St. John the Evangelist Church  is committed to the  ongoing support, education, and training  to help prevent child sexual abuse and to address children’s safety in our parish, homes and community.

The Awareness Training for Adults is mandatory for:

• All adults who work with children’s or teen’s programs as teachers, facilitators or aides.
• All adults who are in active ministry in the parish, including, but not limited to: Mass Captains, Facilitators for Children’s Liturgy of the Word, Lectors, Eucharistic Minister, Musicians .
• All staff in the school or parish.

The 3-hour Protecting God’s Children Adult Awareness is for anyone who has never been to an training or has an expired certification certificate.

Programs for Adults: Awareness Training

VIRTUS® Protecting God’s Children™ Program
VIRTUS® Protecting God’s Children Adult Awareness Session is a three-hour training that helps clergy, staff, volunteers and parents to understand the facts and myths about child sexual abuse; how perpetrators operate; and how caring adults can take five important steps to keep children safe. The parent session also stresses monitoring of computers, cell phones and other technology that perpetrators use to gain access to children and young people.
The 1 1/2 -hour Keeping the Promise Alive Program is those whose re-certification coming due , but not yet expired.

VIRTUS® Keeping the Promise Alive ™ Refresher Program
Keeping the Promise Alive provides ongoing awareness for the prevention of child sexual abuse.The material covered in Keeping the Promise Alive is designed to identify and reinforce the lessons of the original Protecting God’s Children® for Adults program by clarifying some of the more challenging aspects of the sessions and strengthening the participants’ ability to recognize risky behavior in their environments and take action to intervene in potentially threatening situations. Virtus® Link

This program answers the questions, “What have been some results of the Protecting

God’s Children program, and what else can we do to keep all children safe?”

All clergy, paid parish/school personnel and volunteers who work regularly in a supervisory role with children or youth must be fingerprinted. Link

All adults working with Minors must read these guidelines (page 2) and sign and return page 1 to the Rectory Office, the Religious Education Office, or School Office:

Guidelines must be sign and submitted for:

• Catechist or facilitator
• Children’s Liturgy of the Word facilitators
• Volunteers in classroom or meetings with children present
• Head Usher
• Teachers & Coaches
• Ministry groups where children are present
• Rectory office workers
• Any Ministry that meets on school or church property.