Religious Careers?

[Emanj88]

In the past year I have become incredibly interested in theology and just massive amounts of learning about the Catholic church. I also know I want to help people for a career.

Are there any religious careers out there (besides the priesthood) that would use a degree from theology school and provide good pay? Maybe a degree wielding youth minister? Are they paid well in bigger churches?

 

[Lepanto]

In the past year I have become incredibly interested in theology and just massive amounts of learning about the Catholic church. I also know I want to help people for a career.

Are there any religious careers out there (besides the priesthood) that would use a degree from theology school and provide good pay? Maybe a degree wielding youth minister? Are they paid well in bigger churches?

I don’t mean to be rude, but if money is so important to you, you have no business being in ministry. It would be unfair to both the faithful and yourself.

Do it for Christ or not at all.

 

[Emanj88]

I don’t mean to be rude, but if money is so important to you, you have no business being in ministry. It would be unfair to both the faithful and yourself.

Do it for Christ or not at all.

I mean well enough to support a family.

 

[augieboo]

Are there any religious careers out there (besides the priesthood) that would use a degree from theology school and provide good pay? Maybe a degree wielding youth minister? Are they paid well in bigger churches?

I assume that by “good pay” you don’t mean that you want to be paid like a doctor, lawyer, or business manager, but that you merely mean “enough to raise a family on, pay the bills, put something away for retirement, and the like” – am I right?

Unfortunately, the answer is mostly no. In my experience – which is by no means comprehensive, so if anybody knows different, by all means jump in and correct me! – the Church tends to pay below the private sector in jobs with similar duties. In other words, Catholic school teachers make less then their secular counterparts down the street, as do school principals, office management types, etc.

So, a certain amount of sacrifice does go with the territory if you want to serve the Church as a lay person.

But there are still a couple avenues I can think of:

1. Since you are so interested in theology, perhaps you could work toward a doctorate and teach at a Catholic college or university? You would make less than your counterparts at secular institutions, but still might make a fairly decent living.
2. There is also the Permanent Diaconate, which has, I think, gained in popularity at least partly for the very reason that it allows one to work to support a family while still serving the Church.

Finally, **have you considered the priesthood? ** :newidea:

We really need priests these days. :yup:

Since you seem academically inclined, you could consider the Jesuits – most of them seem to stay in school pretty much forever; the Dominicans are also very academically oriented, as are all the various Augustinian orders. In addition, there are tons of orders devoted to teaching.

Why not give the priesthood some thought and, more importantly, prayer?

After all, something – or should I say someONE – prompted you to sign on to this vocation forum and start asking questions… :angel1:

 

[Em_in_FL]

I agree with most of what augieboo has posted… especially the suggestions of the deaconate, university professorship, or even the priesthood!

Based on my exposure to youth ministers… they are usually struggling to provide for their families… sadly enough.
We go to a huge parish that has many wealthy families… and one of the youth ministers (over the years) lived in a trailer. Very sad.
We have very close friends, both husband and wife are youth ministers… and they’re struggling financially.

You have to do it because you LOVE it. You would most likely have to struggle to raise a family, though.

 

[HollyDolly]

I think things also depend on which part of the country you live in and whether in a big city or not.With diocese facing bankrupcey due to the big scandal with priestly abuse and such,I don’t think pay would be very high.Teaching at a university would be a safer bet.Even if at a catholic one,you would surely be paid more than a youth minister.
I recall once visiting my relatives in Milwaukee on my dad’s side.
I remember us driving past the Little Sisters of the Poor home and Uncle Tom talking about working for the nuns.He said he quit that.Had a dispute with them which he didn’t go into detail about,but the gist I got was he was trying to support the family and they were too cheap and didn’t really want to pay him much.he complained that they acted like he should have been honored to work for them,etc.etc. So he told them off.Must be a family trait.Grandpa had it out with the priests over at St.Boniface when during the Depression they started charging admission to go to mass.grandpa told them he’d never set foot in there again ,they’d find another church,which they did.
I’m not making that part about the admission fee up.Have seen that mentioned elsewhere.During the great depression many churches were hurting for money cause people didn’t have a lot to put in the collection plate,so they charged admission to go to church.
My grandpa respected the clergy,he had a sister who was a nun.
It’s just he didn’t think they were God,just human like the rest of us.many people have blinders on when it comes to the clergy,that’s one of the reason this abuse of children by clergy and religious has been able to go on so long,because parents could’nt picture Father Bob or Sister Mary abusing a kid,whether sexually(especially) or otherwise.

 

[drafdog]

The original poster is correct in inquiring about how the Church pays its lay employees. The Church demands that business and industry pay a living wage. It is only fair to inquire if the Church itself is paying a living wage. We have relied in the past on so much labor provided by religious communities who have taken a vow of poverty, that they have forgotten that “the laborer is worthy of his hire.” If a man or woman invests in a college degree, and frequently an advanced degree, the remuneration should match the level of professional expertise. I do my work in compliance with the dictum “ad majorem Dei gloriam,” but I expect to be paid in this world for my professionalism, and in the next for glorifying the Father.

Matthew

 

[Beachcomber]

The original poster is correct in inquiring about how the Church pays its lay employees. The Church demands that business and industry pay a living wage. It is only fair to inquire if the Church itself is paying a living wage. We have relied in the past on so much labor provided by religious communities who have taken a vow of poverty, that they have forgotten that “the laborer is worthy of his hire.” If a man or woman invests in a college degree, and frequently an advanced degree, the remuneration should match the level of professional expertise. I do my work in compliance with the dictum “ad majorem Dei gloriam,” but I expect to be paid in this world for my professionalism, and in the next for glorifying the Father.

Matthew

I agree completely. Enquiring about pay rates is perfectly reasonable these days; particularly if you have a family to support. You have stewardship of your family in a sense and it’s right to look after their welfare.

I worked in a faith-based non-profit business (non-Catholic) but I could never have worked there without having a decent wage. And it was also because my husband had a good job, too. I really enjoyed what I was doing but I could not have worked there if I had to rely solely on that income. It wasn’t sustainable, however much spiritual satisfaction it gave me.

 

[RevDrNorth]

My wife loved teaching in a Catholic school here in the US but back in 1989/1990she was making 12,000 a year (as a certified teacher) with NO benefits at all and was a single parent. She had to give in and go teach in the Public School system to survive.

Now in Canada, you can direct your property taxes to the schools system. So, teachers in the Catholic school system were well paid (equivalent to public school system), had the same benefits and the schools were every bit was well funded. Parents paid nothing additional to send their children to Catholic school.

Rev North

 

[puzzleannie]

I don’t mean to be rude, but if money is so important to you, you have no business being in ministry. It would be unfair to both the faithful and yourself.

Do it for Christ or not at all.

Christ is quite satisfied, at least according to St. Paul who says the laborer is worthy of his hire, that I should be compensated enough to at least cover the expenses of working, have health care and benefits, and little left over to go toward prescriptions and living expenses, and put into retirement savings. If I accept less or work as a volunteer, I am sinning against justice by depriving the next person who applies for this job of a fair salary.

Catholic schools have declined because during the years when sisters staffed the schools essentially as volunteers, they set the stage for an unrealistic financial underpinning for the school. Now that lay teachers are the norm a school in a parish that does not tithe, and therefore cannot attract and pay good teachers, is going to have a high turnover, or be less selective in its teachers. DH went into business the year his Catholic school teacher salary qualified us for food stamps.

 

[MsAnnie]

Next fall, a friend of mine will be starting at Boston College’s dual MA/MBA program in Pastoral Ministry and Business Administration. It’s designed to ensure that those who work in managing/administering church institutions such as hospitals, corporations, universities, dioceses, etc., do so with ethical management and Church teachings in mind.

In terms of possible careers, this degree may not involve as much direct help to others as the OP was thinking of, but I thought it was worth thinking about.