Lord, giver of light, and hope, you have entrusted your children to our care. We cherish their love and energy for life. Help us to help them be people of strength, character, and integrity. Share with us the love that will guide their hearts. Share with us the courage that will shape their future. Be the light that guides them - and us to your glory and goodness.

Every effort is made to assure that all persons ministering in the Archdiocese are aware of and will abide by the policies prohibiting sexual harassment, exploitation or abuse, and of the procedures for dealing with incidents of sexual misconduct.

School personnel are screened for their ability to work safely with children, are provided information to help recognize and deal with issues of child sexual abuse, and are offered guidance and instruction on appropriate professional conduct with students.

All seminarians and candidates for the diaconate go through an extensive evaluation and psychological assessment before entering formation. After ordination, priests and deacons receive ongoing training on maintaining the integrity of the ministerial relationship.

Every person has the right to be respected and treated with the dignity befitting a child of God. Every person has the right to having appropriate boundaries respected. Every person has the right to challenge any behavior or comment that is offensive or inappropriate. It is the responsibility of everyone to protect the safety of children, families, women and men, and to promote healing where there is injury with firm justice and mercy towards all.

“The Light Shines in the Darkness and the Darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:5)

VIRTUS® Protecting God's Children Adult Awareness Session is a three-hour training that helps clergy, staff, volunteers and parents to understand the facts and myths about child sexual abuse; how perpetrators operate; and how caring adults can take five important steps to keep children safe. The parent session also stresses monitoring of computers, cell phones and other technology that perpetrators use to gain access to children and young people.

The Archdiocese of Los Angeles mandates this training for all adults working with children. This education component helps prevent child sexual abuse by first making every adult employee and volunteer aware of the issues surrounding child sexual abuse. This includes awareness of the many ways sexual abuse harms its victims, their families, the parish, and the community. The awareness session also helps adults learn to recognize the warning signs of abuse and shows them the appropriate way to respond to suspicious behavior. Finally, the awareness session empowers each person with five steps to help prevent child sexual abuse. More than 50,000 priests, deacons, parish and school staff members and volunteers have already participated in these sessions throughout the five Pastoral Regions of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Our goal is to provide this training to all adults who work with children so we can work together as a more effective community to prevent child sexual abuse.

A training is scheduled for St. Margaret Mary on November 13, 2011 from 6:30-9pm. Click here to register .

For more information, please go online to: www.virtus.org/virtus.

Please call the R.E. office for upcoming classes at St. Margaret Mary.

This class is only available to those who have taken the original class in 2004 or 2005 (they'll expire in 2009). This class lasts about 1 1/2 hours. You will receive a certificate of completion (valid for three years). You are also required to submit a copy to the parish office as well as to the head of any ministry in which you volunteer.

1. Go to: www.virtusonline.com
2. Select "registration" on the left side of screen
3. Select "view list of sessions"
4. Select "Los Angeles/San Pedro" location

This will take you to all the upcoming Virtus Classes offered in our area. It will also give you the phone number to register for the class.

After you have taken the original Virtus Class, you should go to virtusonline to register. By registering, you will be notified of all updates to the program (including the availability of taking the Virtus Refresher Class online when available).

1. Go to: www.virtusonline.com
2. Select "registration" on the left side of screen
3. Select "begin the registration process"
4. Follow information on screen to input your information

Master List of Certificates on File at St. Margaret Mary Parish Office
(Click for list updated monthly and password protected)

St. Margaret Mary Safeguard the Children Committee
(click here) 

Fingerprinting Schedule
(Please click here)

Additional Links
Virtus Program
www.archdiocese.la/protecting

Promise To Protect Booklet
General Information for Parents General Questions & Answers
Virtus Program
Virtus Online
www.virtusoline.org/virtus_description.cfm 

Teaching Touching Safety Program
Program Information
Handbook Victim Assistance Hotline
(800) 355-2545

Select A Lesson...

Grades K through 2:
Lesson 1 - Touching Safety Rules
Lesson 2 - Safe friends, adults and touches
Lesson 3 - Boundaries
Lesson 4 - Trust
Lesson 5 - Grooming
Lesson 6 - Recognizing risky adult behavior
Lesson 7 - Internet Safety
Lesson 8 - Creating and Following Family Rules

Nivel primario, grados K, 1, 2 (de 5 a 8 años de edad):
Lección 1 - Tocar las Normas de Seguridad
Lección 2 - amigos seguros, adultos y toca
Lección 3 - Límites
Lección 4 - La confianza
Lección 5 - Cuidado Personal Masculino
Lección 6 - Reconociendo la conducta riesgosa del adulto
Lección 7: Seguridad en Internet
Lección 8: Creación y seguimiento de las normas familiares

Grades 3 through 5:
Lesson 1 - Touching Safety Rules
Lesson 2 - Safe friends, adults and touches
Lesson 3 - Boundaries
Lesson 4 - Trust
Lesson 5 - Grooming
Lesson 6 - Recognizing risky adult behavior
Lesson 7 - Internet Safety
Lesson 8 - Creating and Following Family Rules

Nivel intermedio, grados 3, 4, 5 (de 8 a 11 años de edad):
Lección 1 - Tocar las Normas de Seguridad
Lección 2 - amigos seguros, adultos y toca
Lección 3 - Límites
Lección 4 - La confianza
Lección 5 - Cuidado Personal Masculino
Lección 6 - Reconociendo la conducta riesgosa del adulto
Lección 7: Seguridad en Internet
Lección 8: Creación y seguimiento de las normas familiares

Grades 6 through 8:
Lesson 1 - Touching Safety Rules
Lesson 2 - Safe friends, adults and touches
Lesson 3 - Boundaries
Lesson 4 - Trust
Lesson 5 - Grooming
Lesson 6 - Recognizing risky adult behavior
Lesson 7 - Internet Safety
Lesson 8 - Creating and Following Family Rules

Escuela secundaria de nivel inicial, grados 6, 7, 8 (de 11 a 14 años de edad):
Lección 1 - Tocar las Normas de Seguridad
Lección 2 - amigos seguros, adultos y toca
Lección 3 - Límites
Lección 4 - La confianza
Lección 5 - Cuidado Personal Masculino
Lección 6 - Reconociendo la conducta riesgosa del adulto
Lección 7: Seguridad en Internet
Lección 8: Creación y seguimiento de las normas familiares

Grades 9 through 12:
Lesson 1 - Touching Safety Rules
Lesson 2 - Safe friends, adults and touches
Lesson 3 - Boundaries
Lesson 4 - Trust
Lesson 5 - Grooming
Lesson 6 - Recognizing risky adult behavior
Lesson 7 - Internet Safety
Lesson 8 - Creating and Following Family Rules

Nivel de escuela secundaria, grados 9 a 12 (de 15 a 18 años de edad):
Lección 1 - Tocar las Normas de Seguridad
Lección 2 - amigos seguros, adultos y toca
Lección 3 - Límites
Lección 4 - La confianza
Lección 5 - Cuidado Personal Masculino
Lección 6 - Reconociendo la conducta riesgosa del adulto
Lección 7: Seguridad en Internet
Lección 8: Creación y seguimiento de las normas familiares