Thousands of Catholics trained in abuse prevention

"Can I still hug the children?"

Brother Jason Lody, OFM Conv., principal of St. James Institute in Albany, said that question is one of the most common posed by teachers want to know about life after "The Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People." It was passed by the U.S. bishops in June 2002 to deal with the sexual abuse crisis in the Church.

"Absolutely," he tells them, but he is always sure to note new restrictions: "Don't do it with the door closed, in an office, alone. If you're working with one student, the door should remain open, and you should be sitting in a line of sight so that somebody in the hallway can see you."

Virtus training

Similar questions are popping up across the Albany Diocese as parishes and schools work the Virtus program into their programming.

More than 6,000 employees and volunteers in the Diocese have already completed Virtus, a child abuse recognition and prevention program. It has three main objectives: awareness of child sexual abuse, recognizing the signs of such abuse and knowing what to do if abuse is suspected. The ultimate goal is to provide safe environments for children and young people.

Sister Marilyn Murray, director of human resources for the Diocese, called Virtus "a requirement. It's not an option; it's not a suggestion. People are glad that we're doing something and that it's positive."

Diocesan parishes, schools and other Church-related organizations are working towards full compliance with the Charter by the end of the year. That compliance includes having thousands of employees and volunteers who work with children complete Virtus training and undergo background checks.

Adapting

In some parishes, the new regulations are making it difficult for faith formation directors to locate qualified substitute teachers.

"We used to call in a parent to sit with the class if a catechist couldn't make it. We can't do that anymore," explained Sister Carol Porter, CSJ, pastoral associate for faith formation at St. Patrick's Church in Ravena. "It's a different world."

Patricia Walsh, pastoral associate for faith formation at St. Joseph's Church in Scotia, said, "As far as catechists go, I've had outstanding acceptance and participation [in Virtus]. They are committed to it and will do whatever it takes to continue in ministry. But I had quite a roster of parents I'd call in an emergency. It's very hard to find substitutes now."

In emergency situations such as those, Sister Marilyn said, one-time volunteers can be used sparingly to pinch-hit for a catechist or bus-trip chaperon. If those volunteers become regulars, however, they must take the prevention program and undergo the background check.

"There's no way we can screen everybody in the world," Sister Marilyn explained. "But we can at least do due diligence to make sure that people are aware of the problem and know what to do if they see a problem."

Participation

While some prospective volunteers "back off" when told about the time commitment (Virtus training lasts less than three hours) and the background check, Mrs. Walsh said that "I've been very impressed with the people who are already engaged in the program. They are committed to it and will do whatever it takes to continue in ministry. It's getting new people that's difficult."

Brother Lody agreed, saying: "It's a very touchy situation. They wonder, sometimes, what exactly the Diocese wants [with a background check]. They ask, 'Does the Diocese trust me?'"

The background screenings, Sister Marilyn explained, are "necessary to know the people who are volunteering with our children. People need to know that we're going to be vigilant. This is about protecting children, nothing more."

Checking the past

Some administrators have received inquiries from potential volunteers about the scope and results of the background check, which is being conducted by ChoicePoint. Paid employees and volunteers are held to the same standards in the background checks, said Sister Marilyn.

While the check uncovers all felony convictions in a candidate's record up to seven years, the Diocese is concerned only with convictions directly related to child abuse and interaction with children, she explained.

"The purpose of the background checks is to find if there has been any past sexual abuse," she said. "We would not be able to ignore something that would directly affect parishes or the Diocese, but we're only looking at felony convictions that would affect a person's relationship with children or young people."

Openness

At St. Peter's parish in Saratoga Springs, Rita Usher, pastoral associate for religious education, reported that her "volunteers have been very open to the possibility of both training in the Virtus program and giving us the information we need for background checks. They all understand that we're doing it to protect the children -- and they're in favor of that."

Occasionally, she added, parents will note that they have undergone similar abuse training in other community organizations, such as the Girl and Boy Scouts or public school groups. Nevertheless, they must complete Virtus training.

"There is a faith dimension to this training that is not present in [other places]," Ms. Usher explained. "When we explain that, [catechists] are fine with that."

Meeting requirements

Carol O'Connor, pastoral associate for faith formation at St. Michael the Archangel Church in South Glens Falls, noted that catechists often treat volunteering for Church programs as they would other community organizations that already have child abuse prevention programs in place.

"Whatever's required of them, they tend to do," she said, citing catechist certification courses as another example. However, in a town where families are stretched thin with sports, school activities and other obligations, she said that it can be hard to convince parents to take the extra time out for Virtus training.

"These people are committed to their children, but they have such busy schedules that scheduling anything out of the ordinary can be difficult," she explained. "They think it's a very positive thing that we need to do; it's just hard to meet the time mandate."

'In full force'

Linda Ridzi, director of faith formation at St. Mary's Church in Nassau, said that her catechists "came out in full force" for Virtus training.

Carol Powers, coordinator for grade 1-6 faith formation at St. Francis de Sales in Herkimer, said that "all our volunteers know and have agreed to support the Bishop's mandate." Half of her catechists are already trained; the other half will be trained by the end of the year.

At Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons School in Schenectady, principal Richard Behan reported that only "a couple late hires" have yet to go through the Virtus program.

"Everyone is more aware that there is now a higher accountability," he said.

New rules

According to Brother Lody, physical education instructors at St. James will no longer be able to recruit one or two children to help them carry equipment from an isolated place, such as a locker or storage room, and classroom doors will remain open if a teacher is alone with a student.

"One thing the Virtus program calls us all to do is look at our buildings and see where children are unattended," he said. "It was common practice [at a previous school he worked at] for teachers who were tutoring to take children home because we all lived in the same community. That's the way it was done. Now, we have to teach our children to be safe; and we, by our actions, have to make proper decisions to keep children safe.

"The things we say and do can have an effect on these children for a lifetime. And if we can't see the seriousness of working with these kids, we shouldn't be working with them."

(Virtus presentations will be held Nov. 13, St. John the Baptist, Chestertown; Nov. 18, St. James, Chatham; Nov. 19, St. Margaret Mary, Albany, and St. Pius X, Loudonville; Nov. 20, St. Augustine, Troy; and Nov. 25, Assumption/St. Paul, Mechanicville. All sessions are 6:30-9 p.m.)

(11/13/03) [[In-content Ad]]