Job Description
Parish Life Director

Position Title: Gesu Parish Life Director
Salary: $50,000 - $55,000, based on experience and credentials
Status: Exempt, full time
Schedule: 40 hrs / wk; requiring irregular hours and on-call availability
Position Start Date: Negotiable

Over the 100 years of Gesu Catholic Church's existence the life of this parish has always been about connecting with and caring for the people of northwest Detroit, helping them to know they have a place and even more a home at Gesu. The Parish Life Director continues in a long tradition of lay and religious women and men working to support Gesu parishioners in living out their faith in community. The community at Gesu is made up of individuals and groups with a diversity of gifts and desires. In areas such as liturgy, faith formation, and religious education the Parish Life Director will have the opportunity to support, engage with, and minister to this wonderful community.

Job Summary: the Parish Life Director is a parish leadership position. In collaboration with the pastor, this person helps parish life to flourish through efforts in liturgy, pastoral care, and administration. Additionally, this person acts as a liaison between the parish and the diocesan church, local church, and local community. This individual will need to work well with the pastor, entering into a partnership role by bringing complementary skills and abilities, and giving not only support but feedback.

Major Position Requirements and Regular Activities

1. Liturgy; Faith formation and religious education
   1. Collaborate and coordinate liturgy including:
      • Planning Sunday and other regularly scheduled liturgical expressions of the community with the priests, Music Director, and the Worship Commission.
      • Supporting and forming liturgical ministers and ministerial leaders
      • Presiding at liturgical expressions such as Evening Prayer, cemetery rites, and liturgy of the Word
      • Preach and break open scripture with and for the community
   2. Oversee and support faith formation and religious education
      • Help, with religious education, to guide a team dedicated to sacramental preparation including RCIA
      • Support continuation of parish retreats,
      • Envision and embrace new opportunities such as Novena of Grace, Missions etc.
2. Pastoral Care
   1. Encourage, challenge, and educate parish volunteers and committees
   2. Attend to the assessment of pastoral needs and support plans for response to those needs.
3. Administration
   1. Collaborate regularly on matters of parish life with the canonical pastor, pastoral staff and Parish Pastoral Council.
   2. Participate and help guide meetings including: parish staff, Finance Council, Parish Council, Worship Commission, and other groups.
   3. Support staff through planning for retreat days and mentoring
   4. Collaborate with the directors of finance and operations, pastors and Finance Council concerning parish finances
   5. Assist with the planning of the master calendar for the parish
   6. Drawing forth ongoing collaboration and empowerment of parishioners
   7. Support effective development and administration of parish commissions and other groups
   8. Administers yearly performance evaluations of parish staff
   9. Assist in parish community building and networking
   10. Help the parish to effectively explore and embrace our new identity as part of a Family of Parishes with Sts Peter and Paul Jesuit Church

Position Specification/Requirements

1. Skills, Knowledge and/or Abilities (SKAs)
   • Must have necessary knowledge and background in liturgy, administration, religious education, and theology.
   • Must have the ability to network for support and challenge with other ministers in similar situations, especially through ongoing theological reflection.
   • Must have good oral and written communication skills in order to work effectively with community members with diverse backgrounds including race, culture, and socio-economic status.
   • Must have good organizational skills
   • Must have the ability to preside, to lead prayer and to speak with some ease before a large group of people
   • Must be able to delegate tasks and responsibilities and manage others
   • Must have a compassionate spirit for the poor and the ill
   • Must be capable agent for change
2. Education, Training and/or Experience
   • Background in ecclesiology, Christology, sacramental and liturgical theology, scripture, ethics and morality
   • Supervised experience in ministry or equivalent experience in pastoral work
   • Experience collaborating with individuals from different races, ethnicities, socio-economic groups, and cultures.
   • Must be committed to the growth of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
   • Commitment to ongoing formation and education to ensure effective pastoral ministry
   • Degree, most likely Masters level, in ministry and/or theology

To apply:

1. Applications or questions can be directed to Kathleen Walker, Search Coordinator, at kathleenwalker1208@gmail.com or (313) 510-6842
2. They should include:
   1. Cover letter
   2. Resume
   3. 3 references

Last edited August 2022