Virtus Training

Protecting God’s Children

From the Archdiocese of Chicago:
All employees and all volunteers who work with children must attend the Virtus/Protecting God’s Children training program within three months of beginning employment, ministry or service. Verification of the completion of Virtus Training is filed in the personnel or volunteer file at the place of employment/ministry. Dates and sites for the Safe Environment Training (Virtus/Protecting God’s Children) are posted on the Archdiocese of Chicago website. (Register online, after being hired or accepted as a volunteer.) If the new employee or volunteer has previously completed the Virtus training, inform the local school administrator and provide a copy of the certificate received at the time of training.

Important Links

Required Information and Forms
Additional Resources
Contact Information

VOLUNTEERS

All employees and all volunteers who work with children must attend the Virtus/Protecting God’s Children training program before beginning employment, ministry or service.

Virtus Programs
Protecting God's Children
Becoming Certified

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People requires that each employee and/or volunteer within every parish be trained and screened if they have contact with or minister to children. The program in the Archdiocese of Chicago is called VIRTUS or Protecting God’s Children for Adults.

The VIRTUS – Protecting All God’s Children® program has been adopted by the Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago to ensure safe environments for children and youth in all parishes, schools and diocesan programs. For information and registration for the next VIRTUS training session in our area, please visit http://www.virtus.org/.

The workshop educates clergy, staff and volunteers who work with children, about the ways to create safe environments for children. The workshop includes videos and facilitated discussions that focus on the prevention of abuse and the protection of children.

All those who interact and are involved in ministry, both as paid employees and as volunteers working with children in our parish, will be trained to assure a safe, healthy and secure environment for our children. Background screening will be conducted for each individual as a component of application to serve in ministry. Though this program might be viewed as an additional burden and time consuming, it is essential for the welfare and safety of our children.

This training is offered at St. Michael several times each year as well as in many locations in the Archdiocese.