Archdiocese of Washington is hiring: Director for Lifelong Faith Formation - Arc

The mission of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington is to spread the light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world. In the faithful pursuit of this mission, the Archdiocese is seeking a Director for Lifelong Faith Formation. The Director for Lifelong Faith Formation assists the Secretary for Catechesis in the mission of evangelizing catechesis so that Christ may be known and loved and the His mystical Body, the Church, may be built up.

Specifically, the Director is responsible for assisting parishes in Adult Faith Formation and ensuring the implementation of the archdiocesan religion curriculum guide in Children’s catechetical programs. The Director is also responsible for the archdiocesan Faith Foundations certification process for the Archdiocese parish catechists and Catholic school teachers.

The Director must have an energy and enthusiasm for the Gospel as she/he supports pastors, parish leaders, and catechists in every aspect of life-long faith formation.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Establish annual goals and projects in keeping with the mandate described above to strengthen the process of handing on the authentic teachings of the Roman Catholic Church.
• Develop relationships with pastors and catechetical leaders in order to support parishes in the development of robust adult faith formation opportunities. The Director also supports parish Baptism preparation resources and training for parish leaders.
• Oversee the implementation of the archdiocesan Forming Disciples Religion Curriculum guide for students in grades K-8 in parishes and Catholic schools.
• Train, supervise and evaluate the Coordinator for Children’s Catechesis.
• Assist the Secretary for Catechesis in the implementation of the Order of Christian Initiation.
• Ensure the ongoing implementation of the Archdiocesan Catechist Formation and Certification Program for volunteer catechists and elementary religion teachers. This includes offering adequate training opportunities for parish and school catechists to complete the certification process in a timely fashion and more confidently teach the faith.
• Implement and serve as educator of the archdiocesan Catholic Identity formation program, Living Catholic.
• Serve as ex-officio chairperson of the Executive Committee of the Archdiocesan Catechetical Leaders Association (ACLA).
• Work in close cooperation with other Archdiocesan agencies especially the Catholic Schools Office and the Office for Youth Ministry.
• Assist the Secretary for Catechesis in the preparation of the annual budget and is responsible for overseeing the approved fiscal year budget.
• Other areas of responsibility include oversight of the bi-annual Archdiocesan Catechetical Day and the annual Pentecost and Regional Confirmations.

Qualifications

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Candidate must be a practicing Catholic, have excellent knowledge of the faith, complete orthodoxy in word and witness of life.
• The ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing is essential along with excellent organizational and people skills.
• Reliable transportation required; Able to work occasional evenings and weekends as needed.

Education and Experience

• Master’s degree in Catechesis, Religious Education or Theology
• 3-5 years of experience in catechetical leadership at either the parish or diocesan level.
• Bilingual English/Spanish verbal and written skills.
• Advanced skills with MS Office including Word, Excel and PowerPoint required
• Must be able to work with web-based software systems such as Canva and Kahoot.

Work Environment

This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, printers and filing cabinets. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work

Regular full-time employee (40 hours/week); evening and weekend hours may be required