Parish Secretary in Wilmington, North Carolina at BASILICA SHRINE OF SAINT MARY CATHOLIC PARISH OF W

The Basilica Shrine of Saint Mary is seeking a highly organized, bilingual Parish Secretary to manage daily office operations and deliver exceptional front-line service to our parish community. Under the direct supervision of the Business Manager and Pastor, the Parish Secretary plays a critical role in the mission and daily operational life of the parish. Serving as a primary point of contact, the Parish Secretary provides a warm, compassionate, and professional presence to parishioners, visitors, and the broader community; communicates information about parish life; manages daily administrative functions; and regularly collaborates with clergy, lay staff, and ministry leaders.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Secretarial & Office Reception

• Serves as the primary first point of contact for the parish office.
• Answers telephone calls and emails promptly, warmly, and professionally, reflecting the parish’s mission and hospitality.
• Offers a welcoming presence representing the Catholic Church and parish community, communicating with compassion to grieving or distressed callers.
• Follows procedures for office visitors and maintains hospitality standards.
• Provides accurate general information regarding Mass times, confession schedules, sacraments, parish events, ministries, and office hours.
• Triages and routes calls appropriately to clergy, lay staff, or ministry leaders; immediately escalates urgent pastoral emergencies (e.g., last rites) to the pastor.
• Takes complete messages with contact details and delivers them to the appropriate staff in a timely manner.
• Communicates parishioner needs to the pastor and schedules appointments as necessary.
• Maintains strict confidentiality regarding personal circumstances, parishioner information, financial matters, and diocesan information.

Parish Communication & Operations

• Organizes and maintains the narthex for special announcements, flyers, and mailings.
• Prepares materials for the weekend Masses.
• Coordinates scheduling, planning, and preparation for sacramental celebrations and Masses (e.g., weddings, funerals, church beautification (Flowers for weekends/ holidays).
• Accurately records and updates sacramental information and parishioner records in the parish database.
• Prepares sacramental certificates and related documentation upon request, following parish and diocesan procedures.
• Provides vendors, parishioners, staff, and clergy access to secure rooms as appropriate. Serves as a liaison between Camillus Ministers and parishioners.
• Manages all aspects of the columbarium, including sales, interments, engraving, and maintenance of related files and records.
• Maintains and updates parish calendars.
• Maintains the key log and follows parish key-control policies.

Administrative & Financial Support

• Prepares, organizes, and maintains administrative files, meeting notes, correspondence, and documentation for the parish and Diocese.
• Drafts letters, memos, reports, sacramental certifications (upon request), and parish forms, ensuring accurate recordkeeping.
• Schedules appointments and facilities for quarterly parish/financial meetings and external requests (vendors, media, parishioners, diocesan personnel).
• Retrieves incoming mail from the parish mailbox; organizes bills, checks, and incoming donations into appropriate staff or ministry mailboxes.
• Documents front-desk donations, securely stores physical donations for counters, and coordinates details with bookkeeping.
• Learns and uses the ParishSOFT system for accounting support and parishioner record management.
• Manages office, church, and maintenance supply requests. Serves as a point of contact with onsite cleaning /first aid supply vendors.
• Prepares all deposits for columbarium, niche burials, weddings, mass intentions and Hispanic ministries.
• Assumes additional related duties as requested and assigned by the pastor.

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education & Experience

• High School diploma or GED required.
• Associate’s degree or college coursework in office administration, business administration, or a related field preferred.
• Two to five years of related office, administrative, or secretarial experience required.

Technical & Professional Skills

• Demonstrated proficiency in office technology, computer software, calendar management, and productivity tools, including Microsoft Office 365 and Google Suite.
• Knowledge of or ability to learn ParishSOFT software.
• Strong organizational skills and strict attention to detail for accurate recordkeeping.
• Ability to handle office bookkeeping tasks, document incoming donations, track expenses, and perform general arithmetic calculations required for office administration.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment, handle sensitive situations with discretion, maintain absolute confidentiality, carry out detailed instructions, and prioritize urgent pastoral demands.

Language Competency

• Fluent in both written and spoken English and Spanish.
• Ability to read, write, and comprehend instructions, correspondence, reports, and memos.
• Strong communication skills and ability to interact professionally and compassionately with diverse groups, parishioners, clergy, staff, vendors, and media.

Professional Standards

• Knowledge and understanding of the Catholic faith and the mission of the Church.
• Ability to represent the parish community warmly, dependably, and professionally.

Compliance, Physical Demands & Work Environment

• Employment is contingent upon passing a criminal background and reference check; must complete Diocese-sponsored Safe Environment Training upon hire.
• Regularly required to sit, talk, hear, and use hands for computer entry and phone operation; frequently required to reach, stand, walk, and handle light office supplies or materials.
• Work environment features a usually moderate noise level, typical of a standard office with computers, printers, and phone interactions.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Supervises Front Desk Ministry volunteers.