Victim Assistance Coordinators Around the United States

April Is National Child Abuse Prevention Month

The Catholic Church is absolutely committed to the safety of children. Together we can make a Promise to Protect, and a Pledge to Heal.

The Challenges and Rewards of Victim Assistance Ministry

November 2022 Reflection: Healing Journey

Mark Joseph Williams speaks for the Body of Bishops about the healing journey of clerical abuse survivors.

Revisions to the Penal Law of the Church

Join Susan Mulheron, Chancellor for Canonical Affairs at the Archdiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis, as she unwraps the revised Book VI of the Code of Canon Law. Discover what has changed, what hasn’t change and how this impacts safe environment efforts.

Understanding Civil Law in Child and Youth Protection

Maureen Harton, Diocesan Attorney for the Diocese of Joliet, discusses the relationship between civil law and the Charter.

Understanding Canon Law in Child and Youth Protection

Explore the multitude of official church documents and how they promote safety and accountability in safeguarding minors. Deacon Matt Glover is a canon lawyer and civil lawyer for the Diocese of Little Rock.  

Child Abuse Prevention Month: How and Why?

Dr. Heather Banis, Archdiocese of Los Angeles, and Mrs. Mayra Flores, Archdiocese of Chicago, highlight efforts to commemorate Child Abuse Prevention Month (April) in their Archdioceses. 

PowerPoint Presentation

Overview of the Committee on the Protection of Children & Young People & the National Review Board

Meet Most Rev. James V. Johnston Jr., Chair of the Committee on the Protection of Children and Young People and Ms. Suzanne Healy, Chair of the National Review Board as they discuss the role and current projects of the CPCYP and NRB.

No Hit Zones

Stacie LeBlanc, President of APSAC, Co-Founder of the UP Institute, and National Review Board Member presents the UP Institute's No Hit Zone initiative of abuse prevention. 

Audit Trends and Q&A

Representatives from Stonebridge Business Partners explore current audit trends with examples from dioceses, along with time for questions and answers. 

Crisis Management

Strategies to plan for and overcome a crisis in the current climate of the Church

Peer Review Process

Elder Samaniego from the Diocese of San Bernardino and Eileen Puglisi from the National Review Board discuss the benefits of using a diocesan review process to strengthen overall diocesan culture in terms of survivor assistance and child protection.

Pastoral Care in the Current Crisis

Teresa Pitt Green and Luis A. Torres Jr. from Spirit Fire Ministry, and Annette Klimka, the Victim Assistance Coordinator from the Archdiocese of Santa Fe discuss how to provide care and support to survivors of abuse during the current crisis.

Seminary Formation and Article 17

Fr. Ralph O'Donnell and Fr. Luke Ballman from the Secretariat of Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations, join Deacon Bernie Nojadera to discuss seminarian formation.  An overview of the structure of the seminary, the elements of human formation...

Exploring the 2018 Charter Revisions

Melanie Takinen and Drew Dillingham from the Secretariat of Child and Youth Protection, as well as Siobhan Verbeek from the Secretariat of Canonical Affairs and Church Governance, explain the main revisions to the Charter for the Protection of Children...

Q&A on the Audit with StoneBridge Business Partners

Thom Englert and Stephanie Wood from Stonebridge provide a brief overview of the audit of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, and answer any specific questions regarding the audit instrument, charts, and general compliance.

2017 National Review Board Update

Dr. Francesco Cesareo, Chair of the National Review Board (NRB), provides recommendations to dioceses/eparchies, as well as updates on new resources being developed by the NRB and Secretariat of Child and Youth Protection.

Pastoral Care for Victims/Survivors

Ms. Teresa Hartnett, Pastoral Outreach Provider, Spirit Fire Ministry, and founder of the Healing Voices Magazine, reflects on how to provide pastoral care for those who have been abused.

Pastoral Care for Clergy Offenders

Deacon Steven DeMartino, Director of Priest Wellness for the Archdiocese of New York, which is a specialty ministry of healing and accompaniment to the Presbyterate, provides guidance on pastoral care for clergy offenders.

Canon Law and the Charter

Siobhan Verbeek, Canon Lawyer in the USCCB Secretariat of Canonical Affairs and Church Governance, provides an explanation of the applications of Canon Law in the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.

Pastoral Outreach to Victims/Survivors

Bishop-Emeritus Paul S. Loverde explains how his diocese provided healing and outreach to victims/survivors, as well as his own experiences with victims.

Pornography in Society and How It Affects the Church

An analysis of the impact of pornography on the Church as well as how to respond to those who struggle with its use by Andy Lichtenwalner, Executive Director, and Bethany Meola, Assistant Director, USCCB Secretariat of Laity, Marriage, Family Life, and...

CARA Trends in Child Protection: What the Numbers Tell Us

An analysis of the data on allegations, as well as characteristics of victims and perpetrator by Mary Gautier, Senior Research Associate,Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA)

The Implementation of HRO Principles

Deacon Tom Berg, Chancellor, and Regina Quinn, Safe Environment Manager, Diocese of Columbus share their practical experiences implementing the 5 principles in the Diocese of Columbus.