All employees and volunteers are required to complete background screening before their first day of service and annually after that. For details on background screening, please visit:

Background Screening

Please use the below form to contact our office.

Carol Thomas – Director of Background Screening
617-746-5840

Rachel Li – Operations Associate Background Screening
617-746-5896

CHILD PROTECTION TRAINING

All adult employees and volunteers who will be in contact with children and youth in our parishes, schools, and other affiliated ministries are required to complete Protecting God’s Children (PGC), the child protection training program utilized by the Archdiocese of Boston. The training consists of videos and discussions about how to recognize indicators of abuse or grooming, how to create safe spaces for children and youth, and how to address concerns. It is a three-hour training session held in person at various locations throughout the Archdiocese. Sessions are run by trained facilitators and take place on various days and times throughout the year, including evenings and weekends.  Most weeks there are between 5 and 15 sessions scheduled around the Archdiocese. With minor exceptions, sessions are open to everyone. The course is presented in English, Spanish, and Portuguese on a regular basis with occasional sessions in Vietnamese, Korean, French, and American Sign Language.  

Registration Directions
 
Go to www.VIRTUSonline.org. On the left of the page click on “First Time Registrant.” Click on “Begin Registration.” Select “Boston, MA (Archdiocese)” when asked to select your diocese. When asked if you have ever registered before, click “no”.   (If you have previously registered, call us for help.)  Complete the registration process. When asked for your specific location, select your specific parish or school. You can enter more than one. Once you have completed the registration process the system will guide you to a list of all the upcoming training sessions. Select the one that works for you. If the training is in a language other than English, it will be noted. Be careful not to select a training session that is in a language you cannot understand. All training sessions are 3 hours long, even if the registration website states otherwise.   

Frequently Asked Questions: 

I am very busy and have responsibilities at home.  Where do I find the online options?  
 
Sorry, but there are no online options. We find that this training works best when done in person to allow for personalized attention and group discussion. The training also includes information specific to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the Archdiocese of Boston that is not included in online trainings. We know that it feels like a lot to ask, but it is 3 hours that will help you keep children and youth safe.  
 
Why do I have to take a 3 hour course to read to my grandchild’s class at school?
 
Anyone who is invited into our schools to interact with children and youth needs to know how to recognize a problem and what to do about it if they have concerns. Remember, every adult who knows how to keep children and youth safe is one more person who is empowered to interrupt patterns of abuse everywhere in their lives, not only in a church or school.     
 
When do I have to take this course?  
 
We ask that anyone who will be in contact with children and youth in our parishes, schools, and other affiliated ministries complete the training within the first 30 days of their ministry. All other employees and volunteers should complete the training within the first 60 days of ministry. Any adult acting as a chaperone for an offsite activity must complete the training before the trip.  You cannot serve as a chaperone until you have completed the training.   
I did PGC training 10 years ago.  Do I have to do it again?
 
Our Child Protection Policy only requires retraining for clergy and educators. Pastors or Principals have the right to require retraining for their employees and volunteers. Please know that the training is updated on a regular basis and the threats that young people face are constantly evolving.  We certainly encourage people to repeat the class. If you have never talked about how to keep children and youth safe online or do not know what sextortion or sexploitation is, it is probably time to repeat the training.   
 
My friend just called and invited me to go with him to PGC tonight.  I did not register.  Can I go?   
 
Sure. You can register when you get there, or you might still be able to register online. If you think the class might be full, call us and ask before you go.  
 
Can I bring my kids with me to the class?  
 
Sorry, but no. We do not have the resources to provide childcare, and the presentation of the material is not designed for kids. Please make other arrangements for your children.  

I am not good with computers and I cannot register online.  What do I do?
 
No worries. You can ask someone in your parish or school to help you register or you can give us a call and we can help you. If none of that works, come anyway and we will help you when you get there. It is best to preregister so we can make sure that we have things like your name correct in the system without any typos or misread handwriting, but do not let computer worries keep you away.  Show up and we will make it work for you.  

CHILD AND YOUTH SAFE ENVIRONMENT TRAINING
 
All children and youth enrolled in religious education and/or our Catholic schools, are provided with Safe Environment training on an annual basis. Parents are notified ahead of time and may opt their child out of the session.  

Safe Environment Training for children and youth is designed to teach children and youth how to recognize risk/danger, how to avoid risk/danger, and what to do if they find themselves or a friend at risk or in danger.  

It is NOT sex education, discussions about gender identity or sexual orientation, or discussions about chastity. It provides age-appropriate discussions about staying safe.  

The Archdiocese of Boston has approved two curriculums for teaching safety. We encourage parents to become familiar with them. 

Second Step Child Protection Unit – Committee for Children

Grades K – 5
https://www.secondstep.org/child-protection

Learn more about the program at the link above. Note that the Office of Child Protection promotes only the Child Protection Unit of the Second Step curriculum. Other components are not part of the Safe Environment Curriculum. 

Empowering God’s Children – VIRTUS  
 Grades K-12
 To access the VIRTUS Empowering God’s Children curriculums please follow these instructions:

Go to www.VIRTUSonline.org
On the left side log in with the following information: 
User Name:  Parent_Boston
Password:  EGCBoston1

For help contact: 

Kristen Gotter, LICSW – Associate Director Pastoral Support and Child Protection
617-746-5993 or 617-746-5985

Patty Cockey – Operations Specialist – Child Protection
617-746-5994

Vivian Soper, LICSW – Director Pastoral Support and Child Protection
617-746-5995 or 617-746-5985

There are a number of ways in which OPSO may be able to help. 
 
Behavioral Health Treatment
 
Individuals who were abused by Boston clergy may be eligible for assistance with behavioral health treatment costs. In some circumstances, immediate family members may also be considered.

Any treatment must be provided by an appropriately credentialed clinician licensed to provide behavioral health treatment in the state where the individual resides. Payment for treatment must be preauthorized. Assistance, when offered, is subject to rate limitations and other applicable guidelines. Please contact OPSO to discuss whether assistance may be available in light of your particular circumstances.

Spiritual Direction

Individuals who were abused by Boston clergy may request assistance with spiritual direction through appropriately credentialed individuals. Availability and scope of support are determined on a case‑by‑case basis. OPSO staff can help discuss options and identify potential resources.
 
Pastoral Support
 
OPSO staff may provide pastoral support to individuals and, where appropriate, their family members. In addition to helping identify treatment options, OPSO may assist by:
 

• Helping identify and connect with community‑based resources and services
• Providing education and support through wellness programs
• Facilitating opportunities for connection with others similarly affected
• Offering a point of contact for conversation and pastoral accompaniment

 
OPSO also provides services for parishes and schools.  
 
Within their communities, all parishes must display the “Promise to Protect, Pledge to Heal" poster in their places of worship. The poster provides information on how to report abuse. It is available in multiple languages. If you need a new poster, please let us know.  
 

• Archdiocese of Boston Child Protection Policy  
• USCCB Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People
• Child Protection Rules and Guidelines for Parishes
• Child Protection Rules and Guidelines for Schools
• RCAB Employee Code of Conduct
• RCAB Volunteer Code of Conduct
• Volunteer Application

 
CORI

• CORI Form English FY27
• CORI Form Spanish FY27
• CORI Form Portuguese FY27
• CORI Acknowledgement Form Parishes FY27
• CORI Acknowledgement Form Schools FY27

Child Abuse Prevention Month Poster (English, Spanish and Portuguese)

The Office of Pastoral Support and Outreach teams with a group of Boston survivors who advise and partner with OPSO to plan outreach services for those impacted by clergy abuse and outreach to our parishes, clergy, and seminaries.

Council members help to:

• Coordinate communal prayers for victims of abuse
• Provide community meetings in parishes
• Provide for small group discussions
• Meet with clergy and those in formation to help them understand the ongoing impact of the abuse and how to best help
• Plan and help run our annual Mass for survivors
• Plan and help run wellness days and other special events
• Meet periodically with the Archbishop to provide feedback on what is working and what else needs

OPSO does not publicize the names of the BSAC members and participation is by invitation only.

REPORTING ABUSE
If you are being abused currently or have been abused recently or in the past, we encourage you to make a report to the proper civil authorities.  Contact information is contained in the specific sections below.  To report child abuse in Massachusetts, you can always call the Child At Risk Hotline at 1-800-792-5200.  It is a 24-hour line.  To get immediate help for any kind of current abuse, call 911.  

REPORTING ABUSE BY CLERGY, ARCHDIOCESAN PERSONNEL, OR VOLUNTEERS
If you were abused by clergy or other church employees or volunteers, we want to know, regardless of when the abuse took place.  There is help available. 

To report abuse and get help, call The Office of Pastoral Support and Outreach at 617-746-5985. We know that, for many who are reporting abuse, the decision to do so comes only after many years of anguish and struggle.  Please know that everyone who calls is treated with kindness, respect, and dignity.  We will connect you with one of our two social workers who will arrange to take your report in a way that works for you.  We prefer to meet in person whenever possible.  You can come to our offices in Braintree, or we can come to you.  Some people choose to have another trusted individual be part of the conversation, such as family, a friend, or a counselor.  If it is not possible to meet in person, we can take a report on the phone.  

In making a report, the individual is asked to provide his/her name, date of birth, current address, phone number, and email if available.  Additional required information includes the name of the alleged perpetrator, the years and locations of the reported abuse, and a brief description of the nature of the abuse.  In addition to this information, we want to hear anything that you want to share.  

For adults who are bringing forward a complaint of abuse that is reported to have occurred when they were under the age of 18, we inform law enforcement. Please note that law enforcement notification takes place in 100% of the cases where the individual was under the age of 18 at the time of the alleged abuse, regardless of when it took place and whether or not the alleged perpetrator is still alive.  

When individuals are reporting abuse by clergy who were from another diocese or religious order, the leadership of that diocese/order are provided with a copy of the intake report.  We will also connect you with the individuals at the other diocese or religious order who can help you.   We encourage those who are reporting abuse by clergy or another representative of the church to also make a report to law enforcement in addition to the report that we file.  You can make that report at the police department in the town/city where the reported abuse took place or through the District Attorney for that county.  https://www.mass.gov/lists/directory-of-district-attorney-offices.

Any reported abuse of an individual still under the age of 18 is also reported to the Department of Children and Families.  We will make this report and encourage you to do so as well.  

If you need help reporting to civil authorities, please let us know.  

REPORTING A BISHOP
You can report sexual abuse or sexual misconduct by a bishop in the United States or their intentional interference in a sexual abuse investigation at the Catholic Bishop Abuse Reporting Service online at  https://reportbishopabuse.org/ or by phone at 1-800-276-1562

Sexual abuse by a bishop should also be reported to civil authorities in the jurisdiction in which the abuse took place.  

REPORTING SUSPECTED CHILD ABUSE OR NEGLECT
If you know or suspect that anyone under the age of 18 is a victim of abuse or neglect, you should report it to the Department of Children and Families (DCF). If you are observing life threatening abuse or have reason to believe that a child will be abused when they leave your side, first call 911 or your local police.

Anyone can file a report of suspected abuse or neglect. You do not need proof. If you are concerned, you can call. All clergy, employees, and volunteers of the Archdiocese of Boston are required to report suspected child abuse or neglect to DCF. The report must be made immediately by phone with a written report submitted within 48 hours.

To report suspected abuse or neglect call:

Massachusetts Department of Children and Families:
https://www.mass.gov/how-to/report-child-abuse-or-neglect

DCF office listed by town with phone number:
https://www.mass.gov/orgs/massachusetts-department-of-children-families/locations

Child at Risk Hotline #: 1-800-792-5200

Rhode Island Department of Child, Youth, and Families
1-800-742-4453

New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services
1-603-271-6562

Mandated Reporters
The Archdiocese of Boston requires all clergy, employees, and volunteers to act as mandated reporters of child abuse and neglect.
https://www.mass.gov/how-to/report-child-abuse-or-neglect-as-a-mandated-reporter

Mandated reporters are required to call in the report of abuse and submit a written report within 48 hours of calling in a child abuse report. Save a copy of the written report for your files and submit a copy to the Office of Pastoral Support and Child Protection. For questions or help reporting child abuse or neglect, please contact the Office of Pastoral Support and Child Protection at 617-746-5985.

REPORTING SUSPECTED ELDER ABUSE OR NEGLECT
If you suspect that an elderly person that you know is a victim of abuse, you should report it to Elder Protective Services. If you are observing or experiencing life threatening abuse, first call 911 or your local police, then file a report with the appropriate agency. The Archdiocese requires all clergy, employees, and volunteers to report suspected Elder Abuse. Elder Abuse includes physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, caretaker neglect, financial exploitation, or self-neglect of a person 60 years and over who lives in the community.

Anyone can file a report of suspected abuse by calling:

• Massachusetts: Executive Office of Elder Affairs (EOEA) Elder Abuse Hotline 1-800-922-2275
• Rhode Island: Office of Healthy Aging (OHA) 401-462-0555
• New Hampshire: Department of Health and Human Services 603-271-7014

For questions/help reporting abuse, please contact the Office of Pastoral Support and Child Protection at 617-746-5985.

REPORTING SUSPECTED ABUSE OF A DISABLED PERSON
Suspected abuse of a disabled person should be reported to the proper civil authorities. If you are observing or experiencing life threatening abuse, first call 911 or your local police, then file a report with the appropriate agency. The Archdiocese requires all clergy, employees, and volunteers to report suspected abuse of a disabled person.

• Massachusetts: Disabled Person’s Protection Commission (DPPC) 1-800-426-9009
• Rhode Island: Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals 401-462-2629
• New Hampshire: Department of Health and Human Services 603-271-7014

For questions/help reporting abuse, please contact the Office of Pastoral Support and Child Protection at 617-746-5985.