STAYING VIGILANT

Diocese holds safe environment talk with Bishop Mark, Hope and Healing Committee

Bishop Mark O’Connell leads a discussion on how the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany is creating a safe environment in the wake of past priest abuses on Wednesday, Nov. 4, at Siena University in Loudonville. (Cindy Schultz photo for The Evangelist) (Courtesy photo of CINDY SCHULTZ)

Hope, healing and staying vigilant. These were the themes of a heavy but powerful talk last week. 

The Safe Environment Office of the Albany Diocese held an “Awareness, Healing and Action” discussion, led by the diocesan Hope and Healing Committee and Bishop Mark O’Connell, on Wednesday, Nov. 4, at Siena University. 

Among the attendees were lay people, diocesan employees, clergy and women religious. The evening hoped to offer insight into how the Albany Diocese is working to ensure the protection of children in the Church, and how the Church can move forward while still navigating the ever-present reality of the abuse scandal.

“We’re not putting this behind us because this is going to be with us for the rest of our lives,” Bishop Mark said during his talk. “We must stay vigilant.”

Guest speakers Ann Marie Carswell, Director of the Albany Diocese’s Office of Safe Environment and a member of the Hope and Healing Committee, broke down what measures her department is taking to ensure the continued protection of minors on the local level, and Father Matt Duclos, pastor at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Delmar and St. Lucy/St. Bernadette Church in Altamont as well as a member of the Hope and Healing Committee, discussed how the Church as a whole, nationally and internationally, is adapting and monitoring protection protocols. Bishop Mark spoke about his own experience working as a canon lawyer for the Archdiocese of Boston when the abuse scandal broke. 

Father Matthew Duclos discussed, among other things, how the Universal Church is adapting and monitoring protection protocols. (Cindy Schultz photo for The Evangelist)

 

The panel took questions from the audience afterward with Bishop Mark moderating. A few attendees were passionate during the question-and-answer portion, wanting to know how the Church allowed such protections for its priests in the past, and why the Albany Diocese is paying a good part of the $148 million abuse settlement through contributions from churches and parishes. 

Bishop Mark, in particular, seemed to offer solace to a number of attendees, reiterating the hard truth that the Church’s actions were wrong, but steps are being taken to ensure its past actions are not repeated. 

Carswell opened the evening discussing the mandatory training and safeguards in place for all diocesan clergy, employees and volunteers. The Safe Environment Office currently uses the Virtus program for its adult training, and has begun offering youth training through the Circle of Grace program, which teaches children and young people boundaries and how to say no to an adult who makes them uncomfortable.

Father Duclos spoke about his time studying at the North American College in Rome, where he completed his bachelor’s in sacred theology and an additional specialized degree, a licentiate in safeguarding in 2023.

The safeguarding topic was new to the licentiate program and Father Duclos was among the first graduating class to study it. The program ensures all graduates are equipped to confront complex safeguarding situations and are capable of guiding and managing safeguarding teams.

Ann Marie Carswell, Director of the Albany Diocese’s Office of Safe Environment and a member of the Hope and Healing Committee , adds to a discussion on how the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany is creating a safe environment in the wake of past priest abuses on Wednesday, Nov. 4, at Siena University in Loudonville. (Cindy Schultz photo for The Evangelist)

“I was the only one from the United States, which was kind of a unique experience that way,” Father Duclos said. “Many of my classmates were from countries in Africa and Europe, Asia, South America, India and many of my classmates have served in many different capacities in the Church throughout the world.”

A number of Father Duclos’ classmates looked to the United States as a framework for their own safe environment protocols, many of which were just being established in different dioceses across the world. 

“My takeaway from this program means that we’ve come a long way, but we’re never at the end,” Father Duclos said. “We have accomplished a great deal in the United States and Ann Marie shared some of those accomplishments. However, there’s always a risk in complacency, saying that we’ve come this far and good for us, but we have to remember that we’re never ever done.”

Bishop Mark shared his own experience with the abuse scandal, discussed how canon law and civil law worked during the trial process of an accused priest, and reviewed key takeaways from 2026 revisions made to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. On Nov. 19, Bishop Mark will officially become the chairperson of the USCCB’s Committee on the Protection of Children and Young People (CPCYP) for three years, taking over for Bishop Barry C. Knestout.

Updates to the charter, which Bishop Mark was a part of, included adding more legally and canonically precise language, separating minor protection from adult protection, giving victim-survivor accompaniment more concrete treatment, and adding a glossary of modernized terminology.

“Thank you for coming tonight. Whatever made you come to­night, I am so happy you came,” Bishop Mark concluded. “All sorts of people here tonight who have given this part of their life to (the abuse crisis) and to the solution, I’m very grateful to them. And pray for us that we may do this work well.”