How to apply for Provincial Sustainability Assistant

About The Felician Sisters of North America

The Felician Sisters of North America are a congregation of vowed women religious who live contemplative-active lives of service, with a 150-year legacy in healthcare, education, and social services across more than 40 ministries. What makes them unique is their deep integration of Catholic Social Teaching and Pope Francis's Laudato Si' and Laudate Deum into concrete environmental stewardship, advocacy, and corporate engagement. Working here means joining a joyful, mission-driven community that treats care for creation as a spiritual and practical imperative.

About the role

As the Provincial Sustainability Assistant, you will work directly with the Provincial Sustainability Coordinator to turn the province's environmental goals into action through education, advocacy, corporate environmental engagement, and program administration. You will support sustainability communications and initiatives that align with Laudato Si', helping the Felician Sisters and their ministries reduce their ecological footprint. This part-time remote role is ideal for someone who wants to blend faith-based values with hands-on sustainability work.

A typical day

A typical day might involve researching corporate environmental practices for a shareholder advocacy campaign, drafting an educational newsletter for Felician ministries on sustainable living, and coordinating a virtual meeting with the Provincial Sustainability Coordinator to plan upcoming initiatives. You might also spend time updating program records, responding to emails from ministry partners, and preparing materials for an advocacy event—all while working remotely and aligning each task with the congregation's Laudato Si' goals.

Who The Felician Sisters of North America is looking for

• A practicing Catholic or someone deeply committed to Catholic Social Teaching, with familiarity with Laudato Si' and Laudate Deum, who can authentically integrate spirituality into sustainability work.
• Experience or coursework in environmental sustainability, corporate social responsibility, or advocacy, with the ability to engage corporate entities on environmental practices.
• Strong administrative and communication skills, including writing, editing, and coordinating educational programs or events in a remote, collaborative setting.
• A self-starter who can manage part-time hours efficiently, work independently, and support a small team while handling multiple projects with a mission-driven attitude.

Tips for this application

• In your application, explicitly reference Laudato Si' and Laudate Deum and explain how they inspire your approach to sustainability—this shows you understand the Felician charism.
• Highlight any experience with corporate environmental engagement or advocacy, as this is a key responsibility that distinguishes this role from general sustainability assistant positions.
• Mention the Felician Sisters' ministries (e.g., healthcare, education, social services) and suggest how sustainability could be integrated into one of them to demonstrate your strategic thinking.
• Since the role is part-time and remote, provide examples of how you manage time, communicate asynchronously, and stay motivated without direct supervision.
• Use language that reflects respect for the Felician Sisters' vowed life and Catholic identity—avoid overly secular or corporate jargon that might clash with their mission.

What to cover in your cover letter

["Your personal connection to Catholic Social Teaching and care for creation, especially how Laudato Si' and Laudate Deum have shaped your environmental values.", "Concrete examples of sustainability initiatives you've supported, particularly in education, advocacy, or corporate engagement, and the impact they had.", "Your ability to work collaboratively with a coordinator and support a religious congregation's mission while respecting its spiritual and communal rhythms.", 'Your communication skills and experience in program administration, showing you can handle the logistical and outreach aspects of the role.']

Research before applying

• Read Pope Francis's encyclicals Laudato Si' and Laudate Deum to understand the theological and ethical framework behind the Felician Sisters' sustainability commitments.
• Explore the Felician Sisters of North America's website, especially their ministries and any existing sustainability or corporate responsibility reports, to see their current environmental initiatives.
• Learn about the history and charism of the Felician Sisters, including Blessed Mary Angela and St. Francis, to appreciate the spiritual foundation of their service.
• Research the Felician Sisters' corporate engagements or advocacy positions on environmental issues to understand how they live out their mission in the public sphere.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• How do you see Laudato Si' and Laudate Deum guiding the Felician Sisters' sustainability efforts, and what role would you play in that?
• Describe a time you engaged a corporation or institution on environmental practices. What was your approach and what did you learn?
• This is a part-time remote role supporting a coordinator. How would you prioritize tasks and maintain communication with a small, mission-driven team?
• What experience do you have in developing educational materials or programs on sustainability, and how would you tailor them to a Catholic audience?
• Why are you drawn to working with a religious congregation like the Felician Sisters, and how would you integrate their values into your daily work?

Common mistakes to avoid

• Treating the role as a purely secular environmental job and ignoring the Catholic, faith-based context—this could signal a poor fit with the congregation's identity.
• Failing to mention or show familiarity with Laudato Si' and Laudate Deum, which are central to the Felician Sisters' sustainability vision.
• Submitting a generic cover letter that doesn't address the specific responsibilities of corporate engagement, education, and advocacy, or the part-time remote nature of the role.