Safe Environment Program

When getting on the Diocesan database, please remember you must complete all 10 steps on the application. If all ten steps are not completed within 30 days, it will be removed. You will not be able to receive credit for any clearances you may have until the database application is completed in full. If you have any questions, please contact Shirley at 724.941.9406, Ext. 305 or email .

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The necessity for our parish to be in compliance with diocesan directives for the Safe Environment policy is serious. We are expected to hold all those who volunteer and serve as ministers, as well as the staff, to be liable for having each of the five pieces that demonstrate the person is in compliance. It is understandable that some people are reluctant to do this when they believe that personal information is made available because the database is online. We have been assured that the site is secure and the diocese assumes responsibility if there are any breaches in security. The bishop has stated many times that our concern here is for the victims of abuse. We have an obligation to raise awareness to this issue that, sadly, is part of our culture today. It is because we do care for our children that we ask those who are around them in the liturgical as well as social and other parish settings to be trained to recognize any potential signs of abuse. If you have not yet completed all the steps, you are asked to please follow through as soon as possible. This is not going away; it is mandatory throughout the country and will affect programming as well as ministry if we have to prohibit volunteers and ministers who have not been trained and cleared.

The US Bishops Charter for the protection of young people requires that every parish be in compliance as far as maintaining a database of volunteers. There are five parts to being able to work around young people. If you are a volunteer and have not yet completed the five requirements, please contact Shirley Jacobs, our Safe Environment Coordinator. Shirley is updating our records and will be contacting everyone who has not yet completed all the pieces necessary to be in compliance. Those pieces are:

1. criminal background check
2. child abuse clearance check
3. pastoral code of conduct
4. Protecting God’s Children workshop
5. national database registration