Assistant Director for Marriage and Family Life Ministries

Job Description

SUMMARY:

The Assistant Director for Marriage & Family-Life Ministries will be responsible for initiating, planning, implementing, and executing all diocesan, ministry efforts in the areas of marriage, marriage-preparation, families, bereavement, and people with disabilities, especially as detailed in the Vatican document, Catechumenal Pathways for Married Life: Pastoral Guidelines for Local Churches, and the USCCB's book, Called to the Joy of Love: National Pastoral Framework for Marriage and Family Life Ministry. In addition to overseeing diocesan efforts in these areas of ministry, a fundamental duty of this position is to empower parish leaders to conduct these kinds of ministries in the parishes.

II. ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

Parish-leadership Empowerment: in collaboration with the pastors, assist, resource, organize, train, and support parish-ministry leaders (especially lay) to provide parish ministries for married people, couples preparing for marriage, families, the bereaved, and people with disabilities.

Marriage Ministry: originate, prepare, recruit for, provide training for, and execute diocesan, marriage-enrichment opportunities for married people. See additional duties, below, on marriage conferences and on-going formation in small groups in the parishes.

Marriage-Preparation Ministry: originate, prepare, recruit for, provide training for, and execute formational, diocesan opportunities for engaged couples preparing to get married in our diocese. See additional duties, below, on FOCCUS, the Marriage Catechumenate, PFCM Retreats, NFP training, and online marriage-preparation programs.

Family Ministry: originate, prepare, recruit for, provide training for, and execute faith-formational, diocesan opportunities for families - the Domestic Church. See additional duties, below, regarding domestic-violence issues, divorce, LGBTQ+ concerns, Strong Catholic Families, World Day for Grandparents & the Elderly, and World Meeting of Families.

Bereavement Ministry: originate, prepare, recruit for, provide training for, and execute supportive and community-building, diocesan opportunities for individuals, couples, and families who are in a state of mourning. See additional duties, below, regarding Emmaus Ministry Retreats.

Ministry to People with Disabilities: originate, prepare, recruit for, provide training for, and execute supportive and community-building, diocesan opportunities for individuals with disabilities and their families. See additional duties, below, regarding the NCPD and Ministry to the Deaf.

III. ADDITIONAL DUTIES:

Schedule, plan, and execute diocesan marriage conferences, on an annual basis.
Work with parish leaders to establish and maintain on-going marriage formation in parish small groups.

Work with pastors and engaged couples to obtain and complete all of their FOCCUS materials. Provide training, on this, when necessary.

Implement the diocesan components of the Marriage Catechumenate, as detailed in the Vatican document, Catechumenal Pathways for Married Life: Pastoral Guidelines for Local Churches.

Schedule, plan, and execute our PFCM (Preparing for Christian Marriage) Retreats, which take place at the St. John XXIII Pastoral Center, in Charleston. This will require finding priests to provide sacramental ministry.

Provide and/or recruit for NFP training, for engaged couples, as necessary and requested.

Direct engaged couples to online marriage-preparation programs, for which the diocese pays and maintains partnerships.

Schedule, plan, and execute diocesan events that address domestic-violence issues, and provide parish leaders with resources and information about it.

Schedule, plan, and execute diocesan events that address matters pertaining to divorce, and provide parish leaders with resources and information about it. Perhaps work with Life-Giving Wounds.

Schedule, plan, and execute diocesan events that address LGBTQ+ concerns, and provide parish leaders with resources and information about it.

Work with the organization, Strong Catholic Families, to provide parishes support and resources for doing family ministry.

Schedule, plan, and execute diocesan events for World Day for Grandparents & the Elderly, and provide parish leaders with resources and information about it.

Schedule, plan, and execute diocesan events World Meeting of Families, and provide parish leaders with resources and information about it.

Work with The Emmaus Ministry for Grieving Parents to make their retreats take place in the diocese.

Collaborate with the NCPD (National Catholic Partnership on Disability).

Work with pastors and parish leaders to provide ministry to the deaf in parishes, as necessary and requested.

Be an active member of CFLA (Catholic Family Life Association) (formerly NACFLM), Region IV.

IV. QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

• At least three (3) years of experience in professional parish ministry and/or in Catholic theology teaching
• A strong, personal, and active Catholic faith, witnessed by parish membership and involvement
• A bachelor's degree in theology, religion, ministry or catechetics from a Catholic institution
• A personal and ministerial commitment to the Catholic understanding of marriage
• Excellent communication skills, both in the written and oral forms

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. He or she demonstrates initiative, responsibility, and good organizational skills. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required.

About the Employer

Blessed Pius IX established the Diocese of Wheeling on July 19, 1850. The Diocese was re-designated the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston on October 4, 1974, under a decree of Pope Paul VI, with Co-Cathedral Sacred Heart Church, Charleston, West Virginia.

The Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston comprises the entire State of West Virginia, with a total population of 1,806,926 in an area of 24,282.45 square miles.