POSITION SUMMARY
The Director of Parish Missional Support leads diocesan support for parish renewal and pastoral planning on an
ongoing basis by listening to, supporting, assisting, and guiding the deans and parishes in their discernment of what structures and practices will best serve the evangelizing mission of parishes as new challenges arise. Following the principles of subsidiarity and shared responsibility, this Director discerns how to develop and mobilize the resources that best support present-day parish renewal efforts. In that creative problem solving, this Director collaborates as needed with peers on the Missionary Discipleship team, with the Vicar(s) General, and with the Diocesan Finance Officer.
WHY THIS POSITION EXISTS
In September 2026, Bishop Gerard W. Battersby directed a reorganization of the diocesan Curia to order its work more directly to that mission. This position sits on the newly established Missionary Discipleship team, four directors charged with assisting, supporting, and guiding every deanery, parish, and school in the diocese in establishing and enriching a culture of discipleship and accompaniment.
The reorganization follows over two years of consultation. It rests on the diocese’s Rebuild My Church initiative, on more than forty parish listening sessions that drew over 3,600 participants, and on candid assessments gathered from clergy, school leaders, and parish staff. Those consultations returned a consistent finding. Parishes are asking for practical help and sustained accompaniment as they carry out the mission of the Church in a period of substantial change.
The Missionary Discipleship team is committed to operate by the principle of subsidiarity. It takes up at the diocesan level only that work which is best done there, and it directs its remaining capacity toward strengthening the leaders already carrying this work in parishes and schools. Its members hold themselves to the standard they ask of others, beginning with their own ongoing conversion. This is a new office, and the person appointed will help establish its practice from the outset.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Leading by Example
• Demonstrate a radical personal commitment to ongoing conversion as a disciple, including personally receiving mentoring and accompaniment.
• Engage regularly in ongoing personal and professional development.
• Practice prayerful discernment of God’s will in decision-making.
• Maintain a lively awareness of, and commitment to, the needs of the poor and the marginalized, especially immigrants, victims and survivors of abuse, and those living in spiritual or material poverty.
2. Parish Renewal and Pastoral Planning
• Cast the diocesan vision for a culture of discipleship and accompaniment, vibrant Sunday Mass, stable and healthy leadership, and responsible stewardship of charisms.
• Establish and maintain familiarity with the present-day successes, struggles, and needs of the diocese’s deaneries and parishes.
• Collaborate with the Coordinator of Parish Renewal, the shared Administrative Assistant, and other members of the diocesan Curia, such as the Director of Stewardship, to collect, maintain, and analyze data relevant to parish renewal.
• Assist parishes and deaneries in reimagining their operations and leadership in a way that best fits a culture of discipleship and accompaniment.
• Collaborate with other Curia members, write grants, and build teams in a way that best ensures local-level support for parish renewal and pastoral planning.
3. Discernment and Collaboration with the Missionary Discipleship Team
• Engage with the Missionary Discipleship team and the Executive Director in shared prayer and collective discernment of God’s will.
• Communicate and collaborate regularly with the Director of Discipleship Formation, the Director of School Missional Support, and the Director of Protect and Heal in a way that exemplifies a culture of discipleship and accompaniment.
4. Visionary Leadership
• May assist the Diocesan Bishop and collaborate with his Vicars in discerning and casting a pastoral planning vision for the diocese.
• May serve on the leadership team of the Diocesan Bishop and/or on the Personnel Council.
5. Succession Planning and Leadership Continuity
• Develop teams in a way that creates more abundant options for succession planning.
• Support other members of the Missionary Discipleship team by collaborating to fill gaps during transitions or turnover, in a way that allows patient discernment in hiring replacements or in the ongoing reorganization of the team.
QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED
• A practicing Catholic in full communion with the Church, fully committed to Catholic mission and teaching.
• A life of faithful prayer and a demonstrated capacity for discernment, both individually and with a team.
• Visionary leadership.
• Creative and collaborative problem solving.
• Demonstrated ability to build teams, manage complex projects, and collaborate across diverse ministries.
• Capacity to engage conflict in a healthy way and to bring it to genuine resolution.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Proven ability to meet deadlines and manage multiple competing priorities.
• Willingness and ability to travel throughout the diocese and to work occasional evenings and weekends.
• Fluency in spoken English.
QUALIFICATIONS PREFERRED
• Background in human resources and operations.
• Bilingual fluency in English and Spanish.
• Experience in parish or organizational leadership.
• An advanced degree in Ministry, Leadership, Business, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
WORKING CONDITIONS
This is a full-time, exempt position based at the diocesan Curia in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The role requires regular travel throughout the nineteen counties of the diocese and includes some evening and weekend work in connection with parish, school, and diocesan events. The successful candidate must hold a valid driver’s license and have reliable transportation, and must satisfactorily complete a background check and the diocesan Safe Environment requirements as a condition of employment.
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
Salary range: $74,000 – $80,000. Compensation is commensurate with experience and is set at a level intended to support a candidate relocating to the region. The Diocese of La Crosse offers a comprehensive benefits package including health, dental, vision, and basic life insurance; 403(b) retirement plan with employer contribution; paid time off and paid holidays.
HOW TO APPLY
Qualified candidates are invited to submit a cover letter, a current résumé, and two professional references to Mr. Andrew D. Brannon, CFO | Director of Mission Alignment at: abrannon@diolc.org
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and the position will remain open until filled. Questions about the position may be directed to Rev. Derek Sakowski, Executive Director of Missionary Discipleship at: dsakowski@diolclergy.org
STATEMENT ON EMPLOYMENT
The Diocese of La Crosse is a religious employer. In accordance with federal and Wisconsin law and with the Church’s constitutional right to religious autonomy, the diocese requires that employees in ministerial and mission-critical positions be practicing Catholics in full communion with the Church whose public and private conduct is consistent with the teaching of the Catholic Church. Within that framework, the Diocese of La Crosse does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. The diocese provides reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals with disabilities.