All volunteers MUST be VIRTUS trained. Please contact Mary Peel in the school office for VIRTUS questions.
What does that mean? That means, you are required to take a 1-hour training which will delineate what VIRTUS is all about—Protecting God’s Children.
Protecting God’s Children® for Adults is training conducted by VIRTUS® certified facilitators on the prevention of child sexual abuse. The training makes participants aware of the signs of child sexual abuse, the methods and means by which offenders commit abuse, and five easy steps one can use to prevent child sexual abuse. Two videos are the centerpiece of the training: A Time to Protect God’s Children™ and A Plan to Protect God’s Children™. The facilitators incorporate policies and procedures into the training defining child sexual abuse, addressing the reporting of child sexual abuse, the screening and selection of employees and volunteers, and victim advocacy.
If you fall into one of the categories below, you are required to participate in a training before you can continue to volunteer in our school or parish:
- Coach
- Lunch Room Helper
- Recess Helper
- Library Walker
- Classroom Party Volunteer
- Field Trip Volunteer
- Race for Education Volunteers
- Boy/Girl Scout Leaders—affiliated with St. Mary’s Parish
- Faith Formation Catechist & Aides
- Youth Ministry Volunteers
- Youth Choir
- Sunday Nursery
- Children’s Liturgy of the Word Volunteers
- VBS
- …anything to do with being around children
There are many training sessions available throughout the diocese. You can find the list and the sign-up links listed below. Please designate Grand Rapids, Mi (Diocese) in the drop down menu as the organization.
If you are a volunteer and have been through VIRTUS training, please contact the school office to have your training records updated. This is a necessity.
If you have taken VIRTUS through another diocese in the state, please let us know, and we will get those records transferred to the Diocese of Grand Rapids.
Also, if you had a name change since taking the class, please let us know, and we will adjust that on the site.
There is a lot of information contained in this article. Please do not hesitate to contact the school office with questions.