Apostolic Work

The apostolic works performed by priests, brothers and sisters - also called ministries - encompasses a wide range of skills and services. Some religious communities specialize in one or a few types of ministries - health care or teaching, for example - while others have members engaged in many different ministries. The work itself does not constitute a religious "career" but is simply the expression of a religious person's dedication to God.

Some of the most common ministries are:

1. Parish Work
2. Home Missions
3. Child Care
4. Chaplaincies
   1. Prisons
   2. Hospitals
   3. Military
5. Education
   1. Administration
   2. Teaching
   3. Coaching
6. Social Work
7. Campus Ministry
8. Foreign Missions
9. Religious Education
10. Communications
    1. Film
    2. TV & Radio
    3. Newspapers
    4. Magazines
    5. Books
11. Health Care
    1. Hospitals
    2. Nursing Homes
    3. Visiting Nursing
12. Counseling
    1. Students
    2. Families
    3. Adults
13. Spiritual Direction
14. Retreats
15. Inner City Work

Next: Cloistered, Contemplative and Monastic Religious Orders