All clergy who minister in the archdiocese for more than 15 days and have a
safe environment training session available during their stay must complete the VIRTUS® Protecting God's Children training or present certification
of a satisfactory completion of another approved safe environment
program within 15 days of their arrival in the archdiocese. See Procedures for Ministerial Faculties and Approvals. The Office of the Vicar for Clergy will review any alternative safe environment programs, including those
offered through the Praesidium Inc. process, and approve those that meet
the archdiocesan content and training protocols.
These
training requirements affect the archbishop, bishops, and all priests
(whether archdiocesan priests, members of a religious institute/order or extern priests)
with faculties in the archdiocese, as well as all deacons, all deacons
in formation, all seminarians, and any clergy who wish to have
short-term faculties (i.e., faculties for 15 days to 2 months) or long-term faculties (i.e., faculties for more than 2 months) in the archdiocese.
Clergy
certificates of completion for all safe environment training programs,
both initial training and recertification training, are to be provided
by the individual clergy member to the Office of the Vicar for Clergy to
be included in his archdiocesan personnel file and records. The Vicar for Clergy coordiinates with the Office of Safeguard the Children.
8-23-2021; 1-30-2025