Diocesan Relations Specialist

Job Description

Cross Catholic Outreach is a Catholic ministry with an ecumenical staff of Catholic, Protestant, and Eastern Orthodox believers working in unity to provide food, water, housing, education, orphan support, medical care, micro-enterprise, and disaster relief, and the love of our Lord Jesus Christ to the poorest of the poor in more than 30 countries around the world. We believe strongly in unifying Christians in this mission of mercy, and we believe that creating a welcoming work environment for all Christian faiths is essential to achieving our ministry goals.

Best Christian Workplace Certified 2026

Position Title: Diocesan Relations Specialist
Department: Clergy and Diocesan Relations
Reports to: Associate Director of Clergy and Diocesan Relations
Position Location: (Remote)

Position Summary:
The Diocesan Relations Specialist plays an essential role in Clergy and Diocesan Relations by supporting the department's proactive communication and coordination with dioceses nationwide while also maintaining an accurate, real-time national database of all Catholic parishes in the United States and clergy assignments across the United States. This position ensures reliable data to enable the ministry to successfully communicate with parishes to secure fundraising speaking opportunities at parishes and to properly transmit critical Episcopal letters of good standing to the respective Chancellor in each diocese. It supports strong, collaborative relationships with parishes and chanceries to keep information current and responsive to the needs of dioceses and their respective parishes in alignment with the ministry's goal of attracting new donors through clergy assignments.

Educational or Certification Requirements:
• Bachelor's degree preferred

Experience Requirements:
• Demonstrated experience in record management, data analytics, business operations, and/or data management.
• Demonstrated attention to detail when checking data for accuracy and fixing simple errors.
Experience with organizing and maintaining files, folders, and data records logically.
• Experience or willingness to learn how to pull and combine data from different sources.
• Strong willingness to follow best practices for data management, including making regular backups and keeping documentation up to date.

Knowledge, Skills, & Character Required:
• Is a consistent witness for Jesus Christ; maintains a courteous, Christ-like attitude in dealing with people within and outside of the ministry.
• Feels a calling to serve God through serving Cross Catholic Outreach in this capacity.
• Believes in and supports the mission and ministry of Cross Catholic Outreach and agrees with the conduct policies and conduct expectations of Cross Catholic Outreach.
• Experience maintaining personnel, directory, or relational databases in a large organization or Church environment.
• Familiarity with USCCB resources, the Official Catholic Directory, national Catholic tracking systems, or protocols for clergy letters of good standing.
• Demonstrated success in building and sustaining professional relationships across dioceses, parishes, or institutions.
• Understanding of clergy personnel processes, canonical considerations, best practices in diocesan/parish collaboration, coordination of outreach speaking engagements, and fundraising appeals in parish settings.
• This position combines rigorous research and data stewardship with meaningful departmental support to advance the unity, administration, evangelistic mission, and fundraising efforts of Cross Catholic Outreach across the United States.

Duties:
• Communicate with diocesan and parish staff to maintain and continuously update a comprehensive, centralized list/database of every Catholic parish/church in the United States, including:
Parish name, full address, contact details (phone/email/website), deanery/vicariate/region, status (active, mission, suppressed/merged, etc.), parish clusters/families/groupings (where multiple parishes share clergy, resources, or pastoral leadership), and associated entities (e.g., schools, missions, chapels).

• Track, verify, and record pastor and clergy assignments nationwide, including:
Current pastor (or parochial administrator/vicar) for each parish.
Assignment effective dates, transfer history, and interim/temporary appointments. Changes due to retirements, ordinations, promotions, health/sabbatical leaves, or reassignments.

Cross-reference with authoritative sources, including the Official Catholic Directory
(P.J. Kenedy & Sons), USCCB listings, diocesan websites, and clergy appointment
announcements, and Catholic-Hierarchy.org.
• Investigate and resolve discrepancies or incomplete records by:
Conducting detailed research into historical assignments, parish changes, or clergy records.
Collaborating closely with diocesan archivists, religious order provincials, bishops' offices, parish leadership, and other stakeholders for verification and clarification.
• Produce reports, directories, and data insights as requested, such as:
Clergy assignment summaries by diocese, region, or religious order.
Parish and pastor overviews to support pastoral planning, evangelization, fundraising initiatives, or national Church statistics.
Custom data extracts for bishops, seminaries, vocation o ces, Outreach Priest scheduling, or related ministries.
• This role requires the ability to perform standard office functions, including prolonged sitting, standing, and computer use. Occasional lifting, carrying, or moving materials weighing up to 20 pounds may be required. OR
• This position may require occasional domestic and/or international travel to attend meetings, trainings, conferences, or organizational events. Travel may be conducted by airplane, automobile, bus, or other reasonable means. Travel frequency is expected to be limited and scheduled in advance when possible

• Other duties as assigned

About the Employer

We mobilize the global Catholic Church to transform the poor and their communities materially and spiritually for the glory of Jesus Christ.

Our
Vision
All Catholics around the world united in overcoming material and spiritual poverty