills will be a crucial help in getting a Catholic parish job. Plus, it will help you be successful in that job. Remember, if you understand the stakes, authentically live the spiritual life, understand the spiritual life, can communicate well, and strive for humility, then you will set yourself up well for getting a Catholic parish job.

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It’s not hyperbole when I say that soon enough, “remote work” will just be called “work.” There is an estimate out there that 70% of the US workforce will be remote in some capacity by 2025. Sure, some jobs can never go remote. However, mission-based organizations can still transition to remote Catholic work. In fact, it can (and should) be looked at as an opportunity for Catholic organizations and not a cause for concern.

The transition to remote work can definitely be a tough one. You will expect an initial drop in productivity, and communication will take some fine-tuning. That being said, there are still plenty of opportunities for growth in Catholic organizations that embrace remote work.

Why Would I Even Want To?

At the risk of engaging in stereotypes, Catholic organizations can often be guilty of opting for generalists instead of specialists. Maybe you have a parish secretary who’s effectively doing two or three jobs. You’ve got a youth minister taking on extra responsibilities outside of his purview. Sound familiar? Sure, maybe it’s not your organization, but it’s not that much of a stretch of the imagination.

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right? No, please don’t follow that advice at the mission level. You don’t need to overhaul your entire staff, but bringing in a remote worker or freelancer will breathe new life into your workplace at a minimum.

Where Do I Start with Remote Catholic Work?

Great, so remote workers are the answer. How do I even go about that, though? If you don’t have an HR manager versed in the value of remote work or freelancer, there are some primary areas you can test the waters.

Business Development

A consultant or remote worker can take a lot of the stress off of your pastor, parish financial counsel, or any financial workers your organization employs. Bringing in a specialist here of all places is key. No, you don’t want to be the organization that brings in a full consulting team for an overhaul that accomplishes nothing. You know what I’m talking about. If you go smaller scale on this, you can avoid the massive waste of money that can be.

Web Design

Web design is one of the simplest places you can go to start remote Catholic work. Whether you hire a remote web guru or go freelance is up to you, but there’s no reason you need to have them in-house. I’ve worked with organizations in the past that have been partially remote. With the technology at our disposal, our web developer was in a different time zone but had no issues keeping up with our needs.

Production

Does your organization have a podcast? Does your parish livestream Mass or record it? Quality is key if you do anything that requires audio or video production. Ever listened to a poorly produced podcast? It’s torture. It makes you not want to listen, no matter how good the content is. Having a remote worker, even just part-time, to do audio and video production is vital. This and web design are the area most suited to a freelancer instead of a full or part-time remote worker.

If you’re just getting into live streaming Mass or other consistent events, having a consultant come in and show you all the basics will go a long way.

Social Media and Content

Like it or not, a social media presence is an important part of evangelization in the modern world. If you have an abysmal (or no) social media presence, it makes you less likely to entice people to show up and makes you nearly impossible to find.

The world is teeming with recent grads with marketing degrees capable of handling all social media and content needs. Having a remote worker, even on a part-time basis, to curate your social media presence is a bigger deal than most Catholic organizations are willing to admit. Unless you have a really talented generalist, this is a job best left to the specialists.

How Does Remote Catholic Work Benefit the Mission?

Much like a priest ideally administers the sacraments and guides his flock, you want everyone doing as much of their job as possible and as little of other jobs. Yes, sometimes you have to work outside of your field. Priests manage parish budgets. Secretaries run social media accounts. Business managers do seemingly everything else.

Your mission is only enhanced when you put people in the best place for success. Adopting a more specialized approach to remote hiring will open your possibilities up significantly. You don’t need to hire someone in the same area, much less time zone, necessarily. If they can keep up with your needs and grasp your mission, that’s all you need. You want to use all the tools at your disposal, and remote hiring is a major one.

How to Effectively Transition to Remote Catholic Work

Start Small

You don’t have to change everything overnight. You may never be fully remote as a Catholic organization. That’s perfectly fine. Hire a part-time web designer. Contract a freelancer to write blog posts for your site. Rome wasn’t built in a day (nor was Byzantium for our Eastern Rite friends). Take a small step to start and adjust from there.

Communicate

There’s a fine line between good communication and micromanaging. One of the benefits of a remote team is that you don’t get micromanaged (ideally). Trust your team to get the job done. You may want to err on the side of overcommunication to start but dial back as things get settled.

Trust the Process

If this is good for your ministry, things will fall into place. They may not be pretty nor easy, but they will work. As with all things in Catholic workplaces, start and end with prayer. Throwing it in the middle is probably helpful too.

What if We Just Can’t Go Remote?

That’s fair. Not all ministries are set up for remote work. Have you considered hybrid work? Maybe you can get away with two or three days a week in the office and the remainder at home. Hybrid work can boost employee morale while not losing any effectiveness.

If nothing else, outsourcing some projects to a freelancer will give you a specialist’s talent without having to add a new member to the team.

Okay, But Where Do I Find These Remote Catholic Workers?

Glad you asked! Well, our Catholic Freelancers list is a great place to start. Beyond that, sites like CatholicJobs, ZipRecruiter, and other popular hiring sites are perfect places to look. You can also use those sites in conjunction with gig work sites like Upwork or Fiverr.

Remote work can be a scary transition, especially for a 2,000-year-old institution that isn’t always quick to change. However, if you start small and find little ways to implement remote Catholic work, you can test the waters before committing to any major changes.

About the Author:

Joe Coleman is a freelance writer, editor, and audio production consultant. He holds a BA in Philosophy from Loyola Marymount University (and actually uses it from time to time). A former fellow at KNOM Catholic Radio in Western Alaska, he got his start as an on-air host, producer, and news writer. Currently, you can find him in Southern California writing about national parks, outdoor gear, and the role of Catholics in the business world.

Search here for Catholic job postings, or Catholic Professionals you can hire.

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How to Hire A Qualified Parish Employee

It goes without saying that if you’re trying to live the Gospel well, prayer is of the essence! Consider praying for the right candidate as a parish or even during your staff meetings. Relying on the Holy Spirit is an excellent way to begin your search for a qualitied parish employee.

Tips For Hiring a Qualified Parish Employee:

• Use Job Boards. Avoid relying solely on personal connections to fill an open job at the parish. Casting a wider net could expose you to highly qualified candidates that you might not encounter otherwise. It also allows you to bring some objectivity into the hiring process. Using a Catholic Job Board can help broaden your search.
• Identify Your Goals. I once interviewed for a job, and the interviewer could not explain the job description! Unfortunately, they were merely looking for a “warm body” to serve as a catch-all. There was no vision for the job that took my human potential into account. In short, creating a vision with stated goals will empower your new hire.
• Offer a Fair Compensation. Parishes may be operating on a thin budget with many obligations. However, that doesn’t mean that you cannot find creative ways to offer a competitive salary. Research the position you are hiring for and find out what the average salary range is for similar jobs in your region. Take a closer look at areas where you might be able to re-allocate resources. If you sincerely cannot afford to pay an average salary, maybe consider other benefits. These perks could include vacation time, paid maternity leave, a complimentary pre-school slot, or even a paid retreat.
• Be Prepared to Train. Have a training plan in place before you make your hire. Write it down and do a thorough review of the plan with the person who will be training your new-hire. If training will take three months, plan ahead for re-assigning tasks as needed.

And why it matters: Qualified Employees Pay Big Dividends

Hiring the right person for the job means you have prayerfully and diligently selected the most qualified candidate. Job experience may require a higher salary, however, you could save time and money in the long run. Qualified candidates will usually require less training and finding the right person will often allow you to consolidate tasks typically spread between employees.

How to Keep A Qualified Parish Employee

Take Care of Your Employees

• Focus on keeping an employee’s work balanced: I recently spoke with two full-time parish youth ministers with similar-sized parishes and salaries. One was expected to work forty hours in the office and additionally to put on a host of other nightly and weekend events with no additional compensation. It was not uncommon for her to work 60-70 hours a week! The other youth minister had similar expectations, however, the parish offered “comp-time” for those moments when the regular forty-hour schedule went out the window. The latter youth minister had a much better experience and was more satisfied with her position. All it took was some creative planning on behalf of the parish administration.
• Give them the training they need: Ideally, you will hire the right person for the job, train them well, and then see them flourish for years to come. Be prepared to invest in your people with time and resources. If you think about it, Jesus spent years training his disciples by spending quality time with them, before giving them the responsibility of taking care of his Church!

And why it matters: Turnover is Costly!

High turnover is costly, and keeping it as low as possible is one way to be a faithful steward of parish resources. This is because overall productivity may decrease for a time when training a new-hand and the effects can usually be felt across the board. Perhaps that employee must work over-time to complete essential tasks, or another employee must temporarily abandon standing projects to assist with other important work left undone.

The time and resources spent training a new employee are financial considerations beyond salary and benefits that must be considered. If you are in the cycle of constantly training a new employee for the same job every year or two, this is a financial toll on parish resources.

Let Prayer, Planning and a Person-Centered Approach Be Your Guide

Hiring and keeping a qualified parish staff comes down to three essential elements: Praying for the right candidate, planning for success from start to finish and making sure your employees are treated with the care they need to flourish. At the end of the day, people matter most.

About the Author

Charlie Johnson is a freelance Catholic writer. Charlie lives in sunny Florida with his wife of five years and their three children. He holds a B.A. in Religion and Apologetics and also serves as the Managing Editor for the Catholic Lifestyle and Spirituality site, Taming the Wilds. His writing has been featured in places like the Catholic Stand, SpiritualDirection.com, Catholic Exchange, Catholic in Recovery and in print at Shalom Tidings. You can reach Charlie by email at: dcj.bhm@gmail.com

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After nearly two decades in full-time, active ministry, I founded my own company which specializes in helping Catholic organizations find experienced temporary, casual and seasonal staffing. We also offer training and coaching on a variety of ministry related topics. Along the way, I’ve trained several people who have walked away from unsatisfying jobs in the corporate world to devote their lives to the service of the Church. Thinking about following in their footsteps?  Here are some things to consider when making the switch from for-profit employment to work for the Catholic Church.

10 Considerations:

1. Make a Difference:

First of all, you need to understand that you will make a difference in more people’s lives than you may ever know.  I continue to encounter people who express appreciation for the things that God accomplished through our collaboration.  This has happened even many years after we worked together.

2. The need is great:

Parishes need your help-now more than ever! Today’s pastor could be responsible for the administration of as many as five churches.  This is often the case, even with very little support staff.

3. Education options:

Today it’s easier and more affordable than ever before to gain advanced credentials in religious studies or theology.  If you don’t have the degree that is generally required for the kind of work you’d like to be doing, there are lots of good options available.

4. Youth Protection policies:

The Catholic church has strict guidelines related to child and youth protection which differ among dioceses. The best way to make sure your on-boarding goes smoothly is to complete all required steps with the earliest available appointments.

5. Your Example Matters:

Remember who you are and what you represent. You represent your Church everywhere you go. If you are living your best Christian life, this shouldn’t be a big deal, but keep in mind that some people are more critical than others.

6. Work for the Catholic Church means long Hours:

Most work-related conversation takes place outside of normal business hours, including nights and weekends. If you have a family, be sure that they understand what may be expected of you, before you dive in head first.

7. It takes time:

Everything takes time. Even in parishes that are less collaborative, a pastor or administrator may need to consult diocesan leadership before moving forward with a particular initiative.

8. Conflicts:

The same conflicts that you’ve witnessed at your current job will probably happen in ministry too. Priests, deacons, and religious are human beings who make mistakes. Don’t be surprised when one of them has a bad day and says something, possibly to you, that you didn’t expect.

9. Work for the Catholic Church probably means lower compensation:

Furthermore, compensation in ministry is generally less than the secular world. If your family relies upon you to be the principal wage earner, you may want to look for side jobs that you can do around the rhythm of pastoral life.

10. Active Discernment:

Lastly, you can begin the transition from secular employment to ministry now, without leaving your current job. Start by discerning the gifts that God has given you, and the ways you can offer them in joyful service to your parish community.

Take the plunge

In conclusion, as you consider whether or not to work for the Catholic Church, there are many things to keep in mind.  As you cultivate a relationship with your parish at a consistent interval, you’ll become synchronized with the rhythm of parish life. As a result this could eventually lead to a paying job in the parish, a recommendation for a paying job in another parish. Your first year will be challenging. You may make mistakes. You may even feel like giving up, but don’t get discouraged. Christ has called you to cast your nets on the other side of your boats. May your catch be enough to feed the ones you love, and the hungry of the world.

Elena V. Brandt is an experienced leader with a proven track record of implementing effective pastoral initiatives.  Elena is a versatile pastoral innovator with over 15 years of experience in intercultural parishes. She has formed liturgical ministers on the diocesan level and most recently, was a presenter at diocesan workshops for the implementation of the Misal Romano, Tercera Edición.

Elena has a Bachelor of Arts in Music from CUNY, Queens College, a Master of Arts in Religious Studies from St. Joseph’s Seminary in Yonkers, New York, and a Certificate in Church Management through Villanova University & Our Sunday Visitor.

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