Director of Religious Education

Position Summary

The Director of Religious Education (DRE) leads Annunciation Parish’s faith formation program for children and families in grades 1 through 10, including sacramental preparation for First Reconciliation, First Eucharist, and Confirmation. The program is family-centered, parent-led in its sacramental model, and built on a partnership among the DRE, a team of volunteer catechists and mentors, and the families of the parish. The DRE works closely with the DREs of St. Vincent de Paul (Springbrook) and Immaculate Conception (East Aurora) on joint family-of-parishes initiatives, especially Confirmation preparation.

Reporting and Scope

Reports to:  the Business Manager of the WHEAT Family of Parishes, with pastoral supervision from the Pastor of Annunciation Parish.

Advised by:  the Pastoral Associate for Ministry, Deborah Keenan, on matters of catechesis and parish ministry.

Coordinates with:  the DREs of the other two WHEAT parishes for joint sacramental programs, retreats, and family-wide initiatives.

Oversees:  a team of approximately 15–20 volunteer catechists, mentors, and aides across grades 1–10.

Also serves as:  the parish’s Local Safe Environment Coordinator for the faith formation program.

Essential Responsibilities

Program Leadership and Catechesis

  • Plan and lead the annual faith formation program — approximately 24 Sunday sessions and 36 instructional hours — in accordance with the Diocese of Buffalo’s catechetical framework.
  • Oversee the Alive in Christ curriculum (grades 1–6), the Chosen program (grades 9–10), and mentor-led small discipleship groups (grades 7–8); coordinate Adaptive Catechesis for students with special needs.
  • Lead the monthly Family Faith Sessions, including coordinating volunteer speakers for the adult component.

Sacramental Preparation

  • Direct the preparation, retreats, and celebration of First Reconciliation, First Eucharist, and Confirmation, using the parish’s parent-led Signs of Grace model.
  • Maintain candidate records, sponsor documentation, and sacramental records with the Parish Secretary and the parish sacramental book.
  • Generate Church of Baptism notification letters and sacramental certificates from the parish database following each celebration.

Volunteer Coordination and Safe Environment

  • Recruit, screen, train, support, and appreciate volunteer catechists, mentors, and aides, including hosting the annual Catechist Kickoff Meeting (August) and Catechist Appreciation Luncheon (May).
  • Serve as Local Safe Environment Coordinator: provide the annual Empowering God’s Children safety lessons to the children and record their participation, and ensure all volunteers complete diocesan requirements (Code of Conduct, Uniform Volunteer Questionnaire, background checks, Virtus training, and monthly bulletin acknowledgments).
  • Submit the annual Empowering God’s Children Compliance Report and other diocesan reporting.

Communication and Family Engagement

  • Produce a monthly parent newsletter and ongoing program communications, and maintain the faith formation section of the parish website.
  • Respond to parent inquiries promptly, generally within 24 to 48 hours, including some evenings and weekends; manage registration, tuition collection, and family communications through Flocknote.

Administration and Family-of-Parishes Coordination

  • Maintain enrollment, attendance, and sacramental dates in PDS; manage the program budget with the Business Manager; maintain the diocesan-mandated retention file; and complete year-end archival, statistical reporting, and grade promotion each May.
  • Plan and carry out joint sacramental retreats and Confirmation preparation with the DREs of St. Vincent de Paul and Immaculate Conception, coordinating consistent scheduling, communication, and policy, and taking part in regular DRE team meetings.

Required Qualifications

  • A practicing Catholic in good standing, able to support and uphold the teachings of the Catholic faith, with familiarity with the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Sacred Scripture, sacramental theology, and Catholic liturgical life.
  • Familiarity with — or willingness to become well acquainted with — the Church’s principal catechetical documents, including the Directory for Catechesis, the USCCB National Directory for Catechesis, and the Diocese of Buffalo’s catechetical framework.
  • A bachelor’s degree in Theology, Religious Studies, Catechetics, Education, or a related field — or an equivalent combination of education, parish ministry experience, and demonstrated competence.
  • Enrollment in the Catechetical Institute’s Parish Catechetical Leader (PCL) track, with completion within two years preferred.
  • A successful background check and completion of Virtus training prior to the start of employment.
  • Strong organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple programs and deadlines at once.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with a warm, pastoral tone suited to parent and volunteer communications.
  • The ability to recruit, support, and coordinate adult volunteers with patience and gratitude, and a firm commitment to confidentiality regarding family circumstances, sacramental records, and personnel matters.

Required Technical Skills

The DRE serves as the day-to-day technical lead for the faith formation program and supports digital tools shared across the WHEAT family of parishes. Strong technical aptitude and comfort adopting new tools are essential.

  • Required: Flocknote (registration, tuition, attendance, communications); Google Workspace (Drive, Docs, Sheets, Forms, Calendar); Virtus (volunteer compliance and reporting); and Canva (newsletters, flyers, and program materials).
  • Training provided: eCatholic (the family-of-parishes website) and Virtus; comfort updating websites is expected.
  • Preferred: prior experience with PDS or comparable parish database software.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Prior experience as a DRE, catechetical leader, Catholic school administrator, or pastoral associate; experience coordinating sacramental preparation; and experience working with volunteers in a parish or non-profit setting.
  • Familiarity with the Alive in Christ curriculum (OSV) or comparable Catholic catechetical curricula.

Working Conditions

Full-time, salaried position (40 hours per week) with a flexible schedule built around the program’s activity and event calendar; in-person work based at the parish. Sunday morning attendance is required throughout the program year (approximately late September through early May). The role also includes occasional Sunday evenings (Confirmation classes, parent meetings), Saturday mornings (sacramental retreats), Saturday afternoons (Family Session setup), and weekday evenings (make-up classes, rehearsals, parent follow-up, and meetings).

Onboarding Support

This role is thoroughly documented in a comprehensive succession binder covering the parish’s programs, calendar, sacramental preparation workflows, and diocesan compliance requirements — a resource that meaningfully eases the transition for a new DRE.

To Apply

Interested candidates should submit a resume, cover letter, and three professional references — including at least one pastoral reference from a current or recent pastor — to Dawn Cahill, Business Manager of the WHEAT Family of Parishes, at [email protected].

With Mary, we joyfully announce: “God with us” in Jesus Christ.