Quitting my worldy job to work for the Church... options?

[tangerines]

I have a job that has nothing to do with the faith, but for a long time I’ve wanted to change this and work in an area that is involved in the faith in some way.

I understand the concept that no matter what you do for a living, you can try to do it well and offer it up to God and your work can become a prayer. I’m female and so I feel like my options are more limited. I also have no idea what’s out there. If I have to go back to school then that’s perfectly fine, I just don’t want to go back for a whole degree or something.

Right now I work as a nurse’s aid. I went into this work because there is so much need and it is basically what some of the saints spent their time doing, but they didn’t get paid to do it. And they didn’t work for secular companies in a liberal country that will legalize euthenasia soon and then put me in a very awkward position. No I’m not American.

So I’m going to have to retrain and find a new job anyways. I’ll probably wait until after euthenasia is legalized and allow myself to be fired for refusing to help people with this in any way. As a nurse’s aid my role in helping people would be limited to hearing from patients that they are thinking about this option and then counselling them on their options and getting them into contact with people who can help them with this. But obviously I can’t do that as a Catholic, and even if I weren’t Catholic it’d just crush me. What an awful thing to have to do. So I’ll be fired eventually anyways because there’s a huge push in my country to legalize this and it’s only a matter of time.

SO… what are options for someone without a degree. Really, I could go to school for four years if I really really wanted to. I have the means and I’m not a lost cause as far as brains go. I just never felt any desire to go. I love my current job, but on top of the euthenasia issue, my own health isn’t that great anymore so earlier plans of going into nursing aren’t going to happen anymore.

I need a desk job. Maybe my only option is to become a parish secretary. Which I would totally do. But if there are any other options out there for someone with neither great health nor great education, I’d be happy to hear them.

Thank you God bless you all.

 

[KD8TZC]

What country are you in? In the US, nurses aid’s do a lot more than just counsel people. What if you went back to school and became a full fledged nurse? I don’t know what the requirements are in your country, but in the US you don’t need a 4 year degree to be a nurse… sure, you can geta bachelor of science in nursing, but there are other options to become a nuse as well.

My prayers are with you,

John

 

[Joe_5859]

Welcome to CAF!

I could speak for the U.S., but I’m far less certain of employment opportunities within the Church in other parts of the world.

I think your best bet is to ask around. Make a list of the various Catholic agencies nearby (parishes, diocesan offices, Catholic service agencies, Catholic universities, Catholic schools, Catholic book publishers, etc.). Then start calling those places and finding out about the positions they have. There are lots of different positions requiring various kinds of education and skills.

If you don’t know what organizations like this exist in your area, try talking to your pastor and/or perusing the diocesan website. That should give you a better idea.

Are there no Catholic hospitals where you live? That would seem to be your best bet if such an option were available.

 

[tangerines]

What country are you in? In the US, nurses aid’s do a lot more than just counsel people. What if you went back to school and became a full fledged nurse? I don’t know what the requirements are in your country, but in the US you don’t need a 4 year degree to be a nurse… sure, you can geta bachelor of science in nursing, but there are other options to become a nuse as well.

My prayers are with you,

John

Canada. Aides do a whole lot more than counselling people here too; when I spoke of counselling in my first post I was referring to what an aide’s role would be when it comes to euthenasia. We wouldn’t be the ones actually calling a doctor or administering lethal drugs. There are different types of nursing programs here in Canada too. Some two years some four years, but like I said in my first post my own health is poor now and I really should find a desk job so I don’t end up really pushing myself too far physically. I’m quite young so it isn’t a problem to retrain. But yeah I shouldn’t be doing a physically demanding job.

Welcome to CAF!

I could speak for the U.S., but I’m far less certain of employment opportunities within the Church in other parts of the world.

I think your best bet is to ask around. Make a list of the various Catholic agencies nearby (parishes, diocesan offices, Catholic service agencies, Catholic universities, Catholic schools, Catholic book publishers, etc.). Then start calling those places and finding out about the positions they have. There are lots of different positions requiring various kinds of education and skills.

If you don’t know what organizations like this exist in your area, try talking to your pastor and/or perusing the diocesan website. That should give you a better idea.

Are there no Catholic hospitals where you live? That would seem to be your best bet if such an option were available.

Yes there is a Catholic hospital where I live but it is Catholic in name only. I live in a very liberal area of Canada and so there isn’t much here that’s obedient to Church teaching. It’s very sad, but the beautiful thing is that my diocese has some new life in it, there are suddenly 30 seminarians after a couple decades of only a few here and there, and my generation of practicing Catholics are quite traditional (traditional in the sense of being obedient to the Magisterium and being very serious about the faith, not in the sense of being traditionalists). There’s almost a missionary spirit here. It’s very exciting.

I’ve only been practicing my faith for a couple years, I really have no clue what kind of Catholic agencies there could possibly be. I think at one time there was a Catholic family counselling agency and they may have offered some other social services, but I believe they were forced to shut down. The only Catholic organizations that I know of that are serious about true to the Church are volunteer run. Which is great, and I’m involved with the pro-life organization around here, but I won’t ever get a job out of it. Can’t even put the experience on a resume or I’d never get hired anywhere.

Maybe diocesan priests are supposed to do all the work for the diocese, and the rest of us just slug it out in secular careers and try not to get sucked into the culture and beliefs we’re immersed in.

 

[Cricket2]

First, plan on going to school. Unless things are very different where you live, getting a job without a degree, including within the Church can be nearly impossible. You don’t necessarily have to get a four year degree, just an associates or two year degree.

As far as work within the Church, and as a female, you will discover limitations. However here are some ideas: Director of Religious Education (You will need courses that cover the Bible, Church Doctrine etc. Most US Churches require a degree in theology now.): parish secretary, youth minister (may be problematic if your health is poor) or teacher (degree required). Of course there is just being a housekeeper or cook but these are hard to get also and are usually part-time in my area.

Don’t limit yourself to the Church. Consider other Christian non-profits for possible work as well, clerical and administrative assistance are often needed and are physically less demanding than what you are doing now.

I am a nurse aid, have poor health and can’t do that work anymore with the exception of immediate family. Clerical jobs have been part of my work history as well as administrative assistant positions. So this is where my suggestions are coming from.

 

[Joe_5859]

Canada. Aides do a whole lot more than counselling people here too; when I spoke of counselling in my first post I was referring to what an aide’s role would be when it comes to euthenasia. We wouldn’t be the ones actually calling a doctor or administering lethal drugs. There are different types of nursing programs here in Canada too. Some two years some four years, but like I said in my first post my own health is poor now and I really should find a desk job so I don’t end up really pushing myself too far physically. I’m quite young so it isn’t a problem to retrain. But yeah I shouldn’t be doing a physically demanding job.

Yes there is a Catholic hospital where I live but it is Catholic in name only. I live in a very liberal area of Canada and so there isn’t much here that’s obedient to Church teaching. It’s very sad, but the beautiful thing is that my diocese has some new life in it, there are suddenly 30 seminarians after a couple decades of only a few here and there, and my generation of practicing Catholics are quite traditional (traditional in the sense of being obedient to the Magisterium and being very serious about the faith, not in the sense of being traditionalists). There’s almost a missionary spirit here. It’s very exciting.

I’ve only been practicing my faith for a couple years, I really have no clue what kind of Catholic agencies there could possibly be. I think at one time there was a Catholic family counselling agency and they may have offered some other social services, but I believe they were forced to shut down. The only Catholic organizations that I know of that are serious about true to the Church are volunteer run. Which is great, and I’m involved with the pro-life organization around here, but I won’t ever get a job out of it. Can’t even put the experience on a resume or I’d never get hired anywhere.

Maybe diocesan priests are supposed to do all the work for the diocese, and the rest of us just slug it out in secular careers and try not to get sucked into the culture and beliefs we’re immersed in.

The diocese needs more than just priests to keep everything running.

Every diocese has a diocesan office. That includes dozens (sometimes hundreds if the diocese is large enough) of people working for the Church in various capacities. There are offices that have to do with Catholic schools, catechesis, evangelization, finances, human resources, building & property, communications, etc., etc. And all of these people are working in support of the bishop so that he can fulfill his mission.

Here is the list of dioceses in Canada. Look for your diocese and go their website.

For example, the Diocese of Calgary has a list of their offices:

• Archives
• Business Office
• Charities and Development
• Chancery
• Committees & Commissions
• Courage & Encourage
• Diocesan Curia
• Ecumenical & Interreligious
• Health Care Apostolate
• Human Resources
• Latour First Nations Ministry
• Library
• Life & Family Resource Centre
• Liturgy
• Mission Council
• Religious Education
• Social Justice
• Stewardship
• Vocations
• Diaconate
• Together In Action
• Tribunal
• Youth & Young Adult Ministry

And each of those offices are going to need people with different skills.

And this is just one diocesan office. Any other Catholic organization is going to have similar opportunities. I guarantee, there are a lot more than just priests working in those offices.

I know that when you are a relatively new Catholic, there can be a bit of a learning curve in becoming familiar with all that is out there. That’s okay. Just keep looking around.

Of course, prayer is good, too. Pray for the right opportunity to come along for you at the right time.

 

[Deo_Gratias42]

You’re better off staying where you are. The Church is notorious for not paying a living wage and being skimpy on hours of work.