We, the members of St. Francis Xavier College Church, form a welcoming Jesuit parish community. As followers of Jesus Christ, we praise God, love our neighbors as ourselves, celebrate liturgy and the sacraments, engage in lifelong formation and proclaim God’s reign of justice, mercy and peace.
The Director of Faith Formation is a full-time salaried position. The Director of Faith Formation oversees the religious and spiritual formation of children and adults in the parish and supports parish family life informed by our identity and values as a Jesuit parish in the City of St. Louis.
The Director of Faith Formation will be responsible for collaboratively developing, implementing, and evaluating parish-wide faith formation. This would include: the recruitment, support, evaluation, and formation of catechists; setting curriculum and selecting texts and resources for Faith Formation classes and programs for all ages and vocations; directing and guiding sacramental preparation programs including Christian Initiation.
Spiritual growth is a vital part of our mission as a Jesuit parish. We embrace lifelong learning and development as integral to our personal and communal relationship with God. In fact, Ignatius of Loyola began as a layperson to guide others with the Spiritual Exercises and teach catechism long before the official founding of the Society of Jesus in 1540 (The First Jesuits; John O’Malley, 1993).
Our primary goal is to create opportunities for people to experience God’s love and then nurture their responses to that love in bringing about God’s kingdom. We use many elements of Ignatian Spirituality with an emphasis on God's love for us and service to others informed by Catholic Social Teaching. We also aspire to become a more synodal and anti-racist church. Through the grace of Baptism, all the faithful are qualified and called to serve each other through the gifts they have all received from the Holy Spirit.
Lead and manage the Youth Faith Formation program, including recruitment and retention of families and children, recruitment and retention of catechists, staffing, curriculum design and development, training and on-going teacher support and formation, and supporting the Youth Faith Commission.
This Program includes:
Sunday Religious Education classes for children from Kindergarten through eighth grade;
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd for children Pre-K through 6th grade (this position provides support only for CGS);
Children’s Nursery during the 10:30 a.m. Sunday Liturgy;
Youth Ministry program for Eighth Grade and High School students;
Service opportunities for youth and families;
Sacramental preparation and special liturgies for the College Church Youth Faith Program.
Lead and manage the Adult Faith Formation offerings.
Critical Skills and Expertise:
The ability to create, articulate and implement a parish-wide vision of faith formation rooted in Ignatian Spirituality;
Experience with methods of Adult Faith formation
A willingness to become familiar with Catechesis of the Good Shepherd;
Demonstrated outstanding project and program management skills in a complex environment;
Experience with recruiting, training, and managing teams with a particular focus on managing teams of volunteers;
Outstanding communication and relationship-building skills. Working closely with St. Louis University and Aquinas Institute of Theology will be very important;
Highly self-directed; excellent problem-solving skills; creative, flexible, dynamic.
Required Experience and Education:
Must be an active Catholic in good standing;
A graduate degree in Theology or related studies is preferred;
Must have a minimum of 3-5 years of demonstrated project or program management experience in a parish, religious, educational, non-profit, or for-profit setting.
St. Francis Xavier College Church does not discriminate on the basis of handicapped status in employment. St. Francis Xavier College Church is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, or disability.
Pre-Employment Screening
All candidates receiving an employment offer must submit a pre-employment screening. The screenings will include criminal background check and other background checks (as needed), and Family Care Safety Registration. All offers are contingent upon successful completion of required screening.