Parish Secretary

St. James the Greater Catholic Church
Employment Type
Part Time
Location
Henderson, NC
Posted Date

Hours: Monday - Friday, 8am - 1pm.

Position Summary:

St. James the Greater Catholic Church is seeking a Parish Secretary. The parish secretary plays 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:

  1. Office/Parish Reception
    • Serve as the first point of contact
      • Answer telephone calls and emails 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 and responsible for hospitality.
    • 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.
    • 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.
      • Communicating to the pastor all parishioner needs and schedule appointments if needed.
    • Support Parish Operations
      • Mass Intentions.
      • Document pertinent information for donations received at the front desk and provide them with bookkeeping.
      • Planning and preparing for celebrations masses (e.g., quinceareas, weddings, funerals, etc.)
      • Provide vendors, parishioners, staff, and clergy access to secure rooms as appropriate.
      • Documenting sacramental information into the parish database.
      • Store away all donations given to the church for the counters.
      • Updating and tracking pastors’ expenses.
      • Weekly tasks of creating the bulletin, and picking them up at the local printing store, preparing announcements, updating the website and providing bags for weekend masses.
      • Retrieve mail from the parish mailbox, and organize the bills and donations, and place it into the appropriate staff or ministry mailbox
      • Mailing checks for bills if needed.
      • Organize the narthex for any special announcements or flyers received through the mail.
      • Other duties as assigned by the pastor.
    • Administrative Support
      • Prepare, organize, and maintain meeting notes, administrative files, correspondence, and documentation needed.
      • Organize and file various important documents from Diocese, the church, etc.
      • Drafting letters, memos, reports, and parish forms, and filing them away for the church records.
      • Schedule appointments or meetings for quarterly parish and financial meeting and/or requests (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, maintenance, and church supply requests
      • Manage the onsite vendors for cleaning, cleaning supplies, and first aid supplies
      • Contact vendors for estimates if needed
      • Learn Parish SOFT system for accounting needs and parishioner information.
      • Other duties as assigned by the pastor.

Minimum Requirements

  • Minimum level of Education: 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.
  • Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail for accurate record keeping
  • 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
  • Knowledge of Wix
  • Strong communication skills with the ability to interact professionally with diverse groups

Supervises: Front Desk Ministry volunteers