Would you work for the Church?

[Horton]

Now you are just deliberately twisting my words and insulting me. Clearly I’m horrible for wanting my job to pay enough to support my family.

Which of your words did I twist? You insulted every one of us for taking a job you feel you are above. Just because you need to make more money to support your family does not mean those of us who choose to work for less money are desperate, uneducated, or unable to get a better position.

 

[Hereiam]

Amazing responses on expectation of Church salsries…if money is an important consideration, discernment should be easy…DONT TAKE THE JOB! Nobody will think any less of you…just as with all vocations we will be called to the correct one if we properly discern!

 

[Linhares]

Then I have to apologise.

talking about a career, not volunteering.

But to be honest I had no idea till you mentioned this. Plus over here no one even thinks of a career when it comes to the church, it just volunteering to do whatever work is required.

 

[LittleFlower]

I know people who work in the Catholic Church and earn market rates.

I guess it also comes down to negotiation skills, and how readily you “give” up your desired rate. I know people who have applied for jobs, advertised at below market rate, and then ace the interview and then ask to be matched at their current rate—viola, a non issue for them as they now work at their desired rate within the CC.

Careers are now a thing, mainly because it should be. Employing competitively means the Church keeps up with its people, with legislation, and with world changes.

Some Arch/dioceses have non-functioning websites, hard to find services, and much more.

Their prayer resources are non-existent, or again, hard to find.

Same when it comes to property management, building compliances, or in Australia Working with Children checks and those legislative requirements to ensure children safe environments.

I love it when I know that people have been employed because they know their stuff, regardless of their Church attendance.

 

[po18guy]

Maybe if we were not such cheapskates, the Church could pay more.

 

[Crusaderbear]

I work for the Dioces as an educator. The pay is only about 8,000 annual less than in my previous public school position, but the rewards are much better. I also draw a pension from the Navy and have the public school retirement when I want to draw that…

 

[0104]

No but for someone who traveled more then any other aposte all over the Mediterranean I think he would have helped his fellow man even by giving him a tent.

 

[Gorgias]

No but for someone who traveled more then any other aposte all over the Mediterranean I think he would have helped his fellow man even by giving him a tent.

Perhaps he would have. However, one of the memes that’s being floated here seems to be “Catholics shouldn’t charge (or shouldn’t charge what they can get in the secular sphere) for their services”…

 

[0104]

I’m all for getting paid for a days work. Sometimes we as Christian’s need to slow down a minute and help out our neighbor. Even if it means giving them something we’ve worked hard on. Grace will abound so much more.

 

[TC3033]

I coached at a Catholic HS for 3 or 4 years and made about 1/2 of what a comparable coach at the public school a few blocks away made.

Same thing for my wife. She was offered a teaching position at on of thbe more promenant Catholic HS’s in the area. They only offered about 1/2 to 2/3 of what she was being offered by public schools.

 

[Phemie]

I was my parish’s secretary for 13 years. I worked part time, 25 hours/week. I was also expected to respond to parishioners’ requests for certificates and such whenever I happened to be at church for Mass.

When I first started working, in ‘98 I was paid $1 over minimum wage which was $5.25 at the time. About 3 years later, while we were between pastors, the Administrator raised my wage to $8/hr. Over the next 6 years minimum wage in my province rose steadily until in 2008 it reached what I was being paid. In 2009 & 2010 minimum wage went up twice a year so that by the time I quit (after giving 7 months’ notice so they could find a replacement) I was making $10/hr.

The hitch is that over that time Mass attendance dropped significantly and there was a corresponding drop in income from collections. When I left in 2011 I think it was a relief to them. They couldn’t afford to replace me so to this day the parish does not have a secretary. A volunteer does the bulletin.

 

[casslean]

I might not have phrased it quite this way, but I share the sentiment.

If you feel your church should pay their employees more, them provide the financial support so that they can.

 

[Anesis]

I work for the Church full time as a parish admin. I make more than our state minimum wage, but do not make enough to live on if I were a single person. I only make 20 cents an hour more now than I did when I started 4 years ago. It’s a med/lg parish (1500 families) in a wealthy suburb and we have a parish school with an enrollment of about 400 kids in K-8. The enrollment is down quite a bit after some minor scandals with administration of both the parish and the school.

We have 2 full time priests (though only one is in the office on a regular basis), 3 permanent deacons and 3 office employees, including me.

You have to have a very strong faith and realize that your faith is going to suffer somewhat because you are exposed to the ugly underbelly of the inner workings of the Church. The parishioners who never contribute money to support the church (and do not volunteer or regularly attend Mass) but want every sport paper signed, present their children for each sacrament on time treating it like a cultural experience instead of a statement of their faith development. The personality disordered pastor who only shows attention to his staff when he wants to complain about something, refuses to communicate with us and is frankly downright awful sometimes, but does beautiful Masses. The other priest who is cheerful, gregarious and friendly (often showing appreciation to the staff) but rarely comes to the office. The parishioners who complain that our big parish doesn’t have _this _ program or that program, but refuse to help with anything. Seeing people, including clergy, behaving in hateful, nasty cruel and disrespectful manners - in short - like working for any cutthroat for-profit secular company. Then there is the other stuff like people being afraid of change or technology because “we’ve always done it this way” when “that way” is slow, inefficient, costs more and/or looks unprofessional, people who have built up tons of vacation time so we’re chronically understaffed.

Why do I stay? I am s convert and my experiences in life have truly helped people, I see it happen. I’m that friendly voice to the timid person calling about RCIA, the non - judgmental voice when someone calls to start the annulment process or have their confession heard privately outside of the normal time, the caring voice when someone calls in distress because a loved one is dying and they need a priest, the happy voice when someone calls to schedule a baptism or a wedding. These things make me feel like I am truly serving God. I love going into the Church in the middle of the day when it’s dark and quiet and replacing the sanctuary light candle or restocking the other candles that surround various saint statues. I love seeing the school kids lined up to go into the adoration chapel. I love that I can (sometimes) go to Mass in the middle of my work day (I don’t get paid for that time, but who cares) and that I can spend my 30 minute lunch break in our 24/7 adoration chapel with Jesus right there in the montrance. I pray. A lot

 

[TheLittleLady]

You have to have a very strong faith and realize that your faith is going to suffer somewhat because you are exposed to the ugly underbelly of the inner workings of the Church

Amen. I wish there were some sort of annual retreat just for those of us who work in administrative roles.

 

[dconklin]

I have 14 years in my position of Asst DRE at a large parish. I am not paid a lavish amount of money but it is enough (thank God my wife earns a good wage). The parish has supported me in many ways, including paying for many years of education such as Lay Ministry Training and such. We have many professional on our staff.