​VIRTUS® Protecting God's Children™
​Training Session

Due to state and diocesan "Safe at Home" mandates, there are no VIRTUS sessions/locations available at this time. Please check the VIRTUS website for online www.virtusonline.org
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United Together in Prayer
*Join together, throughout the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, to pray for healing.
*Decorate a special prayer candle or create a prayer altar.
*Light the candle for victims of abuse ​every Sunday 
​or plant a pinwheel garden with pencil pinwheels made by the children/youth in April. 

Download Novena, Prayer for  Healing, Pinwheel, and Prayer Dove here.
April: National Child Abuse Prevention Month
The Archdiocese would like to reiterate that we stand resolute in our commitment to reporting allegations of sexual misconduct to law enforcement, support victim-survivors and protect children and the vulnerable. The Archdiocese has created a website, protect.la-archdiocese.org, to serve as a comprehensive resource that will connect you to its programs and services for protecting children and reporting abuse. If you, or someone you know, is a victim of sexual abuse by a Church employee or volunteer, please contact the Archdiocesan Victims Assistance Coordinator at (213) 637·7650 or protect.la-archdiocese.org for help and support.
Participants must arrive on time in order to be admitted to the session.  All Participants must be 18 or older.  No minors allowed in session. There is no charge. Call or email to save your spot.  Each parish is different.
Updated every month. For more sessions in other locations click here, please select Los Angeles-Santa Barbara Region.
Protecting God's Children™ Program is a three-hour training  that helps clergy, staff, volunteers and parents to understand the five basic steps of child sexual abuse prevention. It is important awareness education for all parents, grandparents and every adult who wants to stay up to date about keeping children safe.  It is mandated training for all adults who work with or around children or teens on a regular basis at the parish.

The parent session also stresses monitoring of computers, cell phones and other technology that perpetrators use to gain access to children and young people.

This program certification is good for four years, then re-certification is required to stay current.

VIRTUS® Keeping the Promise Alive™
Refresher training session

A Prayer for Healing

Holy Spirit, comforter of hearts,
heal your people’s wounds and transform brokenness into wholeness.

Grant us the courage and wisdom, humility and grace, to act with justice.

Breathe wisdom into our prayers and labors.

Grant that all harmed by abuse may find peace and justice.

​We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen. 

Participants must arrive on time in order to be admitted to the session.  All Participants must be 18 or older.  No minors allowed in session. There is no charge. Call or email to save your spot.  Each parish is different.
Updated every month. For more sessions in other locations click here, please select Los Angeles-Santa Barbara Region.
Keeping the Promise Alive™  is a free 1.5 hour training for everyone who completed the VIRTUS® certification Protecting God's Children™ Program. VIRTUS® certification is good for four years then re-certification is required to stay current.

Keeping the Promise Alive™ provides ongoing awareness for the prevention of child sexual abuse. The material covered is designed to identify and reinforce the lessons of the original Protecting God’s Children for Adults program by clarifying some of the more challenging aspects of the sessions and strengthening the participants’ ability to recognize risky behavior in their environments and take action to intervene in potentially threatening situations.

This program answers the questions, “What have been some results of the Protecting God’s Children program, and what else can we do to keep all children safe?”.
Our parish Safeguard the Children Committee serves as the eyes, ears and voice for children and the vulnerable in our community. Over the last several years, the committee has worked with the parish leadership and staff to provide a safe environment for our children, resulting in a number of improvements and the implementation of important policies.  
For more information and how to work together to prevent child abuse...