Office of Safe Environment

The Office of Safe Environment is responsible for assisting the bishop in the diocese’s efforts to combat and prevent child sexual abuse. The office is responsible for coordinating the implementation of the diocese’s Safe Environment Training Programs, including Protecting God’s Children, which is a program designed to educate adults on how to recognize the warning signs that might indicate that a child is being abused.

The office also performs criminal background checks and motor vehicle checks on all diocesan clergy and diocesan employees as well as volunteers who work with children on a regular basis.

The Office of Professional Responsibility formalizes the process of investigating complaints of various kinds that have been filed against members of the clergy, other employees, or volunteers of the diocese. An important element of these  responsibilities includes protecting the rights of both the accuser and the accused throughout the investigative process. The Victims Assistance Office provides support to victims/survivors of sexual abuse by clergy or other church representatives, creates support groups for those survivors; and arranges meetings for individual victims or groups of victims with the bishop.