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	Bishop McCormack Says Protecting Children Remains Focus of Church Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester April 1, 2008 http://www.catholicnh.org/news-events/recent-releases/040108-protecting-children/ (MANCHESTER, NH) "Protecting children and young people continues to be a focus of the entire Catholic Church in New Hampshire and maintaining a safe environment for everyone is an essential part of who we are as Catholics," said Bishop John B. McCormack. Bishop McCormack commented on the assessment conducted by a Massachusetts accounting firm for the Attorney General's Office and released today along with a letter from the attorney general. "I am heartened by the letter from Attorney General Kelly Ayotte in which she recognizes our 'shared goal of protecting children from sexual abuse.' This mutual desire to do what is best for children serves both our state and our Church. I am deeply grateful to the priests, deacons, school administration and teachers, and the thousands of paid and volunteer lay ministers in our parishes, schools and institutions who remain dedicated to making our children and young people safe." The KPMG assessment published today is the result of visits and interviews conducted by KPMG from August 13 to November 1, 2007. Diane Murphy Quinlan, the Associate Delegate for Ministerial Conduct, said that "the auditor's summary indicates that the Diocese has made 'significant progress' and we agree. Our goal is to continually improve our child safety program by dedicating significant resources to this effort and by regularly reviewing and updating our policies and practices. " Quinlan said the diocese is in the process of carefully reviewing the full report and will respond within 30 days to the attorney general's request to present a comprehensive written plan that addresses the findings in the report. She said the diocese is also beginning to prepare for the final audit that will take place this year. Over the course of the past year, the Diocese of Manchester has updated and improved its safe environment program. Among other things, the Diocese has: • Reviewed and improved the Serving Christ, Serving Others Code of Ministerial Conduct and Promise to Protect, Pledge to Heal Policy for the Protection of Children and Young People • Developed and distributed the Renewing Our Promise Refresher Training Bulletin • Updated and improved the Circles of Care safety training program for children and youth • Updated and improved the Protecting God's Children sexual abuse awareness training materials for adults and established a mechanism for measuring its effectiveness • Updated and enhanced the child safety materials on the diocesan website and developed and distributed resources for Child Abuse Prevention Month (April) The Reverend Edward J. Arsenault, the Delegate for Ministerial Conduct, noted that "we have and continue to work to build a culture of awareness and safety every day in the parishes, schools, and institutions that make up the Diocese of Manchester. The achievements and the challenges of the last several years have made us more effective witnesses to God's love for everyone." Bishop McCormack, Father Arsenault, and Diane Murphy Quinlan rely on the support and assistance and consultation of the Diocesan Review Board and the Safe Environment Council to help set priorities and to work to improve the policies, programs, and resources in the Diocese of Manchester. Information on the diocese's policies, procedures and programs to protect children and young people, as well as information on how the diocese is noting National Child Abuse Prevention Month can be found at www.catholicnh.org/childsafety.
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