Catholic Diocese to Require Child-Safety Training for All Volunteers
By Steven Spearie
Erin Sanchez has helped out as a volunteer for her son's kindergarten parties and book fairs at Little Flower School in Springfield. Like potentially thousands of volunteers throughout the Springfield Catholic Diocese, Sanchez will now be required to attend a child-safety program and undergo a criminal-background check as the diocese tightens rules designed to prevent sexual abuse of minors by church personnel. The new rules go into effect July 1. "If it's to safeguard the children, I see no problem with it," said Sanchez, a Little Flower parishioner and a former teacher with the Springfield public schools. Since 2003, all religious personnel and lay persons in the 28-county diocese who have "regular or significant contact with minors (under 18 years of age)" have been required to attend training programs and undergo criminal-background checks. Now, all volunteers, from Eucharistic ministers and choir members to those working at parish fish fries and spaghetti dinners, will be subject to the same rules. The policy makes no distinction between one-time volunteers and those who may volunteer more regularly, such as church ushers or musicians. 'Positive step' The changes were signed off by Springfield Bishop Thomas John Paprocki after consulting three different groups from the diocese, said Patricia Kornfeld, the diocese's victim-assistance coordinator. The idea behind the changes, Kornfeld said, is to protect children. She downplayed any notion that it will burden volunteers. "I hope (the new policy) is embraced as a positive step to providing a safe environment for children," said Kornfeld. "We truly need to have volunteers who contribute to the life of a parish. Anyone called to volunteer is a special blessing to the parish. "Spending time to learn how to protect children shouldn't be viewed as an imposition for anyone." Trying to separate out who needed training and background checks "didn't compute," said Kornfeld. "If you're going to do it, you might as well train everyone. That's what the general opinion came down to." Still, "everyone has some hesitancy that volunteers will run for the exits," acknowledged Kornfeld. "It probably could scare some people off," said the Rev. Jeff Grant, pastor of Blessed Sacrament Church in Springfield. "If you don't think it could, you're naive. But it's for the safety of the children." "It's a major, major undertaking because you're talking about hundreds of volunteers," said Monsignor David Lantz, pastor of Christ the King Church in Springfield, noting that there are at least 200-plus families in the school alone. Not punitive Sister Mary Jean Traeger, parish life coordinator at St. Katharine Drexel Parish, which includes St. Patrick and Sacred Heart churches in Springfield, said her team has encouraged all parishioners to take the training, which will be offered in both English and Spanish. She added that it can make a difference in how it's presented to volunteers. "It isn't a punitive thing," said Sister Traeger. "If people understand the reasoning behind it, especially regarding the safety of children, then they're not going to be resistant to it." The policy changes affect schools in the diocese, like Sacred Heart-Griffin High School, which just wrapped up its mostaccioli dinner, its major fundraiser of the year. SHG president Sister Katherine O'Connor said the school is committed to providing a safe environment for all its students and is already looking at ways to implement the new policy. "Our philosophy is based on the belief that each of our students and volunteers is a child of God," said O'Connor. National program While there is no mandatory training for volunteers in churches in the Illinois Great Rivers Conference (United Methodist Church), which includes Springfield, it is highly recommended, said Paul Black, the conference's director of communications ministries. Several area churches have implemented training procedures through a national program called Safe Sanctuaries, Black said. Additionally, each local congregation must review its particular sexual abuse policy on an annual basis for a report to the presiding district superintendent. The Catholic diocese's three-hour training session, Protecting God's Children for Adults, is produced by The National Catholic Risk Retention Group. It is one of several national programs dioceses can use, said Kornfeld. The session, a one-time deal for all those taking it, consists of viewing a DVD and small-group discussions. Volunteers can obtain continuing education online, though they're not required to do so, added Kornfeld. Added expense Ellen Bartletti took the training session three years ago, when St. Agnes School, where she volunteers and occasionally serves as a substitute teacher and where two of her children attend, required it for all parents of school children. "As a parent, you accept the training because these are my children," said Bartletti. "Hopefully, others will accept it and they won't lose too many volunteers, but I understand that some people wouldn't be understanding of the policy." Parishes will continue to foot the bill for criminal-background checks, Kornfeld said. Those forms will be offered at the diocese's website (www.dio.org) at a later date. Though it isn't part of the new policy, each of the diocese's 131 parishes will be advised to appoint a safe environment coordinator, who will make reports to Kornfeld's office. Kornfeld said she hopes for full implementation of the new training policy by Jan. 1, 2013. Lantz said it will result in more record-keeping and expense, but it will pay dividends. "You can never do enough to have the safest environment," he said. "It's worth every penny." "If you're going to be in a position of volunteering for the church," added Grant, "this is what it's come to." *** Changes to the Policy on Sexual Abuse of Minors by Church Personnel *Training required for "any volunteer capacity in the parishes, schools, agencies and other institutions of the (diocese) to include volunteers in ministries of the liturgy ... volunteering in the parishes, schools, agencies and other institutions of the diocese. ... This includes...volunteers working at parish festivals and fundraising events, etc." *"(A)ny priest, deacon or employee of this diocese or its parishes or schools convicted of criminal sexual assault of a minor or sexual abuse of a minor or who is withdrawn or removed from ministry or employment due to any substantiated allegation of sexual misconduct with a minor will be posted (in a designated section) on the diocesan Internet website."
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