Would you take the job?

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I went for an interview this past Monday for the position of Faith Formation Director at a Catholic church close to where I live. I had never been to that church before so I attended Sunday mass before the interview. Well, I got the sense at mass that they were one of those “progressive” Catholic churches (the way the priest heavily criticized the Pope tipped me off) and my suspicions were confirmed during the interview. They told me flat out that they believe in gays and lesbians getting married and raising families, women being priests, and artificial birth control. They even kicked out the Knight of Columbus group that was in the church because they had denied a gay man membership. They said they were a proud post-Vatican II church and they were not going to go back to the “old” ways.

I am a conservative Catholic who appreciates the traditions of the Catholic church. If I am disturbed by this church’s views, should I take the job if offered to me? I told them during the interview that I was a conservative Catholic and they seemed concerned about that but otherwise, I felt they liked me and they told me I was in the top three candidates for the job. My husband I could use the money but I don’t know if I can work at a church that holds such “progressive” views. I have been praying on it but would like some thoughts on my dilemma. Thanks.
 
catholicanne said:
I went for an interview this past Monday for the position of Faith Formation Director at a Catholic church close to where I live. I had never been to that church before so I attended Sunday mass before the interview. Well, I got the sense at mass that they were one of those “progressive” Catholic churches (the way the priest heavily criticized the Pope tipped me off) and my suspicions were confirmed during the interview. They told me flat out that they believe in gays and lesbians getting married and raising families, women being priests, and artificial birth control. They even kicked out the Knight of Columbus group that was in the church because they had denied a gay man membership. They said they were a proud post-Vatican II church and they were not going to go back to the “old” ways.

I am a conservative Catholic who appreciates the traditions of the Catholic church. If I am disturbed by this church’s views, should I take the job if offered to me? I told them during the interview that I was a conservative Catholic and they seemed concerned about that but otherwise, I felt they liked me and they told me I was in the top three candidates for the job. My husband I could use the money but I don’t know if I can work at a church that holds such “progressive” views. I have been praying on it but would like some thoughts on my dilemma. Thanks.
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Nope.

Why make yourself miserable, and bring all this misery and frustration home to your family?

UNLESS…you have a strong personality and you have a TRACK RECORD of bringing about real changes in organizations that you have worked for or volunteered for. If you are gifted at this, then perhaps you are the one who will be used by the Lord to get this church back on the right path.

But be honest with yourself. Imagine yourself facing a group of lesbians, and not only standing up to them when it comes to theology, but demonstrating such infectious love and caring for them that THEY back down and agree that you (and the Church) are correct and they are in the wrong. Will that really, truly happen if you take this job?

I would say keep looking for a job where you can happily bring home a paycheck.
 
No, I would not. You won’t change them, and it would only make you unhappy to work there.
Keep looking. The right job will come along for you. God bless you in your search.
 
No, I wouldn’t.

It doesn’t sound like a good fit, and it’s likely that you’d be constantly butting heads with the pastor.

Shake the dust off your feet…
 
Honestly, I would make note of everything you mentioned here, and any other detail that you may have noticed, and contact the bishop for your local Diocese or Archdiocese. Who knows how many people are being led astray by this Parish that is clearly not supporting the Teachings of the Church?
 
No I would not and furthermore, I am not sure that this is a Catholic Church from your description.
 
Was the pastor one of the ones who interviewed you? If not, you might want to see if you can have a discussion with him before accepting the job. Just because the parish staff is looking for a “progressive” director, doesn’t necessarily mean that the pastor is. There is a possibility, even a small one, that the pastor is actually not heterodox and needs an ally.

But if the pastor is also leaning in that direction, I woudn’t take the job if I were you. Besides being very uncomfortable, the practical issues could be insurmountable. For example, the director should be choosing catechetical material. There is no material approved by the Bishops that is going to be consistent with their version of Catholicism.
 
catholicanne said:
I went for an interview this past Monday for the position of Faith Formation Director at a Catholic church close to where I live. I had never been to that church before so I attended Sunday mass before the interview. Well, I got the sense at mass that they were one of those “progressive” Catholic churches (the way the priest heavily criticized the Pope tipped me off) and my suspicions were confirmed during the interview. They told me flat out that they believe in gays and lesbians getting married and raising families, women being priests, and artificial birth control. They even kicked out the Knight of Columbus group that was in the church because they had denied a gay man membership. They said they were a proud post-Vatican II church and they were not going to go back to the “old” ways.

I am a conservative Catholic who appreciates the traditions of the Catholic church. If I am disturbed by this church’s views, should I take the job if offered to me? I told them during the interview that I was a conservative Catholic and they seemed concerned about that but otherwise, I felt they liked me and they told me I was in the top three candidates for the job. My husband I could use the money but I don’t know if I can work at a church that holds such “progressive” views. I have been praying on it but would like some thoughts on my dilemma. Thanks.
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Definitely not, and I would report the parish to the Bishop and go up the chain from there. That church is in full heresy.
 
Here are my thoughts…in no particular order…

If you were completely honest in the interview and they know your views - that you are an Orthodox Catholic (I don’t like the term "conservative) - and they offer you the job — well they know what they are getting…and if there are concerns expressed to you later over your views later…You can tell them that they knew your views when they hired you.

As a “Faith Formation Director” it is your job to teach the faith as taught by the Catholic Church in all of her magisterial documents. This means The Catechism and all of the documents linked to the Catechism.
Even if you DID hold certain “progressive” (heterodox) views you would be unable to teach them since that would be a violation of the responsibilities of the position you are hired for.

That said…you must be prepared to deal with this situation and the people who are going to be against you practically from the get-go…You will have to be able to calmly and charitably stick to your guns, and to the Documented Magisterial teachings of the Church, when people attack you with their “personal opinions” on what the Church should teach.
This will not be an easy task and could easily result in your contract not being renewed.

Yes it will be stressful. Yes you could wind up looking for a job again in a year or two.
But on the other side…If God feels you are strong enough to cause them to offer you the job, are you confident enough (in God’s trust in you) to accept the challenge??

The bottom line is that IF they hire you for the job or Faith formation director then it is your duty to do just that…to direct the formation of the faith (the teachings of the Church) within the community that hires you…
If that means butting heads with heterodox elements…So be it…

Of course no one here can tell you whether to accept the job or not…but these are my thoughts on the matter.

Peace
James
 
catholicanne said:
I went for an interview this past Monday for the position of Faith Formation Director at a Catholic church close to where I live. I had never been to that church before so I attended Sunday mass before the interview. Well, I got the sense at mass that they were one of those “progressive” Catholic churches (the way the priest heavily criticized the Pope tipped me off) and my suspicions were confirmed during the interview. They told me flat out that they believe in gays and lesbians getting married and raising families, women being priests, and artificial birth control. They even kicked out the Knight of Columbus group that was in the church because they had denied a gay man membership. They said they were a proud post-Vatican II church and they were not going to go back to the “old” ways.

I am a conservative Catholic who appreciates the traditions of the Catholic church. If I am disturbed by this church’s views, should I take the job if offered to me? I told them during the interview that I was a conservative Catholic and they seemed concerned about that but otherwise, I felt they liked me and they told me I was in the top three candidates for the job. My husband I could use the money but I don’t know if I can work at a church that holds such “progressive” views. I have been praying on it but would like some thoughts on my dilemma. Thanks.
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Sounds to me this parish is beyond being “progressive.” I would report this matter, as others have mentioned to the dioceses’. As for the job - no I would not take it for obvious reasons.
 
If it bothered you that much, it’s not a fit. And I bet they are thinking the same thing.

As far as “turning them into the Archbishop” - don’t think so.
 
catholicanne said:
I am a conservative Catholic who appreciates the traditions of the Catholic church. If I am disturbed by this church’s views, should I take the job if offered to me?
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My feeling is you will make yourself unhappy, often be at odds with your boss and end up losing the job, anyway. Unless you would have to declare bankruptcy without it, I’d suggest passing.
 
I really appreciate all your responses. Thank you for basically validating what I was already thinking. Unless I know that my views will be respected and that I can teach a curriculum that is in line with the Catechism, I don’t think I would be comfortable taking the job. I’ve been playing the interview over in my head since Monday and honestly, I think my traditional Catholic views just might make them pick someone else.

You know, it’s pretty bad when a Catholic church won’t hire you because you’re too Catholic. LOL
 
I think you are making the correct choice. It would not be a good fit for either side.
 
Go with your gut. It sounds to me like you ALREADY have misgivings. As a previous poster said; unless you are in DIRE financial circumstances, don’t take it.
 
I’m still wondering how a Catholic parish can up front tell someone that they believe all of these things that are against Catholic teaching.

Are you sure they are in communion with the local Bishop?
 
PaulinVA said:
I’m still wondering how a Catholic parish can up front tell someone that they believe all of these things that are against Catholic teaching.

Are you sure they are in communion with the local Bishop?
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Yes, they told me that the Bishop knows about them but has been “kind enough” to leave them be.
 
Well, I’d take a slightly different tact.
  • I would request another interview with them, including the pastor. At that meeting I would tell them that I see my duties as the Faith Formation director to do just that–. Teach the Catholic faith vice their protestantized version of it. I would go in with the rebuttals in the catechism for every heretical position they had put forward. I would say my first duty as Faith Formation director is to point out they are the first one’s needing my services since their Faith Formation was obviously deficient. I almost certainly wouldn’t get the job, but Christ commissioned us all to spread the gospel and His teachings and these folks obviously need it. I would finish with the point that Christ warned very specifically about misleading others in sin–
    Luke 17. 1. He said to his disciples, 'Causes of falling are sure to come, but alas for the one through whom they occur!
2 It would be better for such a person to be thrown into the sea with a millstone round the neck than to be the downfall of a single one of these little ones.

By their teaching’s they are endangering their own souls. It would be an act of charity to point that out and give them the opportunity to repent and correct themselves.

(BTW, the Knight of Colombus thing. If they denied a man who was gay but staying celibate in accordance with the teachings of the Catholic Church, I would agree that’s wrong. He would be as valid a member as any other and a good example to others bearing the cross of same sex attraction).
  • I would report everything they said to the Bishop in a letter and request a follow up in person appointment. I would recommend to the Bishop that he may want to send representatives to attend some of the masses to note whether the criticsm of the Pope or Church officials is acceptable to him.
It sounds like this is a Church which desperately needs to be turned around. At the very least they need to be reminded of Christ’s Truth and the legitimacy of the Church’s authority in teaching faith, morals and doctrine. If they’l hire you it will be tough, it will be a cross, many members will leave. But that is because they aren’t Catholic to begin with, they are what they would prefer catholicism to be, not what it is. The families who remain deserve the authentic teaching of the Church.

God bless, keep, and strengthen you in whatever path He intends you to take.
 
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