Parish News

Reporting to:

Parish Priest/Administrator (Parish Priest).

The Position:

The primary purpose of the Pastoral Support Worker (PSW) – Sacramental Coordinator is to provide pastoral support services to the Pittwater (Parish) community and support for parish ministries.

To achieve this, the PSW – Sacramental Coordinator works under the direction of the Parish Priest and with the Parish team to provides coordinated support services to enhance the Sacramental program ministry within the Parish.

Responsibilities:

The PSW is accountable to the Parish Priest for the following:

Stakeholder Management:

• Work collaboratively with members of the Parish pastoral ministry and Parish office;

• Contribute to and promote a culture of safety and care for Children, Young People, and those that are more vulnerable; and

• Maintain effective relationships with parishioners, Parish school/s, other parish and faith communities of the Diocese, as well as the Diocese (including clergy, agencies and employees of the Diocese, religious organisations, councils and committees).

Sacramental Programs:

• Prepare sacramental resources for sacramental preparation sessions including without limitation Confirmation, First Reconciliation, First Holy Communion and Baptism;

• Present Parish sacramental preparation sessions;

• Participate in parent/ guardian/ carer meetings for children participating in a sacramental program;

• Attend Rites and Presentations during Sunday Mass as part of the sacramental program as required;

• Assist candidates to prepare and attending practice sessions;

• Prepare and participate in Parish sacramental celebrations;

• Ensure a record of the sacrament/s is entered into PACs accurately and contemporaneously; and

• Facilitate a positive experience of the sacrament and its related programs for participants and their families.

Communications:

• Produce Parish communications and other parish information relevant to the Sacramental program ministry in a form that meets the communication requirements of the Parish Priest, parishioners and community at large, in a consistent, meaningful and timely manner;

• Draft contributions for the Parish bulletin, ensuring consistent and meaningful communication about the Sacramental programs including without limitation news and events; and

• Ensuring that every opportunity is taken at special times of the year including without limitation Easter and Christmas to maximise and optimise Parish communications about the Sacramental programs.

Volunteers:

• Encourage, support and assist to form volunteers to assist in the Sacramental programs; and

• Ensure volunteers working in the Sacramental programs have a current volunteer agreement in place and have undergone pre- engagement screening and induction including without limitation a Working With Children Check (WWCC) or National Police History Check (NPHC) in accordance with Diocesan policies and procedures.

Compliance:

• Comply with WWCC legislation and Diocesan guidelines on persons engaged in child-related work within the meaning of Part 2, Section 6 of the Child Protection (Working With Children) Act 2012 (NSW) (Act);

• Comply with the Diocesan Work, Health and Safety (WHS) policy and WHS legislation, attend WHS training, participate in the annual WHS audit and assist to oversee the maintenance of WHS records and notifications;

• Maintain an up to date knowledge of and comply with Diocesan policies and procedures;

• Attend and actively participate in workplace training, and Safeguarding induction; and

• Ensure pastoral ministry volunteers undergo an induction program and are assigned a mentor.

Diocesan Support:

• Ensure responses to requests for support or assistance from the Chancery in any matters that come within the functions and skill set of the Parish Office are responded to with promptness, courtesy and diligence; and

• Work collaboratively with other Parishes, Chancery, agencies, clergy, employees and volunteers to further the mission of the Parish and the Bishop.

Membership:

Membership or required attendance of various Committees, Advisory Panels and Diocesan training events as required from time to time by the Parish Priest or as outlined in Policy.

Inter- Relationships:

The PSW interacts with the following internal and external stakeholders:

• Parish Priest;

• Parish Clergy;

• Parish Committee Members;

• Parish Office Team;

• Parish Ministry Groups;

• Local Parish Catholic schools; and

• Chancery personnel.

Knowledge, Experience & Qualifications:

It is desirable that the PSW – Sacramental Coordinator has the following knowledge, experience and qualifications:

Knowledge:

• An understanding of the Catholic Church, its mission and the sensitivities and nuances of dealing with various stakeholders;

• An understanding of Parish communities;

• A working knowledge of the Diocese and ability to quickly become familiar with its policies and procedures;

• A comprehensive knowledge of contemporary Sacramental ministry programs;

• Proficient skills in contemporary computer applications including the Microsoft Office suite;

• Excellent organisational skills and the ability to prioritise and reorganise priorities;

• Excellent word processing, telephone and diary management skills;

• Well-developed oral and written communication skills; and

• Ability to work autonomously and be responsible and accountable for own work and the work of the Parish office team.

Experience:

• Experience in the delivery of contemporary Sacramental Programs;

• Experience working with volunteers in a Christian environment;

• Experience working with minimal supervision while remaining a team player; and

• Well-developed relational and rapport building skills.

Qualifications:

• Relevant qualifications in Sacramental Programs ministry or equivalent experience; and

• WWCC Clearance.

Attributes:

It is desirable that the PSW – Sacramental Coordinator has the following attributes:

• A personal commitment to the mission of the Catholic Church;

• Ability to manage the demands of the Parish Priest and Parish community by anticipating their needs;

• Ability to act with tact and discretion, maintaining the highest level of confidentiality;

• Demonstrated commitment to service and a willingness to be accountable for performance;

• Ability to perform under work pressure;

• Punctuality and sound time-management skills including the ability to multi-task and work quickly and efficiently;

• Well-developed organisational and problem-solving skills;

• Attention to detail, quality and accuracy;

• Ability to work collaboratively and consultatively across a wide spectrum of stakeholders;

• Values driven, honest, reliable and has integrity;

• Ability to be a team player; and

• A personal sense of warmth and welcoming.

Performance Measures:

The performance of the PSW – Sacramental Coordinator will be assessed having regard to:

• Successful outcomes of the major responsibilities of the role;

• Achievement of the agreed objectives of any work plans; and

• Service levels and the level of satisfaction expressed by the Parish Priest and other key stakeholders in respect of the individual performance of the PSW – Sacramental Coordinator and the

collective performance of the Parish team.