PASTORAL ASSOCIATE
There are over 36,000 Pastoral Associates in the U.S, Church today. The title Pastoral Associate is used to describe those Lay or Religious full-time and part-time, salaried/stipend persons who are members of the parish staff, sharing responsibility for the daily pastoral care of the faithful. Pastoral Associates are not ordained clergy like a priest or deacon, they are, however, considered an integral part of a church’s ministerial team. As Lay Ecclesial Ministers (a title given them by the USCCB), they may serve as a Music director, a Director of Religious Education, a hospital chaplain, a parish administrator, a spiritual advisor, or a director of pastoral care. Their duties, both pastoral and professional, are based, generally, on their education and experience in the service of our Lord and, specifically by those tasks assigned to them by their supervising Pastor.
Role Description
Pastoral Associates should be persons of strong faith, witnesses to the Good News of Jesus Christ, blessed with a deep love of the Catholic Church, knowledgeable in its teachings and committed to its mission. By their lives, their attitudes, and their ministry they can enrich the parish community even as they, themselves, are enriched through the gifts of those with whom they work or to whom they minister.
General Responsibilities for Pastoral Associate