Maintaining Trust and Ethical Conduct

The tragedy of child sexual abuse continues to challenge the moral fabric of our society. Recent events have heightened the scrutiny of what is being done by the Catholic Church to protect children and to segregate and monitor the activities of those who have been credibly accused of past abuse. In the Province of St. Barbara, we have experienced these tragedies first hand, and victims continue to receive our care and prayers in the healing process.

Our highest priority is, and will always be, the care of the victims and in doing our best to prevent further violations of trust.

As these past events unfolded, we took many steps to try and prevent further episodes of abuse; and we continue to look for opportunities to improve our policies and procedures to further minimize risk to those who place their trust in us. We want everyone to be in a safe place as we enjoy God’s blessings.

The foundation of these policies and procedures is a priority for the victims and the safety of the public; as well as a philosophy of transparency in disclosing information. They follow the norms and directives of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. The Province is also accredited by Praesidium Religious Services Inc., for being in full compliance with the national standards regarding these matters of the Conference of Major Superiors of Men (CMSM) Instruments of Hope and Healing program.