Ministry Opportunities in Maryland, New Jersey

Jocelyn Thomas Around the Province

Two vibrant Franciscan parishes are looking to fill open staff positions. Both have requested that applicants submit resumes before the end of this month.

St. Mary’s Parish, Pompton Lakes
In New Jersey, St. Mary’s Parish in Pompton Lakes is seeking applicants for two jobs – a coordinator of special needs, and a director of social justice. Information about both can be found on the home page of the parish website.

The Catholic community rooted in the Franciscan tradition is seeking a passionate, dynamic individual to be a part of its pastoral staff as the coordinator of Special Needs Ministry, which aims to support both children and adults with special needs in all aspects of their spiritual growth, as well as to provide social events, according to the parish’s job description.

Candidates should have a bachelor’s degree and two to four years of experience working with special needs ministries.

The director of social justice, a part-time position that also reports to the pastor, will work with the St. Mary’s Social Justice Ministry toward systems and structures that ensure that the basic needs of all community members are met. St. Mary’s is looking to address local, national and global issues related to justice, peace and the integrity of creation. Applicants should be familiar with Catholic Social Teaching.

Qualified applicants for both St. Mary’s positions should forward resumes to Anne Silversey, assistant to the pastor, at anne@stmarys-pompton.org, by March 29.

The parish is located in northern New Jersey in the Diocese of Paterson, approximately 30 miles from New York City. St. Mary’s, which was established in 1906, has a staff of 75 full- and part-time employees. It is composed of 3,500 households of diverse cultures, according to the pastor, Gonzalo Torres, OFM.

“In the last 10 years, we have had an influx of recently arrived Latino and Polish immigrants,” Gonzalo said. “Although the parish, in general, has an upper middle to middle-class population, the numbers of poor families are increasing in the area. We see this in our food pantry and outreach ministries, as well as with our Latino ministry. We welcome, celebrate and nourish one another through outreach, evangelization and joy-filled worship.”

St. Camillus, Silver Spring
In Silver Spring, Md., St. Camillus, the ethnically diverse, multicultural parish just outside the nation’s capital, is seeking a full-time intercultural youth/young adult minister. Among other duties, the individual who fills this position will take on the following roles:

  • formation of teen and young adult leaders, as well as adult advisors
  • moderator for eight youth and young adult ministries and
  • evangelization of inactive teens and young adults in their 20s.

Information about the parish staff and other aspects of St. Camillus, which was established in 1951, can be found on the parish’s website. The Franciscan friars of Holy Name Province assumed responsibility for the parish in 1983.

“Multiculturalism is one of the hallmarks of St. Camillus Parish,” according to the parish website, “and we view our diversity as a true gift. We continually strive to preserve and celebrate the richness of our own individual cultures, while at the same time growing in appreciation and understanding of one another’s. We attempt to do this liturgically, as we gather as one to celebrate our main liturgical feasts like midnight Mass at Christmas and the Easter Vigil.”

Inquiries and resumes should be submitted to William Pineda, director of faith formation, at wpineda@stcamilluschurch.org or to the pastor, Chris Posch, OFM, at brotherchris@stcamillus.net by March 31.

Readers who would like to share employment opportunities at HNP ministries, or at schools, parishes and other organizations affiliated with the Province, are welcome to provide job information to the HNP Communications Office at communications@hnp.org. In January, HNP Todaypublicized positions in Maryland and California.

— Jocelyn Thomas is director of communications for Holy Name Province.

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