Job Description
View us at: www.mountlemmonchurch.org
POSITION TITLE: Shrine Director
REPORTS TO: the Shrine Board of Directors
SHRINE INFORMATION:
We seek to further the mission of Mary, the Theotokos, at the Mary Undoer of Knots Shrine located atop Mount Lemmon, Arizona to draw people to the Beauty and Light of our Lord, Jesus Christ:
The beauty of the Chapel’s Carpathian architecture, its grounds and interior symbolism that leaves the visitor in awe—and at that moment—Mary asks the pilgrim to “come and see”.
By linking the beauty and Freedom of God to our country’s history of Freedom signified in the Shrine’s Bell Tower housing a Paul Revere Bell and its Veteran’s Memorial Ramada where people may honor our country’s veterans and first responders.
Through the Little Way that leads people to a light that is so lovely, they begin to
desire with all their hearts to know the source of it—a place that attracts all sorts of people, even those not even looking to know anything about God.
General Position Description
The Director of the Byzantine Catholic Shrine is responsible for the overall management, strategic direction, and operational success of the Shrine. This includes collaborating with the Shrine’s Board, the Eparchy of Phoenix, staff, volunteers, and the broader community to uphold the Shrine’s mission, promote its spiritual and cultural significance, and ensure its long-term sustainability.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Strategic Planning & Development
- Mission-driven Planning: Collaborate with the Shrine’s Board of Directors and the Eparchy of Phoenix to create and implement a long-term strategic plan to enhance the Shrine’s mission, visibility, and community impact at the local, state, and national levels.
- Vision and Growth: Lead the development and execution of plans to improve the Shrine’s presence and influence, ensuring alignment with the Byzantine Catholic Church's values, traditions, and objectives.
- Fundraising & Donor Engagement: Implement strategies to grow the Shrine’s donor base, engage current supporters, secure financial sustainability through targeted fundraising campaigns, special events, and grant opportunities. Develop and maintain relationships with major donors, benefactors, and foundations.
- Columbarium and Memorial Bricks Sales Strategy: Develop and oversee marketing and sales strategies to drive memorial brick sales, including promotional campaigns and customer engagement.
- Marketing and Public Relations: Develop comprehensive marketing plans, budgets, and schedules in collaboration with external agencies to enhance the Shrine’s visibility, attract pilgrims, and generate tourism. Coordinate public relations efforts to build awareness and support for the Shrine's programs, fundraising, and special events.
Reporting and Accountability
· Board Liaison: Prepare and present detailed monthly reports to the Board of Directors, covering all aspects of the Shrine’s operations, financial health, mission alignment, and strategic goals.
· Financial Oversight: Ensure accountability through the preparation of an annual budget, monthly tactical plans, and quarterly strategic reports. Regularly assess the Shrine’s financial status and provide updates to the Board on potential challenges or opportunities.
· Legal and Operational Compliance: Ensure that the Shrine operates in compliance with all relevant legal, safety, and regulatory requirements, including property management, insurance, and tax-related matters.
Operational and Facilities Management
· Staff and Personnel Management: Oversee all aspects of human resources, including recruitment, training, performance management, retention, and separation of staff. Ensure adherence to policies and procedures and create a positive work environment.
· Facility Maintenance: Oversee the upkeep and maintenance of all Shrine buildings, grounds, and facilities, ensuring that all are safe, well-maintained, and conducive to the spiritual experience of visitors and pilgrims.
· Event and Facility Coordination: Administer Shrine facility usage in accordance with the Shrine’s Policy and Procedure Manual, coordinating rentals, events, and pilgrimages. Ensure that all required documentation and records are maintained and safeguarded.
· Evangelization and Ministry Support: Actively support the Shrine’s evangelization initiatives, including educational programming, retreats, and liturgical services. Collaborate with clergy to promote the Shrine’s spiritual mission.
Volunteer and Community Engagement
· Volunteer Program: Establish and manage a dedicated volunteer team to assist with daily operations, events, and outreach programs. Ensure that volunteers are well trained, supported, and engaged.
· Community Relations: Develop and maintain positive relationships with the surrounding community, local organizations, and civil authorities. Serve as the Shrine’s ambassador to neighboring parishes, local institutions, and the broader Mount Lemmon community.
· Clergy and Pilgrim Engagement: Build and nurture strong relationships with clergy and pilgrims from both the Eastern and Roman Catholic traditions, ensuring their spiritual and logistical needs are met during their visits.
Marketing, Outreach, and Communications
· Digital and Print Communications: Ensure that the Shrine’s website, social media platforms, and all other communication channels reflect the Shrine’s mission and provide accurate, timely information to visitors, donors, and the broader community.
· Brand Development: Strengthen and refine the Shrine’s brand identity, ensuring that it is consistent across all platforms and resonates with both local and international audiences.
· Regional and Global Outreach: Identify and implement effective marketing channels for promoting the Shrine to a regional, national, and international audience, increasing pilgrimage traffic and visitor engagement.
· Historical and Cultural Preservation: Oversee the organization and presentation of the Shrine’s historical archives, ensuring they are preserved, accessible, and utilized in outreach efforts, including exhibitions, presentations, and educational materials.
Strategic Leadership and Growth
· Innovation and Vision: Continuously assess opportunities for the Shrine’s growth and improvement. Leverage new technologies, cultural trends, and community needs to enhance the Shrine’s offerings and services.
- Collaborative Leadership: Foster a culture of collaboration and open communication within the Shrine staff, volunteers, Board of Directors, and community stakeholders to create a cohesive, mission-driven environment.
MANDATORY PERSONAL QUALIFICATIONS
· Practicing Roman or Byzantine Catholic with a minimum of a beginning knowledge of Byzantine Catholic liturgical practices and history
· A member in good standing within the Eastern or Roman Catholic Church
· Articulate in layman terms a clear understanding of the faith
· Be able to address the commonalities and differences of the Eastern and Roman churches
· Support and uphold the philosophy of Catholic ministry and the mission of the Shrine Mary Undoer of Knots in professional and personal life
· Act as a witness to Gospel values by modeling the teachings of the Catholic Church
· Continuously grow in your ministry by participating in religious ceremonies, training sessions and reflection activities as directed
· Proven ability to think strategically, generate and implement successful fundraising
· Plans measure outcomes and adjust strategies to maximize goal attainment
· Able to multi-task
· Effective written and verbal communication skills
· Ability to handle flexible hours, including weekends
· Maintain high level of professionalism and confidentiality at all times
· Attends all events happening at the Shrine including Liturgy and calendar events
· Attends and/or presents at events that promote or represent the Shrine
APPLICATION PROCEDURE:
To apply, please submit the following materials, confidentially and as separate attachments in one email to: catherinekinghorn@gmail.com or mail to:
Mary Undoer of Knots Shrine, P.O. Box 789 Mount Lemmon, AZ 85619.
· Cover letter that aligns your experiences and skill sets with the Shrine Manager Job Description, as you understand them.
· Please list activities you have participated while at your previous and currently registered parish.
· List of three references with names, physical addresses, phone numbers and email addresses. No references will be contacted without your knowledge and approval
· ALSO REQUIRED: Must comply with the Phoenix Eparchial Safe Environment, demonstrate a clean background check and fingerprint clearance, and have a valid Arizona state driver’s license with the ability to travel with his or her own reliable vehicle.
Salary
This is a full-time position with benefits and annual, holiday and sick leave. Competitive salary range of $45k-$55k commensurate to experience.
The Shrine is a Byzantine Catholic Shrine located in the Eparchy of Phoenix atop Mount Lemmon Arizona.
The Santa Catalina Mountains, part of the Coronado National Forest, is designated as a "Sky Island" and is unique in that it has a village 1,000' below its highest peak (9144') with a shrine consecrated to Mary Undoer of Knots. People come from around the world to visit the treasures of the Sonoran desert and then travel to the Summerhaven village high above Tucson where pine forests are at the same biome as Bampf Canada. There is even the southern most ski lodge in the United States atop the mountain. But there is another treasure nestled in the heart of these mountains. At 8,100 feet, a Byzantine Catholic shrine has become a haven for Catholics and other pilgrims during their time in Arizona.
With over a million visitors to the Santa Catalina Mountain each year, the founders saw the great opportunity for evangelization. After four years of planning and construction, the Shrine was completed in June 2019 and is the first and only church atop Mount Lemmon.
A shrine is a holy or sacred place dedicated to a specific saint, wherein they are venerated. Here we venerate the oldest veneration for Our Blessed Mother, Mary Undoer of Knots. St. Irenaeus originally described her with this title in the second century in his treatise, Against Heresies: “The knot of Eve’s disobedience was untied by the obedience of Mary; what the virgin Eve bound by her unbelief, the Virgin Mary loosened by her faith”.
The Shrine is a walk through history. It is architecturally designed to replicate the wooden Byzantine Catholic churches found in the Carpathian Mountains found in Poland extending southward through Ukraine and into Romania. In the years 1600-1800, one would see wooden churches very much like the three main structures (Ramada, Bell Tower and Chapel) at the Shrine. We have had many visitors from Russia, Poland, Romania, Hungary, Slovenia, Ukraine and many other central European countries who easily recognize the architecture as being strikingly similar to their churches back home.”
Many have never heard of the Byzantine rite. There are different rites within the Catholic Church with the Roman or Latin rite the most well known. The Byzantine rite is orthodox in practice but is also in union with the Pope. To be able to share the rich traditions of the Byzantine church with other Catholics is a joy.
The Shrine was consecrated on September 24, 2020 by Bishop John Pazak of the Byzantine Eparchy of Phoenix. Pilgrims are invited to visit the Shrine. Take a pilgrimage from your busy days and go up to the mountain to pray. Add your prayer requests to the book of intentions, which is placed on the altar at each liturgy. At the small, unique bookstore, you may purchase Byzantine religious items and icons from Russia, Poland, Ukraine and many other areas in central Europe. Take a tour to learn more about the history, art, and tradition that led to the creation of the Mary Undoer of Knots Shrine on Mt. Lemmon or to see with an Eastern eye the mystery of God incarnate, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Mary, Mother to whom God entrusted the undoing of the knots in the lives of His children, I entrust into your hands the ribbon of my life. In your hands, there is no knot that cannot be undone.