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DIOCESE RELEASES REPORT ON CHARTER COMPLIANCE
Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio released today (Jan. 6) a summary report, issued by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, on the Diocese of Brooklyn’s compliance with the 17 articles contained in the bishops’ 2002 Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.
The report found the Diocese “compliant with the provisions of the charter,” with a commendation given to one of its initiatives and recommendations for additional attention on four aspects of the diocesan response to the charter.
At the same time, the USCCB’s Office of Child and Youth Protection released its first annual report on the implementation of the charter by the 195 (arch)dioceses and Eastern Church eparchies in the country at a Washington press conference.
The report covered the period between June 2002, when the bishops signed the charter, and November of last year. The Gavin Group of Boston, an independent firm comprised of experienced compliance auditors, surveyed the (arch)dioceses and eparchies.
A three-member auditing team conducted the review in the Brooklyn Diocese Oct. 6-10, examining records and interviewing diocesan officials, persons representing the diocesan review board, victims and law enforcement, and others.
The auditors pursued their work in the week that followed Bishop DiMarzio’s Oct. 3 installation as the seventh Bishop of Brooklyn.
In its report, the team gave a commendation to the Diocese for the decade-long existence of a committee, formed by now-retired Bishop Thomas V. Daily, consisting of “diverse individuals empowered to act as a board of consultants to advise the bishop on matters of sexual abuse and the charter,” in the words of the report.
The committee continues to serve Bishop DiMarzio, as does the eight-member diocesan review board, established by Bishop Daily last February in response to the charter's directives.
According to the summary report, the team recommended further action on four charter issues, one of which has been addressed and three others that are in development.
Already completed is a comprehensive job description exclusively for the position of full-time victim assistance coordinator, a position held on a part-time basis since last February by Amityville Dominican Sister Ellen Patricia Finn, associate executive director of Catholic Charities.
On two of the recommendations, regarding the promulgating of standards of ministerial behavior and the implementing of a background screening process, Bishop DiMarzio released information about both in a letter to be sent to diocesan clergy this week.
The Bishop said he will require all clergy to sign a Code of Pastoral Conduct which he recently approved. It was developed by a committee, consisting of priest, Religious and lay members, which he assembled shortly after he came to the Diocese in October.
He also announced that the Diocese will begin a background screening process for each person who regularly performs services and/or ministers in the Diocese. The screenings will begin first with clergy, and then will include members of religious communities and all employees and those volunteers who are in regular contact with minors.
“All will be required to take part in this or will have to discontinue their diocesan and/or parish service,” he said.
Bishop DiMarzio is continuing to address a fourth recommendation, concerning a “safe environment” training program. A separate letter to the Bishop from the Gavin Group said “you have made admirable progress in your training program, with the exception of training for children and young people.”
The Bishop said the Diocese is exploring a suitable safe environment training program for children.
Through Dec.1, nearly 2,500 adults in leadership positions---clergy, teachers, social service workers, directors of religious education, pastoral associates and youth ministers among them---had received training through the Virtus program on sexual abuse awareness and prevention.
In his letter to clergy, Bishop DiMarzio said that Virtus training is required for all priests, deacons, teachers, employees, volunteers and all who have regular contact with minors.
He announced that four additional training sessions have been scheduled for next month for adults who were unable to attend those conducted late last year.
Two will be offered at the Immaculate Conception Center, Douglaston, Tuesday, Feb. 10, from 1 to 4:30 p.m. and from 6:30 to 10 p.m. On the following day, two sessions will be conducted at Our Lady of Perpetual Help parish hall, Brooklyn, from 8:30 a.m. till noon and from 1 to 4:30 p.m.
Dr. Paul J. Ashton of Virtus, a clinical pastoral counselor, will provide the training, said Sister Jane Scanlon, C.N.D., Vice Chancellor, who is coordinating the sessions.
A separate, expanded report of the commendation given to the Diocese by the auditing team stated that “the Vicar General (Msgr. Otto L. Garcia) should also be commended for his long-standing. . .leadership that can only be viewed as exemplary.”
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