Parish Secretary

St. Ann Catholic Church
Employment Type
Part Time
Location
Clayton, NC
Posted Date

Hours per week: 24

Position Summary:

St. Ann Catholic Church in Clayton, NC is seeking a Parish Secretary to play a critical role in the mission and function of parish daily life.  The secretary is the first face of the parish, providing a warm first point of contact in the parish and communicating all aspects of parish life to parishioners.  The parish secretary reports to and works closely with the Business Manager and regularly collaborates with clergy and lay staff.

Key Responsibilities:

Office/Parish Reception:

  • Serve as the first point of contact
    • Answer telephone calls promptly, warmly, and professionally, reflecting the parish’s mission and hospitality.
    • Offer a welcoming tone that represents the spirit of the Catholic Church and our parish community.
    • Communicate with compassion, especially when callers are grieving, distressed, or seeking spiritual guidance.
    • Follow procedures for visitors.
    • Responsible for hospitality – offering guests water or coffee when appropriate.
  • Provide Accurate Information
    • Respond to common inquiries (e.g., Mass times, confession schedules, sacraments, parish events, ministries, office hours...etc.)
    • Understand basic parish and diocesan information and procedures to confidently give correct information.
  • Triage and Direct Calls Appropriately
    • Determine the nature of the caller’s needs.
    • Route calls to clergy, lay staff or ministry leaders as appropriate.
    • Identify urgent pastoral needs (e.g., last rites, emergencies) and escalate them immediately to the pastor’s assistant.
  • Maintain Confidentiality
    • Handle sensitive information with discretion, including but not limited to, personal circumstances, Diocesan and parish information, parishioner information, and financial matters.
    • Record and Relay Accurate Messages.
    • Take complete messages, including names, contact information, and pertinent details.
    • Deliver messages to the proper staff in a timely manner.
  • Support Parish Operations
    • Mass Intentions.
    • Parish Gift Shop transactions.
    • Document pertinent information for donations received at the front desk and provide them to bookkeeping.
    • Provide vendors, parishioners, staff, and clergy access to secure rooms as appropriate.
    • Documenting sacramental information into the parish database
    • Utilize MS Excel to provide information for documentation into sacramental record books
    • Retrieve mail from the parish mailbox and place it into the appropriate staff or ministry mailbox
    • Other duties as assigned by the pastor or business manager.
  • Administrative Support
    • Prepare, organize, and maintain meeting notes, administrative files, correspondence, and documentation needed by the business manager.
    • Assist the business manager with drafting letters, memos, reports, and parish forms.
    • Schedule appointments or meetings for the business manager (e.g., vendors, parishioners, media, ministry leaders, staff, Diocesan personnel).
    • Contact church vendors to discuss repairs, supply needs, service needs, information updates…etc.
    • Manage office supply requests
    • Manage the onsite vendors for cleaning, cleaning supplies, and first aid supplies
    • Other duties as assigned by the pastor or business manager.

Minimum Requirements:

  • High school diploma or equivalent.
  • Fluent in English and Spanish.
  • Minimum amount of Work Experience: 2-5 years.
  • Proficient in utilizing technology, including Gmail, Slack, Microsoft office suite, and various computer software programs.
  • Ability to relate to and communicate with diverse groups of people.
  • Knowledge and understanding of the Catholic faith.
  • Employment is contingent upon applicants satisfactorily passing criminal background and reference checks.
  • Must complete diocese-sponsored Safe Environment Training.

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Associates degree or some college coursework in office administration, business administration, or related field and experience
  • Familiarity with calendar management software and office productivity tools
  • Proficient knowledge of Office 365 and Google Suite
  • Experience supervising volunteers
  • Strong communication skills with the ability to interact professionally with diverse groups
  • Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail for accurate record keeping

Supervises: Front Desk Ministry volunteers

Position Start Date: Immediately