Safe Parish | St. John Paul II

SafeParish

"One of the greatest responsibilities adults ever face is the protection of children under their care. That is a duty that falls heavily upon those who minister in the name of the Church because children are entrusted to us in so many ways – in schools, in religious education, in Scouting, on field trips, and in sports. Parents have a right to expect that their children are as safe as humanly possible in all of these situations." Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr

St. John Paul II Parish Family adheres to the guidelines set forth by the Archdiocese of Cincinnati in the Decree on Child Protection when it comes to our staff and volunteers.

Volunteering with Minors

Compliance with the Decree is required for all adults who work or volunteer in our parish ministries and apostolates which involve children under the age of 18 (and vulnerable adults age 18 or older). Some examples include our Parish School of Religion (PSR), Youth Group, and altar servers. Compliance is maintained through education and screening.

Education

Training intended to prevent the abuse of children, adolescents, and vulnerable adults is made available through the SafeParish™ learning management platform which provides a broad array of education, information, and programs for Catholic organizations. It is a child and workplace safe environment program specifically designed for Catholic entities.

All adults (age 18 or over) must complete the SafeParish™ edition of Protecting Children from Sexual Abuse training session before they are permitted to work or volunteer within any of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati parishes, schools, or institutions. No one under the age of 18 is permitted to complete the training due to its sensitive content.

In addition to completing the training, employees and volunteers must stay current in completing their interactive video-based SafeParish™ quarterly bulletins on Child Protection in order to remain in compliance with the requirements of the Decree. Non-compliance will result in SafeParish™ account non-approval, and non-compliant employees and volunteers will no longer be permitted to work with youth or vulnerable adults until compliance is reestablished.

Screening
A thorough background check is required for all those employed or volunteering to work with youth or vulnerable adults. Background information is submitted online through SELECTiON.COM prior to beginning volunteer activities or employment.

How to register with SafeParish

Please follow these instructions to register with SafeParish. There is a $25 fee for the online background check, which may take a few days to a few weeks to come back. In case of financial hardship, the parish may optionally provide a token to cover the cost for those who volunteer in our parish family on a regular basis. For questions, please contact Chris Stier at cstier@stjohnpaulii.org or (937) 434-9231.

Full text of the Decree on Child Protection, Archdiocese of Cincinnati.