Director for Faith Formation - Archdiocese of Washington

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 Faith Formation. The Director for Faith Formation assists the Secretary for Catechesis in the mission of evangelizing catechesis. The Director is responsible for parish support in the development of robust lifelong faith formation and supervises the Coordinator for Children’s Catechesis in the implementation of the archdiocesan religion curriculum guide in children’s catechetical programs. The director is responsible for all aspects of the

Faith Foundations certification process for parish catechists and Catholic school teachers, high school theology teacher certification. The Director provide support with large catechetical initiatives of the office.

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

Accountability, attention to detail, excellent written and verbal skills, and a synodal, collaborative ministerial spirit are essential for success in this role.

Duties and Responsibilities

Oversee the implementation of the archdiocesan Forming Disciples Religion Curriculum guide* for students in grades K-8 in parishes and Catholic schools.

• Ensure the ongoing implementation of the Archdiocesan Catechist Formation and Certification Program for volunteer catechists and elementary religion teachers. This includes regular review of online coursework, offering adequate training opportunities for parish and school catechists to complete the certification process all in a timely fashion.
  
• Develop relationships with pastors and catechetical leaders 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.
  
• Train, supervise and evaluate the Coordinator for Children�s Catechesis.
  
• Tracking of the Faith Foundations certification process for parish catechists and Catholic school teachers, high school theology teacher certification and support with large catechetical initiatives of the office.
  
• 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.
  
• Assist the Secretary for Catechesis in the implementation of the Order of Christian Initiation.
  

Implement the archdiocesan Catholic Identity formation program, LivingCatholic*.

• 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.
  
• 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.
  
• Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing is essential along with excellent organizational and people skills.
  
• Reliable transportation required to visit Archdiocesan parish and school locations.
  

Education and Experience

• Master�s degree in Catechesis, Religious Education or Theology required.
  
• 3 years of experience in catechetical leadership at either the parish or diocesan level.
  
• Bilingual English/Spanish verbal and written skills required.
  
• 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.

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. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear.
  
• The employee frequently is required to stand, walk, bend, use hands to handle documents, type on a keyboard and reach with hands and arms.
  
• Employee must be able to lift up to 20 pounds.
  

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work

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

Please forward your resume and letter of interest to:

blauvelts@adw.org

Equal Opportunity Employer

This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.