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THE POSITION: The Associate Superintendent for Mission is hired by the Superintendent of Catholic Schools and assists him/her to advance the apostolic mission of the Archbishop of Denver and the Church in Northern Colorado to watch-over the Catholic schools in the territory.
The Associate Superintendent for Mission serves as an agent of the Superintendent and is a lead-disciple for the Catholic school community in the Archdiocese of Denver. They perform all position responsibilities under the supervision of the Superintendent according to the teaching of the Catholic Church, the strategic goals of the Archdiocese of Denver and the Office of Catholic Schools, archdiocesan policies, and in conformity with Church documents on Catholic education.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES: The Associate Superintendent for Mission serves the Superintendent, and by extension the Archbishop by developing, carrying-out, and overseeing a process of mission assessment of all Catholic schools in the territory of the Archdiocese of Denver as a means of contributing to the renewal of the Catholic schools and the strengthening of their Catholic identity.
As such the incumbent carries out the following:
Mission Renewal:
Contribute to the ongoing development and execution of the renewal strategy and vision to strengthen the Catholic mission, identity, culture, catechesis, discipleship, formation, and evangelization efforts of our schools by:
Deliberately watch over and safeguard the fidelity of Catholic schools to their Catholic mission and identity and assess the performance of Catholic schools for the sake of ongoing renewal and improvement.
Overseeing the development and implementation of a mission assessment and school visitation process [accreditation] based on the January 25, 2022 Vatican Instruction, The Identity of the Catholic School for a Culture of Dialogue and other key foundational Church documents
Collaborating with the Superintendent and OCS team to oversee and execute an archdiocesan-wide continuous renewal process based on the results of the mission assessment and rooted in SMART goals focused on key dimensions of quality and performance in Catholic schools, including: Mission and Culture, Spiritual and Intellectual Formation of Children, Systems and Operations, Engagement and Formation of Families.
Work directly with schools and school leaders (i.e. pastors and presidents/principals) to monitor the progress of plans to revitalize and strengthen the Catholic school mission based on measurable goals and with delineated outcomes and timelines.
Supervise the schools implementation of and fidelity to the Office of Catholic Schools discipleship framework (outlined in School of the Lords Service) and our framework for human anthropology (outlined in Splendor of the Human Person and Guidance of Issues Concerning Sexual and Gender Identity) including providing necessary formation and capacity building for pastors and school leaders to understand the Archbishops vision for the formation of disciples and the human person as a critical component of the Catholic school mission.
Collaborate with the Associate Superintendent for Academic Renewal in the oversight of catechesis and theology standards, curricular resources and materials, and the integration of a Catholic worldview in all aspects of the OCS learning and curricular expectations.
Supervising the adherence of Catholic schools to the Statement of Catholic Community Beliefs and Commitments and collaborating with the Superintendent in the ongoing updating of this statement.
Contribute to the ongoing updating of school personnel mission duties and responsibilities as delineated in key documents, including: job descriptions, policy manual, work agreements/contracts, and others
Oversee the approval and appointment process of teachers of theology in K-12 schools.
Recommend to the Superintendent, prescripts to be issued by the Archbishop concerning the general organization of Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Denver and to strengthen the Catholic school mission.
Participate in and contribute to the OCS core team meetings and strategy sessions, key leadership meetings/seminars/conferences, and other meetings/events as requested by the Superintendent of Catholic Schools, Chief Operating Officer, or Archbishop.
Participate and contribute to school leadership searches throughout the Archdiocese, as needed.
Perform other duties as assigned by the Superintendent.
Catholic Secondary Education Support:
Assist the Superintendent with oversight of High School/Secondary School programs in the Archdiocese, especially the independent Catholic schools and school start-ups, to ensure the programs operate in fidelity to the Church and Magisterium, and operate with an authentic Catholic worldview in all aspects of the program.
Sit on school boards as requested by the Superintendent of Catholic Schools.
Perform other duties as assigned by the Superintendent of Catholic Schools.
Formation
Collaborate with the Superintendent and Associate Superintendent for Academic Renewal to provide formation and training for school leaders in the Churchs charter and vision for schools.
When necessary, visit individual schools to inquire and solicit input about specific resource and training needs that could potentially be developed for use at multiple schools throughout the Archdiocese;
Contribute and participate in key formative programs provided by the Office of Catholic Schools, including: Catholic World View Seminar, Leadership Formation Program, Leadership Learning Days, New Leaders Institute, and others as deemed necessary and appropriate by the Superintendent.
Visit individual schools and parishes to offer training programs to staff and volunteers based on office initiatives;
Perform other duties as assigned by the Superintendent of Catholic Schools.
Leadership Support
Support schools in efforts to revitalize and strengthen Catholic mission and culture, which includes:
Visiting schools in ongoing manner to monitor their fidelity to our Catholic identity, the presence of a visible Catholic worldview and culture in all aspects of the school, and overall Catholic mission effectiveness for apostolic mission.
Disciple and empower future and current school leaders in the areas of mission, identity, culture, evangelization and catechesis.
Support schools and leaders in assessing and creating evangelization initiatives in their schools, not only for the staff, but also for families.
Assist school leaders in problem-solving and trouble-shooting challenges and issues that may arise at the local school with parents/families, personnel, and students, especially regarding issues involving Catholic worldview, mission and identity, discipleship, morality and anthropology.
Communicate, consult, and collaborate with the Superintendent and/or Associate Superintendents or relevant curia departments to tackle issues needing additional perspectives and insights, or expertise (i.e. legal, human resources, canonical, financial).
Actively develop relationships with school leaders, ministering to and evangelizing them through common and formal interactions, and through personal witness.
Participate in the supervision and evaluation of school leaders and school programs, as an agent of the Superintendent.
Conduct visits of schools in a manner agreed upon or assigned by the Superintendent, in collaboration with other Associate Superintendents.
Visit schools to assess alignment to mission and vision, Catholic worldview, execution of the Catholic intellectual tradition/Catholic liberal education.
Assist leaders in developing plans that target areas for renewal and improvement, and subsequent action steps to implement plans.
Collaborate with and support members of the Office of Catholic Schools team, especially the Associate Superintendent team.
Engages leaders and school renewal efforts as assigned by the Superintendent.
Perform other duties as assigned by the Superintendent.
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:
Bachelor’s degree required, with a strong preference for theology, education, or related field, and/or equivalent experience in school/ parish/diocesan life. Masters degree preferred.
Previous experience in teaching and leadership required.
COMPETENCIES AND QUALIFICATIONS:
Be a fully initiated Catholic in the communion of the Catholic Church and intentionally living out the five precepts of the Church (CCC 2041-2043);
Ability to live out the three mission values and embrace the apostolic mindset of the Archdiocese of Denver:
Abide in relationship: Ability and openness to live in divine intimacy as the first duty.
Be the calvary: Ability and openness to embracing the mindset that we have been called by the Lord to be his response to the needs of this time.
Confound the world: Ability and openness to give a joyful an courageous counter-cultural witness as a follower of Christ and faithful son/daughter of the Church.
Share the root convictions of the Archdiocese of Denver and the Office of Catholic Schools:
Archdiocese of Denver: Root Convictions
The world is captured, and the solution is the power of the Gospel.
Christendom is dead, and the greatest calling for the Church in our time is to reacquire a biblical worldview and put on the mind of Christ.
God has the Plan, and the Holy Spirit sends us on Mission.
Charity, friendship with the Trinity, is the root and soul of the Church and our participation in Jesus’ rescue mission.
Catholic Schools: Root Convictions
The true product of Catholic schools is the supernatural man and woman who loves wisdom, lives virtuously, and has a passion for truth.
Our Catholic schools are a sanctuary and rescue force in the modern wilderness, engaging our world as it is.
True learning is liberation because it leads to intimacy with the Trinity.
The Church holds a vision for education that is best for the human person and best for the world.
Refrain from promotion or approval of, or the living out of, any conduct or lifestyle that would reflect discredit or disgrace on, or cause scandal in relationship to, the Archdiocese of Denver, or considered to be in contradiction with Catholic doctrine or morals;
Must have exceptional writing skills and must be able to provide samples;
Must have proven ability, preferably on a parish staff level, to develop and deliver innovative training courses and workshops covering multiple content areas and be prepared to demonstrate skills to the hiring committee;
Ability to clearly and enthusiastically communicate the multiple subject areas related to the Catholic faith as applicable to the Office, and to motivate others in sharing the faith with renewed enthusiasm and new methods;
Must be dynamic and enthusiastic about Catholicism and apostolic mission, taking a pivotal role in the team efforts to discern how to more effectively bring the Gospel via an apostolic mode of work.
Thorough understanding of apostolic mission and missionary discipleship and experience with various methodologies for the implementation thereof and the ability to clearly and enthusiastically communicate their goals, and to motivate others in sharing the faith with renewed enthusiasm and new methods;
Ability to work with pastors and individual school leaders to best determine ways to customize content and resources based on unique culture of various parishes;
An ability to consider alternative courses of action and select the best one; tackle problems or issues directly and make decisions in a timely manner and exercise sound business judgment while consistently performing all job duties with a high degree of accuracy while meeting necessary deadlines;
Able to establish regular check points to prevent problems; take constructive timely action to remedy problems and consistently meet quality standards and deadlines;
An ability to develop work objectives and action steps for job duties;
An ability to adjust constructively and flexibly to meet the requirements of different work situations; maintain patience, confidence and composure under pressure or adverse circumstances without compromising the timely completion of job duties;
Must possess superior organizational skills and attention to detail and ability to maintain strict confidence regarding all information and issues addressed under this position, in the department and in regards to all other ecclesiastically related entities of the Archdiocese of Denver.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
Visual acuity both near and far, some travel involved, manual dexterity with good eye/hand coordination, good hearing, speech and the ability to operate computer and mouse, copier, fax machine, printer and telephone. Ability to lift up to 25 lbs.