|
|
|||
 |
||||
|
|
By Father Ted Tumicki, Delegate for Safe Environments and Michael Strammiello, Director of Communications
NORWICH – We have all read so much the past two weeks about the Associated Press survey of sexual misconduct in the public school system across the nation. This information is just beginning to be collected and analyzed. The more we learn about sexual misconduct in so many sectors of our society, the more we and others recognize that the Catholic Church has become a leader in establishing proactive child protection measures.
On a national level, Archbishop Flynn of St. Paul and Minneapolis and former Chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Committee for the Protection of Children and Young People, recently noted that “The Church needs to let people know what efforts have been made in the past five years. I don’t know whether the public understands that the Church is the only group that has undertaken a comprehensive program to educate children and the people who work with them. There is a huge success story to tell.”
The number of people trained thus far across all dioceses is approaching 6 million; while the number of background evaluation checks for people who work with children in the Church is close to 2 million. These numbers substantiate that the nationwide safe environments program developed by the Catholic Church is becoming a model for other organizations who work with children. The Diocese of Norwich is a vital and successful part of the Church’s overall child safety program.
Recently, the Diocese of Norwich was audited by the Gavin Group, Inc. of Winthrop, Mass. to evaluate our progress regarding compliance with the USCCB Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. Recognizing the efforts of the committed clergy and laity team here in the Diocese, the audit found the Diocese of Norwich in complete compliance with the Charter.
During the audit, a representative from the Gavin Group interviewed several pastors and child advocates, the Chair of the Diocesan Review Board, the Bishop’s Delegate for Internal Investigations, the Assistance Coordinator, the Safe Environments Administrator, the Bishop’s Delegate for Safe Environments, the Director of Communications, the Director of Vocations, the Vicar for Clergy, the Vicar General, and visited parishes in Rockville, Tolland, and Storrs.
At the parishes of Saint Bernard in Rockville, Saint Matthew in Tolland and Saint Thomas Aquinas in Storrs, the pastors rely very heavily on a member of the laity, designated a “Child Advocate,” to implement and maintain safe environments policies and procedures. The role of Child Advocate includes overseeing the safe environments education regarding the recognition, response and prevention of child sexual abuse for children, teenagers, volunteers, employees and interested adults. Further responsibilities include overseeing efforts to properly screen the backgrounds of employees as well as volunteers who work regularly with minors. Publicizing how to create and maintain safe environments is also a priority.
The Gavin Group commended the high level of trust and effective collaboration between pastors and child advocates. The auditor was so impressed by how well this arrangement is working in these parishes, that she recommended this effort be included as an “additional action” in the audit report for the Diocese. “Additional actions” are those efforts that go above and beyond the standards of the Charter.
On the diocesan level, a number of lay people assist Bishop Michael R. Cote in his responsibilities to create and maintain safe environments and also in handling abuse allegations. Marie Twomey, for example, is the Assistance Coordinator. A retired school psychologist, it is part of her responsibility to communicate with alleged victims and coordinate counseling assistance they may need.
Donald Macrino is Chair of the Diocesan Review Board. Principal of Waterford High School in Waterford, he brings an educator’s and administrator’s viewpoint to his responsibilities. Other members of the Review Board include a retired police chief and state trooper, a retired school nurse, a retired registered nurse and emergency room supervisor, a psychologist who works with child sexual abuse victims, a retired attorney and a social services employee.
In addition to speaking to the Review Board Chair, the auditors visited the Office for Safe Environments – reviewing how records are kept, how educational programs are overseen, and checking the thoroughness of the comprehensive screening process.
Bishop Cote, in reviewing the audit results, assured that “It is very good to hear the experts positively assess the hard work among clergy and laity here in the Diocese in an area so vitally important to all of us – the safety of our children. We accept this good report with firm resolve to continue to work even harder to build an environment of safety second to none. We will protect God’s children.”
For more information on the Diocese of Norwich child safety program, please contact your parish, school, Catholic institution or the Office for Safe Environments at 860-848-2237, extension 301.