Religious Pastoral Ministry
There exists within the church today a growing need for lay pastoral ministers. The religious pastoral ministry major prepares students to meet that need through professional involvement in campus ministry, retreat work, pastoral counseling, ecumenical work, parish and congregational ministry, and various forms of social action.
The Religious Pastoral Ministry program combines theological training and professional pastoral studies with field experiences in parishes, social agencies and other institutions. The faculty is composed of priests, religious and laity with backgrounds in academic theology, community organizations and psychiatric social work.
Students develop skills in relating to all types of people and faith traditions and learn to harmonize the ideals of the gospel with professional competence. The program also stresses an understanding of the mission of the church and the development of leadership within it, as well as the development of skills in critical thinking, conflict resolution, organization, social analysis, communication, and theological reflection.
OCCUPATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
Campus ministry
Chaplaincy
Director of religious education
Ecumenical work
Hospice spiritual care
Liturgist
Minister to the divorced/separated
Minister to the grieving
Parish administrator
Parish pastoral minister
Pastoral care minister
Pastoral counselor
Retreat center director
Youth minister
*Some positions may require additional education and/or training.
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK
Information on employment outlook for the occupations listed above may be found at America’s Career InfoNet, http://www.acinet.org, the Occupational Information Network, http://online.onetcenter.org, or the Occupational Outlook Handbook, http://www.bls.gov/oco.
POTENTIAL EMPLOYERS
Churches
Colleges and universities
Hospices
Hospitals
Nursing homes
Parishes
Retreat centers
Social service agencies
SOURCES FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Books (* denotes books available in the Career Center Library)
- *Eberts, Marjorie & Gisler, Margaret. Careers for Good Samaritans and Other Humanitarian Types, Lincolnwood,
IL: VGM Career Horizons, 1998.
- *Encyclopedia of Careers and Vocational Guidance, Vol. 4, Chicago, IL: Ferguson Publishing Co., 2000.
- Nelson, John Oliver. Opportunities in Religious Service Careers, Lincolnwood, IL: VGM Career Books, 2004.
Professional Associations
National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry, 415 Michigan Avenue, NE, Suite 40, Washington, DC 20017-4502, http://www.nfcym.org.
Web sites
Occupational Information Network, O*Net Online, http://online.onetcenter.org/link/summary/21-2011.00.