2004
APRIL

Educate yourself and vote for the children

From words on paper to full-bore implementation, our safe environment program in the Diocese of Tucson has made great and effective progress the last six months.
All priests, deacons, sisters and the thousands of lay persons who work for and volunteer at our parishes and schools are being fingerprinted. Background checks are being made. Training on child abuse awareness and prevention is underway, including a new video for the orientation of all new employees and volunteers.
The safe environment program is our multi-faceted effort to make our parishes and schools safe and loving places for children. It is helping to increase the ability of all our parish and school personnel to identify potential child abuse, to respond effectively when abuse is suspected and to confront high-risk or unprofessional behavior.
Our Diocese also has made great progress in becoming part of the solution to child abuse that is so widespread in all our communities by participating with our partners in law enforcement and social service agencies.
We have joined with two organizations in a very direct way.
Last year, the Diocese became a corporate member of the Pima County Child Abuse Prevention Council.
Also last year, I responded enthusiastically to an invitation to join the Board of the Southern Arizona Children's Advocacy Center, a vital agency that works collaboratively with many agencies to facilitate the joint investigation of child abuse reports.
The Center provides a child-centered facility (staffed by trained child development professionals) for crisis intervention, advocacy and the collection of forensic evidence that seeks to minimize the trauma to children who have been abused.
In the course of this work, I have come to understand how important it is for agencies investigating child abuse to work together.
Coordinated work means a more effective investigation, either to clear or to bring charges against the person accused. It also reduces the unintended but very real trauma of such investigations to the children who have been harmed.
I think any effort that can lead to even greater collaboration and cooperation by these hard-working agencies deserves our attention. There is such an effort underway now. 
Coming soon before the voters of Pima County is the opportunity to provide a larger, state-of-the-art facility, envisioned as the InterAgency Advocacy Center, that will bring together all the agencies that cooperate in the investigation of alleged child abuse.
These agencies, including the Pima County Attorney's Office, the Pima County Sheriff's Department, the Tucson Police Department, the Southern Arizona Children's Advocacy Center and Child Protective Services, are the very agencies that have believed in our sincere desire to stop child abuse in the Diocese of Tucson and have collaborated with us in that effort.
Voters in Pima County will decide if the InterAgency Advocacy Center will become a reality when they go to the polls next month. They will be voting on six bond questions in a package that supporters call "Six Bonds for All of Us." 
If passed, this bond package will not raise taxes because the county will be retiring bonds from previous bond issues in the next few years. Furthermore, legislation will ensure a cap on the tax rate and an independent oversight committee will be established to closely monitor spending.
The InterAgency Advocacy Center will be on the ballot as Question Three of the six bond questions on election day, May 15, but early voting begins on April 15.
I urge you to study this bond issue, acquaint yourself with its particulars and join with our law enforcement and social service agency partners in a great step forward for more effective prevention of and response to child abuse.
While this is a Pima County election, and will benefit the citizens in Pima County foremost, the collaborative process envisioned in this plan has implications for the effort to respond effectively to child abuse across the entire diocese.
If you would like more information about any aspect of the bond issue, please call the Six Bonds for All of Us Committee at 520-907-1793.
If you would like to learn more about the work of the Southern Arizona Children's Advocacy Center and the planned InterAgency Advocacy Center, please call Teri Koopman, executive director, at 520-319-5511.
I believe in the approach represented by the InterAgency Advocacy Center. I will vote yes on Question Three, and I ask you to vote yes -- yes for our common commitment to protect our children.

2004
MAY

The Compliance Representative

I wonder how many of you have heard of the local compliance representative? Whether you know it or not, you have one.
The local compliance reps are now appointed in each of our parishes and schools. He or she may be an employee or volunteer, pastoral minister or member of the staff. In a few cases, the local compliance rep may be your pastor.
Whatever the role, this person is an individual in your community who is willing to work with us, often behind the scenes, to bring to fruition the plans we have made to create safe and loving environments throughout our Diocese. He or she has taken on the tasks of learning about diocesan policy in depth, of developing procedures to realize those policies and of following through to implement those procedures.
The procedures cover the waterfront. There are procedures to insure that reports of suspected child abuse are made to law enforcement and Child Protective Services in a timely manner. There are procedures to insure that all personnel are recruited, screened and oriented in a systematic manner. There are procedures to insure that in each parish and school there is a premium on continuing education about child safety and respect for boundaries in any ministerial relationship.
The role is big. What we hope keeps it from being overwhelming are the checks and balances built into the system.
With regard to reporting suspected child abuse, of whatever nature, the checks and balances are reflected in our commitment to provide information immediately to those civil authorities empowered to investigate abuse. Neither the local compliance rep nor any other member of the parish or school need be expert in sorting out the facts themselves.
With regard to hiring, screening and orienting new personnel, paid or volunteer, the checks and balances are reflected in the interface between the rejuvenated diocesan Department of Human Resources and the leaders of each parish and school. From the Pastoral Center, the local compliance rep can expect on-demand consultation regarding forms and procedures.
With regard to continuing education in child safety and ministerial boundaries, the checks and balances are reflected in the way in which each parish and school is encouraged to identify and use the many human resources of local law enforcement and social agencies. When these local persons offer educational programs and materials relationships are developed, and it is these relationships that really give rise to new and currently unimagined collaborations for the good of our youth.
Our plan is strong. It is strong because of its diversity; no single plan dictated from the Pastoral Center could possibly meet the needs of each unique Catholic community. It is strong because the local compliance rep does not stand alone; he or she is part of a parish or school team, and part of a larger community as well.
This is where you come in. You are part of that parish or school team and of that larger community. Our success hinges also on you and your willingness to stand with your local compliance rep.
This does not mean that you will not have ideas to better the plan that exists now. Your critique and suggestions are just as important as your acceptance and follow through.
It does mean that once the differences are discussed and sorted out, your commitment to the common good overrides any differences of opinions. We need your whole-hearted commitment.
Some of you have heard me cite the ancient carving found on the wall of a church in Sussex. "A vision without a task is only a dream. A task without a vision is drudgery. A task with a vision is the hope of the world." I ask you to keep in mind the vision that moves us.
If you don't yet know who your local compliance representative ask your pastor, administrator or principal. Please extend a hand of appreciation. Help if you can, but at the very least offer your cooperation. Together we can do this.

2004
JUNE

Reaching out to the unseen victims

"Victim outreach" is a phrase that has been heard often within the Diocese of Tucson these last two years in connection with the sexual abuse of children by priests.
What does it bring to mind when you hear those words?
I imagine that you think first of the formal efforts by the Diocese to respond to those persons who have come forward and identified themselves as victims of abuse.
It is true that Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas has established a Victim Assistance Program under the leadership of Catholic Community Services through which we try to provide appropriate and effective counseling for any person harmed by a worker for the Church.
When you hear "victim outreach," you may think also of Bishop Kicanas' efforts to connect with victim-survivors, personally and through his "safe environment" team.
It is true that Bishop Kicanas and the members of this team have met, spoken by phone and corresponded with those persons who have called to report experiences of sexual abuse or exploitation by workers for the Church.
In many public statements, Bishop Kicanas has made clear his commitment to remain open to reconciliation with victim-survivors, at the pace set by each person.
But you also play an important role in outreach to victim-survivors. Don't underestimate how important that role is.
You will probably think first of how you might respond when another person discloses, personally or in public, that he or she is a victim-survivor. It is not easy for any of us to "stay with" another person whose story is one of pain and great hurt. It is hard to remain open and receptive in the face of strong anger.
Reaching out in such circumstances is hard work, but we must find in God and in our common commitment to heal the wounds of the past the strength to do just that. We must seek to create and take advantage of opportunities to be Christ to, and to see Christ in, these victim-survivors. We must reach out and let each one know they are welcome in our Church, even if he or she is not ready to accept that welcome.
At the same time, you might be thinking that you encounter very few victim-survivors and that the opportunities to reach out are very limited in your world.
There might be several responses to that thought, but in this article I want to heighten your awareness of the unseen victim-survivors all around you.
For every victim-survivor of child abuse you have seen in the news, whatever the type or whomever the perpetrator of the abuse, there is another person who has made himself or herself known to authorities privately. In addition, based on available statistics, for every person who reports abuse, there is another person who has not yet come forward.
Work out the numbers and you will see that you are likely to be unaware of at least 75 percent of those who have been abused or neglected in one form or another. When you remember that in the general population about one in five children are victims of abuse or neglect, the number of unseen victim-survivors in your world is likely to be quite large. It is a sobering thought.
Most of these unseen victim-survivors will not have shared the story of their abuse except with their most intimate friends and family members. Some will have told no one.
These are persons from every walk of life, of varying levels of personal achievement. They are persons at every stage of the psychological journey of healing, a journey that is filled with unpredictable ups and downs. They are persons like you and me, carrying the trauma of their past with dignity and courage.
So how then do we respond to those we cannot see?
Certainly, it is critical to become more sensitive and aware of signs of abuse. Nevertheless, particularly for those persons who have been abused many years ago, we are not going to quickly become such sensitive and aware persons that we suddenly will see that to which we have been blind.
On the other hand, we are not without resources. And that is the final point of this article. What can we do, individually and in our parishes, to reach out to the unseen victim-survivor?
We can pray for persons who have been harmed. For the person of faith, prayer is not an empty act. We collaborate with a powerful and loving God who already seeks to bring healing. When we pray, it redounds also to our benefit. We will be given more sensitive and open hearts in the course of our prayer for the well-being of others.
We can be careful not to speak in rash, simplistic or judgmental ways. It is a good practice to listen more than we speak, and to offer questions and perceptions more than judgments and pronouncements. Practicing moderation in speech will certainly bring us to greater compassion and understanding.
Learn more about the nature and impact of child abuse. In the course of developing our safe environment program, I have come across many agencies, local and national, which make reliable information available, in person or in some media format. As you learn more, you will respond in more helpful ways.
Join with us in the efforts to prevent and respond effectively to child abuse. We have made common cause with law enforcement and social service agencies in communities throughout the Diocese of Tucson. We have forged special relationships with the Southern Arizona Children's Advocacy Center, Southern Arizona Center Against Sexual Assault and Pima County Child Abuse Prevention Council.
If you can find time to support in some way, financially or as a volunteer, the work of these or other agencies that share our common commitment to protect our children, you will find yourself increasingly sensitive to the prevalence and impact of sexual abuse, a problem that affects every part of our society.
In these practices you find "victim outreach" in the broadest sense of the term. In them we honor the mission with which we are entrusted, to reach out in compassion and understanding to those in need.
"Lord, when did we see you …" (Matthew 25:31-46)

2004
AUGUST

Reaching out to victims of sexual abuse

What does the Diocese of Tucson do to reach out to victims of sexual abuse by workers for the Church?
Perhaps the most commonly mentioned and most important outreach is the offer of counseling to those who have been harmed.
Since at least the early 1990s, the Diocese has had in place a policy of offering counseling to a person reporting abuse.
Today, this policy continues through the Victim Assistance Program, which was established in 2002 under the auspices of Catholic Social Service, a division of Catholic Community Services.
Over the past two years, the Victim Assistance Program has evolved and expanded to become a distinctive and comprehensive mechanism for responding to a report of abuse. Still under the auspices of Catholic Social Services, the program continues to receive reports, to communicate an offer of counseling, to help arrange counseling and to oversee the course of that counseling.
Guidelines agreed upon by the Diocese and Catholic Social Service give assurance that a person seeking assistance will receive appropriate care through a process that respects that person's privacy.
When a person calls the program, a report is made both to law enforcement and to the Diocese so that the allegation can be investigated.
Each allegation is either investigated carefully by law enforcement or, when law enforcement declines to investigate because the alleged behavior occurred too long ago, by the Diocese.
Without waiting for any determination of the credibility or the validity of the allegation, the program may initiate counseling services through Catholic Social Service or, if the individual prefers, through an independent licensed or certified professional.
If the person resides in an institution that provides its own healthcare (for example, a residential mental health or a corrections facility), the Victim Assistance Program will work with the health care team of that institution.
The oversight function of the program is to help insure that the psychotherapist or counselor selected by the person bringing an allegation of sexual abuse is qualified and that the methods used are appropriate and effective.
Counseling or psychotherapy can be a valuable experience, but given the state of the science, it can vary widely in effectiveness.
There remains a great deal of art in the practice of psychotherapy or counseling, and reputable practitioners approach the work from very different perspectives.
Unhappily, some types of well-intentioned interventions may even make matters worse in the recovery from trauma.
Over time, if multiple counselors are used, oversight also insures some consistency of effort, increasing the likelihood of success.
Recovery from trauma is not only possible, it is essential.
Those who would portray all victims of sexual abuse as forever impaired do a disservice to those thinking about seeking help.
For many victims, the journey is difficult, but healing can come. One's life may never be the same, but one can make peace with catastrophe and overcome trauma.
Effective counseling is a key ingredient in assisting the individual in rediscovering a sense of safety, joy, and mastery in life.
Having said that, it is also true that persons come to the abuse with many different backgrounds.
The circumstances of the abuse vary widely. Unhappily, it is often the most vulnerable, our children, who are singled out for abuse.
The impact of abuse is greater when there is not early support for those who have been harmed.
The most balanced approach is to recognize that victims of sexual abuse vary widely in the time required for recovery and the point at which recovery begins.
The journey is not linear or steady; there are many ups-and-downs along the way. The healing happens in most cases, but the scars are always there.
Most importantly, we can never blame the victim. We take persons for who they are and work from there. We can never tell others to "forget" or "get over" the abuse; it doesn't work that way.
We must provide them an opportunity to tell their story in a setting that offers safety, congratulates them for mobilizing themselves to confide in another person and affirms them for seeking help.
In that process lays the surest route to healing. It is possible even to find meaning and mission in the pain.
The work of the Victim Assistance Program is supported by generous donors who contribute to a fund that pays for counseling.
If you would like to assist in the work of the Victim Assistance Program, if you would like to learn more about the program or if you want to make a report of abuse, you can call 520-623-0344 or 800-234-0344. Services are available in English or Spanish.

2004
SEPTEMBER

One year later, where are we now?

One year after the introduction of "Protecting Our Children -- Our Common Commitment," where are we now?
The safe environment program under that title is the complete set of steps to which the Diocese of Tucson has committed itself in its effort to prevent child abuse within our Church.
One year after its introduction, the goal of the program remains the same: to not just repair the damage of the past, but to build a future. 
While the goal remains the same, the program continues to evolve. It is about to enter the next phase. 
We are instituting changes that are both deep and extensive, and we realize that these changes will not occur quickly or evenly across all the institutions in our Diocese.
In addition, we recognize that this program, in order to really change hearts, must be tailored to fit the many cultures that make up our diverse Diocese. One size does not and will not fit all.
The commitment to protect our children from abuse is not for the faint of heart. The journey is long, with failures and successes; our safe environment program is systematic and complex.
First, it is a combination of centralized and decentralized components. Our safe environment program is based on local, individualized plans that meet diocese-wide standards promulgated by the Bishop.
This model reflects the national model in which dioceses develop individual plans that meet the standards set by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
There is a method in this way of proceeding.
The more specific is the plan to the circumstances and characteristics of the local community, the more likely it is that the people will make it their own.
In addition, when local law enforcement and social service resources are used by the parish or school, stronger relationships develop. These relationships make it easier to collaborate when a report must be made. The entire civic community benefits in terms of prevention.
Second, the safe environment program is multi-faceted. It addresses the many factors that led to the problem of child abuse in our midst. We recognize there is no acceptable simple or single explanation for what happened, so our approach must reflect that knowledge.
Among the facets of our safe environment program are: outreach to victims, known and unknown; mandatory reporting of reasonable suspicion of child abuse to law enforcement; more effective screening of candidates for ministry formation; routine screening; and orientation of all employees and volunteers.
These factors have been the main focus of the year we spent in developing the program and in the year we have spent in implementing it.
The "roll out" of the safe environment program last September focused on mandated reporter training, with the goal of educating all who minister for, work for and volunteer for the Church in the importance of making a report to law enforcement and Child Protective Services whenever there is reasonable suspicion of child abuse, no matter the source.
I can tell you, based on the reports I have received, that this work has taken root. Many of our schools and parishes have looked closely and responded courageously when there was cause for concern. As a result, trusting relationships are being formed with law enforcement jurisdictions in all parts of our diocese.
The first half of this year has given considerable focus to the development of plans for compliance in each parish and school. Almost all have been successful in putting together a plan that meets the particular needs of the local community.
We are working with those who have not yet accomplished this phase of the program.
In addition, all parishes and schools have been active in screening and orienting employees and volunteers. Some persons objected to this element of the safe environment program and opted out of service in their parish or school.
However, most of you, in your varied roles of ministry and service, have embraced this process as a necessary foundation on which to establish a more systematic system of engaging new staff in the future.
We can say truthfully, this is not personal; this is not about our not trusting you; this is about keeping our children safe. We have all done it.
Now, as we enter a new academic year, the focus of the third phase of the safe environment program is the ongoing education of our employees, volunteers, parents and children.
Educational programs must be carefully crafted to be effective. Whatever the content, they embody several characteristics.
First, they touch hearts. Education must change perceptions and behavior, not simply convey information.
Second, they use various methods of communication. Good educational programs use personal presentations but they also employ various other print and electronic media to continue the conversation.
Third, they are collaborative in nature. No one parish or school has the resources or expertise to change behavior on its own. We look to them to work together and to engage local law enforcement and social service agencies in the effort. They are always pleased to be asked.
Finally, an effective educational program speaks to all. Our program has begun with employees and volunteers, but it will also speak to our parents and our children. The latter is a particularly sensitive subject. I will discuss it more fully in next month's column.
In the meantime, I ask that you do what you can, given your own talent and time, to help make the educational program work.
In this issue of Catholic Vision, and in the months leading up to the decision to seek Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, you have hard a great deal about the financial challenges the Diocese faces.
We cannot and we will not allow the lack of financial resources to stand in the way of realizing the safe environment program.
With your support and active involvement, as well as the generosity of so many agencies and donors who have given of their time, talent and treasure, we will continue to pursue our common commitment to protect our children.

2004
OCTOBER

It's about safety, not "sex"

In last month's column, we looked at where we are in the implementation of the safe environment program in the Diocese of Tucson, and I noted that in the current phase of implementation our focus is on the educational program.
One aspect of the educational program that can be challenging for some people is how to educate children about the reality of child abuse, especially sexual abuse.
Why talk to children about sex abuse? Doesn't it just frighten them or put bad thoughts in their minds?
It is hard enough even at the appropriate time to speak with children about healthy sexuality. Why should we sully their minds with talk of perverted sex?
Questions like these are not uncommonly expressed by parents, pastors or teachers when we discuss how to educate children to protect themselves from abuse. 
My response is that an effective education program will touch hearts, change perceptions, interest others and address persons in every role and of every age.
It seems clear to me that an effective educational program must include the education of our children in personal safety.
If we do not educate our children in personal safety, we are missing an essential element in the web of protection that we seek to weave.
Awareness is empowering. Children learn to protect themselves, which is a necessary complement to the protection adults can offer.
We cannot always be in the right place at the right time to protect our children from abuse, abuse that occurs at an alarmingly high rate.
On the other hand, I recognize that the objections raised are not inconsequential. It is clearly a challenging task to teach children about such a sensitive subject.
Several principles will form the guardrails that keep us moving toward the goal while limiting possible risks.
First, we will keep the focus on personal safety.
It is important to remember that personal safety education is not equivalent to "sex education." In addition, we will teach children to avoid all forms of abuse -- including physical abuse, bullying and, most common of all, neglect -- not only sexual assault.
Second, it is possible and necessary to help children take the world for what it is.
Most people are good and helpful. We could not survive without each other. At the same time, a few people are sources of harm. We cannot shield our children from that reality by denying it. We can teach them to recognize the difference.
Third, given that anyone can abuse and that the majority of abusers are people children know and love, we will focus on what behaviors are "not OK."
Most often, a child knows what seems good and what feels uncomfortable, wrong or shamefully secretive. We can help children trust their perceptions and feel confident about bringing their concerns to safe persons.
Education according to these principles is empowering. Our children need not be helpless in the face of misconduct by their elders, whoever they may be, or by their peers.
Of course, no one person or group can carry off such an ambitious program alone.
Therefore, the fourth principle of any successful program for the education of children is that administrators, educators and parents must be informed and willing to act in concert.
These are the principles that characterize the educational program for children and youth in the Diocese of Tucson.
How do we get it done?
Fortunately, we have many resources in the Diocese for the education of middle school and high school students.
Among these resources are the Southern Arizona Center Against Sexual Assault and many law enforcement and social service agencies in the various jurisdictions that comprise our diocese.
Some of these resources are listed on the diocesan website (Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention).
Recognizing that the education of younger children is a more specialized endeavor, we have forged a fruitful working relationship with the Southern Arizona Children's Advocacy Center (SACAC) and the Pima County Sheriff's Department (PCSD), which extends service to most of the geographical area of the Diocese.
SACAC and PCSD offer a program they call Keeping Kids Safe, which incorporates the nationally-recognized personal safety training curriculum "P.S: It's My Body."
The program includes age appropriate classes for students from pre-kindergarten through seventh grade.
Parents are involved in this program by way of a preliminary session that introduces them to the material that will be presented to their children and offers tips regarding how to recognize danger signs, how to create a home environment in which their children will feel free to share concerns and how to respond to reports of abuse without overreacting or dismissing the complaint.
The children themselves learn about how to stay safe and how to report touch that hurts or feels uncomfortable. Parents are also invited to attend the class in which their child participates.
This collaborative program is the focus of the workshop that kicks off the education and recognition day for local compliance representatives on Oct. 30 at Our Mother of Sorrows Parish in Tucson.
Each parish and school in the diocese was asked to send its local compliance representative or a delegate to participate in the program.
Presenters were to include Det. Gerard Moretz (PCSD) and Enrique Aviles (SACAC), who were to speak about the "why" and "how" of educating children and youth in personal safety.
"Happy Bear," an assistant to Aviles in the education of children, was to make a special appearance.
After the workshop, Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas and Msgr. Tom Cahalane, Pastor of Our Mother of Sorrows were to concelebrate Mass.
The dinner that follows was to feature our special guest for the day, Kathleen McChesney, Executive Director of the Office of Child and Youth Protection at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and we are honored that she could be with us
She was to share a set of educational materials developed by her team (a poster, bulletin inserts, brochure and a prayer for victims) that reinforces the commitment of the Bishops' program, "Promise to Protect, Pledge to Heal."
We continue our efforts to honor that promise and that pledge to protect children here in the Diocese of Tucson. We are making progress.
The educational programs that we will offer to our children are an important step along that path.

2005
JANUARY

Confronting possible abuse

Who is legally responsible for reporting child abuse?
Arizona's law that defines who is legally responsible for reporting child abuse begins with this phrase: "Any person who reasonably believes…"
Within the structure of the Church here in the Diocese of Tucson, all of us are responsible for the care of children and any one of us who reasonably believes that a child is or has been a victim of abuse must make a report as required by the law.
No "ifs." No "buts."
As a Diocese, we realize both the letter of the law on the reporting of child abuse and its spirit.
Our commitment to honor the letter and the spirit of law is clear: mandatory reporting of child abuse is a major focus of the educational program for safe environments in the parishes and schools within the Diocese; mandatory reporting is a critical element of the Code of Conduct and the Guidelines for the Prevention of and Response to Sexual Misconduct.
While our commitment to honor this law is clear, situations in which workers for the Church encounter the possibility that a child might be a victim of abuse are not easy.
Many times, the emotional impact of confronting possible abuse and making the report is agonizing.
Based on the calls I have received from our parishes and schools, I have reason to be confident that our priests, deacons, employees and volunteers are responding with integrity and energy to this commitment.
At the same time, it is also true that recent events, including the arrests of two of our own personnel for alleged failure to report, have demonstrated that we, as much as others who work for institutions involved in the care of children, are not perfect in our response to situations in which we encounter possible abuse.
It was in that context that a number of us gathered recently for self-reflection, debriefing and study. I also met with Pima County Sheriff's Detective Gerard Moretz, the law enforcement professional and educator who has been so helpful to the Diocese in presenting the initial educational programs on abuse and mandatory reporting.
These discussions made it clear to me that lack of knowledge was not the issue. In that respect, the educational program has made its mark.
When it came time to apply that knowledge in a particular situation, it seemed clear that it was the way of thinking about the situation that could lead to the wrong response.
Because the consequences of failing to report suspected child abuse are potentially severe for all involved, I think it is worthwhile to lay out some of the mistakes in thinking that can lead persons off the path.
The first mistake might be summarized as "this is different."
In one way or the other, the situation in front of us is perceived to fall outside the scope of the definition of child abuse. It might be seen as a "family matter," consensual or "simply between kids."
The mistake is unmasked when we remember that abuse is abuse no matter the relationship of perpetrator to victim and no matter the voiced consent of the victim.
The second mistake involves "secrecy agreements." We might be drawn into such overt or tacit agreements when the apparent victim asks for or insists on confidentiality.
While attorney-client privilege and confessional matters are two of the very limited rights to confidentiality that supercede mandatory reporting, the fact is that there is no confidentiality in most circumstances for most of us in our day-to-day responsibilities as workers for the Church.
"I don't have time for this," is another mistake that can make perfect sense at the time. It carries no weight under the law. Take the time now or risk spending much more time later trying to undo the problem the delay creates.
"This could not be true," is another trap that is compelling in the moment. The other side of that coin is, "This is awful; I'm going to handle it myself, right now!"
Only in retrospect does it become clear that anything could be true and that you can't handle it yourself. Make the call. Let law enforcement sort it out. Work with the investigators to find the truth and the right solution.
The fifth type of mistake is perhaps the deadliest. It arises from a fundamental disagreement with the law as it defines child abuse or as it mandates reports of reasonable suspicion of child abuse. Persons laboring under this cloud may rationalize their failure to report with thoughts like, "the law is too stringent," "the police are insensitive in their response," or "CPS won't do anything anyway."
If you disagree with the law or find the response of civil authorities improper, make your complaint known. The police and CPS are not perfect; they know this. Leaders of these agencies and those responsible for their oversight are more than ready to receive feedback. Be a good citizen and take the time to give your input.
But, in the meantime, make the report.
Finally, I was reminded in our discussions about mandatory reporting that there is provision for an anonymous report if you have severe reservations about being known as the source of the reasonable suspicion.
What I took from this self-reflection, debriefing and study can be summarized in a few points.
-- By all means, know the law. But, just as importantly, practice healthy thinking about the law.
-- Look deeply to see the law's intent; honor it.
-- Rehearse the steps to be taken when you have reasonable cause to believe a child may have been abused.
-- Recognize the limits to discretion imposed by the law.
In all, I urge you to be an active citizen and participate in community efforts to stop violence, especially against children and in families.

2005
FEBRUARY

Let Us Now Praise Volunteers

The numbers are striking.
On any given day, serving the parishes and schools in the Diocese of Tucson there are approximately 40 diocesan employees, 300 priests and deacons, 800 parish and school employees and 5,000 volunteers.
It is easy to see that the bulk of the work of the Church in our Diocese is carried on the shoulders of our volunteers.
We are not an isolated example. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a religious organization is the primary focus for more than one-third of the 64 million volunteers in the U.S. 
Our volunteers are religious education teachers, pastoral counselors, Eucharistic ministers, youth group leaders, ushers and more. Their generosity is what makes it possible for the Church to reach out to so many in our parishes and schools and throughout the communities in which we live.
Our volunteers relate to and interact with hundreds of thousands of people, often in very personal ways.
That is the reason that our safe environment program gives prominent attention to the screening, education and supervision of those volunteers in our parishes who minister to children and youth.
It would be a foolish thing indeed to try to create a safe environment for our children and youth without requiring background screening and fingerprinting for such a large proportion of those who work closely with them.
Yet, one of the more common complaints I hear is "Why are we [volunteers] being subjected to this? Why are we made to pay the price for problems caused by others?"
Because our volunteers are so important to the Church, these are questions I give serious consideration to each time they are posed.
Certainly, it is true that a few priests have been the most visible, the most scandalous and the most costly abuse offenders, but some volunteers also have been a source of harm to others.
It is now the rule rather than the exception, in almost all organizations, that volunteers are screened and educated before they are allowed work with minors or vulnerable adults.
Within the last decade, dioceses in the U.S. have learned, sometimes very painfully, that for people whose roles allow independent access to or influence over children and youth -- whether priest, deacon, lay minister, employee or volunteer -- there must be a program of screening, education and supervision that succeeds in minimizing risk.
A second complaint I often hear is, "Our Church is becoming more like a business -- less pastoral, less like family."
In some ways, this is true. We as a Church are changing, and I do understand the discomfort of change, especially when that change places new requirements and a more systematic way of operating.
At the same time, I believe that it is quite possible to be both professional and pastoral. Many organizations integrate these qualities successfully; the Church can certainly do as well.
"But, we are losing volunteers because of these requirements," some reply.
I can only reflect on how many have we may have lost because of the consequences of abuse -- how many have we lost because of the failure to employ these systems of prevention much, much earlier?
Finally, I hear perhaps most often, "Why me? You know me. I feel distrusted, treated like a criminal to have my fingerprints taken."
It is true that many volunteers have been at their posts for years. They have served, as have most priests, without a blemish on their reputation.
I can only respond that it is not personal. A change in our way of doing things requires that we all begin on the same page.
Let me end where I began.
I value very much the generosity that flows from our volunteers. Without them, we would not be the Church of service that makes us Catholic.
I believe in our volunteers. I believe that their commitment is as strong as mine and that our common commitment is to protect our children.
But I also believe that human beings need structure and systems to turn good intentions into good outcomes.
Screening, education and supervision are the three legs supporting a successful safe environment program. Remove one, and the program will not stand.
I take heart from the fact when all is said and done at least 90 per cent of our volunteers agree to comply with the requirements of the safe environment program.
That is good, and while I hate to lose any person's service, when I remember the many who stand with us, I am encouraged that we are making great progress.
Thank you.

2005
MARCH

In Compliance

"At the conclusion of this compliance audit, the diocese was found to be compliant with all articles of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People."
These are the exact words in the executive summary of the audit report for the Diocese of Tucson as presented in the 2004 Report on the Implementation of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People that was made public on February 18.
What does "to be compliant with" mean?
Certainly, it means that we can feel a sense of satisfaction. Any of you who have been involved in an audit know that it involves a great deal of work and generates considerable anxiety.
The preparation for last December's audit was intense. Our team was involved in very active collection and organization of data for more than a month before the actual audit began.
The week-long on-site visit by the two auditors from the Gavin Group was an intense experience for us.
They probed with thoughtful questions and required specific documentation of our efforts to create safe environment programs in our parishes and schools.
Many hands, minds and hearts made this audit a successful experience. Many people gave great effort to articulate the overall Safe Environment Program of the Diocese and to measure its implementation.
While there is a sense of satisfaction from the declaration that our Diocese is in compliance, there is the realization that the audit was not an end point and was neither a certification of perfection nor completion.
We realize that what we are doing -- the Safe Environment Program -- is an evolving and ongoing work.
Perfection is like a beacon. It is the nature of the vision to guide and beckon. We do not reach it. An audit, by its very nature, makes clear how things can be done better.
Completion is equally elusive. There is an old saying that a work of art is never finished, only put aside. So it is with the Safe Environment Program.
We cannot afford to think in terms of when we will be finished with it. The work changes and develops, but it is never finished.
In short, being in compliance is better seen not as a destination but as a kind of mile marker along the way. It is a measure of progress toward a common goal.
Being in compliance is encouragement, a vote of confidence.
It tells us that we have chosen a reasonable path toward the common goal of our Catholic Church.
It motivates us to persevere, to see things through.
You know the elements of our Safe Environment Program.
-- It includes compassionate outreach to those who come to us with allegations of abuse.
This outreach extends to the unknown victims/survivors among us, in our parishes and in the larger community.
-- It is based on active collaboration with law enforcement and open sharing of information.
This open sharing of information holds true whether the abuse is alleged to have occurred recently or many years in the past. It is a collaboration based on trust in our civil institutions.
-- It carries a commitment to proactive internal investigations when law enforcement cannot proceed.
These investigations must be as thorough as the situation demands and as unbiased as humanly possible. Vigorous investigations cannot afford favoritism with regard either to the one who brings the allegation or to the one who is accused.
-- It allows for natural consequences appropriate to the nature of misconduct.
I have heard often, and I believe, that we are a Church that seeks to forgive as we seek to be forgiven.
Yet, it is also true that human forgiveness, while it enriches everyone, cannot honestly and effectively be given without also recognizing and even enforcing the consequences of the misconduct at the same time.
Without that balance, we can, on one extreme, become vulnerable to exploitation, or, on the other extreme, harsh and vindictive.
The preventive dimension of the Safe Environment Program is especially important going forward.
-- It means we must continue to develop systematic ways of empowering those who minister and serve in our Church.
We continue to define and implement processes to screen and orient new priests, deacons, lay ministers, seminarians and others in formation, employees and volunteers.
-- It means ongoing education of all personnel -- as well as our children and youth and of their parents -- about child abuse awareness and prevention.
We cannot explore deeply enough the ways in which we can become more awake to and aware of the signs of abuse in our parishes
This is a part of the project we share with many others in our community.
-- It means ongoing education of all personnel -- clerics, employees and volunteers - on the Arizona law that requires mandatory reporting of suspected child abuse.
We cannot hear often enough the rationale for mandated reporting and the ways in which we can fail to honor that law.
-- It means we must continue to do better at devising methods of supervision and self-observed limits that keep us out of harms way.
When I was a little boy learning my Catechism, we spoke openly about avoiding the occasions of sin. None of us were beyond temptation. I wonder sometimes if we have grown too confident of our goodness.
In addition, we are all learning how important it is to avoid any situation, as much as we are able, in which our actions or intentions might be misconstrued or falsely represented.
-- Finally, remaining in compliance means we must continue to cultivate a culture of openness.
When we seek open sharing of information, allowing for privacy but distinguishing privacy from secrecy, we are healthier for it.
Authority becomes an instrument used by the Spirit to awake and strengthen the gifts given to the parish and diocesan communities.
These are the elements that together form the whole.
You can see, as we have said many times before, this is a culture change on which we are embarked.
It is not a journey for the faint of heart. Nor is it a journey that can be undertaken alone.
And that brings me to the last meaning of "to be compliant with."
It means you are doing a good job.
We have come together as a local Church, in service of the common commitment to respond effectively to and prevent violence against our children and in our families.
We have come together to put into practice the many elements of the safe environment program in each of our parishes and schools.
Some of you serve on various diocesan councils, boards and committees. Some of you work in community agencies that also serve the common vision.
But each of you, in one way or the other, plays an important role in your parishes and schools.
You serve as employees and volunteers, as ministers or in other work. You serve with your donations. You serve with your active worship.
For compliance, there is no more important arena than the day-to-day operation of the parish and school.
The Diocese cannot be in compliance except insofar as the parishes and schools are in compliance.
We of the Pastoral Center whose ministry is the administration of the Diocese can be a resource to you, but it is your effort that makes it happen.
I hope that being in compliance is an encouragement to you as well.
Keep playing your role. Cooperate with leadership. Make your voice heard in positive and constructive ways.
Think in collaboration with your pastor or administrator and act to help your parish or school find new ways to live out the elements of the Safe Environment Program.
We are making progress.
Just keep on doing the right thing and we will be alright.
In fact, we will be more than alright: we can be a model for our community and our society.
Thank you.

2005
APRIL

Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Month

It's true that there is a lot of competition for special notice in any given month from any number of causes, and April is no exception.
Enter "April month" in Google and you will come up with a sampling of the many good (and even in some cases, odd) causes vying for attention in this month alone.
Each cause is important to someone.
I bring April as Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Month to your attention because it is of particular importance to us in the Diocese of Tucson.
We have made a commitment to do what is necessary to prevent abuse in our midst.
Also, recognizing the pervasive nature of child abuse and violence against children throughout society, we have made a commitment to collaborate with our partners in law enforcement and social service agencies to do what is necessary to prevent abuse throughout the nine counties with the Diocese.
So, April is an opportunity to mark this commitment in tandem with our partners. It is an opportunity to let others know, enlisting them in the common cause.
There is a lot going on.
In his Monday Memo of March 28, Bishop Kicanas called attention to the number of special events during April that promote child abuse awareness and prevention. (For more information on these events, you can access the schedule of events on the diocesan Web site, www.diocesetucson.org.)
What I want to highlight in this month's column is something you won't find on any other list. It is the current effort in each of parishes and schools to educate our children in personal safety.
As anyone knows who has heard me speak, I believe there are three pillars of prevention -- screening, supervision and education.
Education is critical, but it is difficult to accomplish. Literally, it means to lead a person out of one place toward another.
Education offered in the hope of changing a culture, of changing ways of perceiving, thinking and acting, is especially difficult.
To be effective in such an ambitious program, education must be ongoing, it must motivate and it must be directed toward every constituency of the system one wishes to change.
Our educational program naturally targets priests and deacons, employees and volunteers, but, to the surprise of some, it also seeks to educate our children and youth and their parents.
The latter group -- children and youth, and their parents -- is the primary emphasis of the Safe Environment Program in these first six months of 2005. It will be an ongoing effort.
In any given group, children and youth run the gamut in terms of vulnerability to abuse and resilience in response to abuse. That is what it is, neither a cause for shame or pride.
But, we believe that with education in personal safety, children and youth can be made more resistant to abuse and more resilient should they come in harm's way.
We believe that if the content is appropriate to the age and consistent with the values of the local faith community, this education will solidify the confidence and trust of children in their elders.
Children and youth can be part of their own "web of safety."
So it is that we have asked each of our parishes and schools to schedule such programs. They have been doing so in conjunction with a whole range of law enforcement and social service agencies, and we are grateful to all of those agencies for their cooperation with our efforts.
One such agency, with an educational program for younger children (a particularly difficult task) is the Southern Arizona Children's Advocacy Center (SACAC). Already, three months into the spring semester, they have served more than 30 different parishes and schools in our Diocese. 
What better time, I thought, than Child Abuse Prevention Month to highlight their efforts.
So, I called Enrique Aviles, Prevention Specialist of SACAC, and the person who conducts the training, wondering what he would want to share with you about the essence of his educational efforts.
Enrique was very clear about his motivation for doing this work. He believes that since parents cannot be always with their children, it is vital that children can learn to help protect themselves.
He teaches children about personal safety by helping them to recognize potentially harmful situations and to differentiate welcome/appropriate and unwelcome/inappropriate touch. He increases their confidence, reminding the children that no one has the right to hurt them, no matter who it is.
This work is done with the very young (from Pre-K through 3rd grade) by example. A larger-than-life character named Happy Bear plays out little scenarios demonstrating how to enjoy welcome or appropriate touches and how to resist unwelcome/inappropriate touches.
Older children (4th through 8th grade) learn by watching a video in which other children tell stories about how they recognized and resisted difficult situations. Animated sections of the video allow the subject matter to be presented without graphic detail. The discussions between sections bring the material to the appropriate level for the class.
What else is important for parents to know, I asked?
Enrique told me that programs are always preceded by an opportunity for parents to learn about what will be presented. In these sessions, he often corrects misperceptions by emphasizing that the children are to be given safety education, not sex education, and that the safety programs are not focused only on sexual abuse.
In all cases, parents are welcome to attend the programs, and any parent has the right to refuse to allow his or her child to participate.
Protecting our children, our common commitment, is advanced by this empowerment of our children (and their parents) to be part of the web of safety we seek to weave.
Join in: be part of the solution.

2005
MAY

Compliance at the local level

By this time, almost all of you have heard a great deal about the plan of the Diocese of Tucson to respond to and prevent sexual misconduct.
But did you know that each parish and school of the diocese also has a plan?
This plan, the local plan for compliance, is the document that most directly affects your day-to-day life as a Catholic people.
In this column, I would like to explain something of what that plan consists.
Let's review first how that plan came to be.
In 2002, the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB) agreed upon a plan of action to address the problem of sexual abuse within the church. That plan was published in the form of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. It remains in effect. You can review its contents any time over the Internet by accessing www.usccb.org and selecting the link for Child and Youth Protection.
The national conference agreed upon the overall structure of the Church's response, but each diocese had to come up with its own way of making that general structure work locally. In that same year, the Diocese of Tucson developed its plan to honor the agreement crafted by the USCCB.
This plan was given concrete form in the Guidelines for the Prevention of and Response to Sexual Misconduct. The current Guidelines are also easily available on the Internet by accessing www.diocesetucson.org and selecting the link for Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention.
In exactly the same way, it was necessary that each parish and school within the diocese develop its own plan to implement the Guidelines. That plan is the local plan for compliance.
What is in the plan?
Each plan makes clear that the pastor or administrator of the parish or the school principal is the person responsible for the design and implementation of the plan. My office and the Department of Human Resources provide consultation to the pastor or principal, but it is he or she who must make the plan work.
To help the pastor, administrator and principal carry out this responsibility, the plan also designates a local compliance representative. This very important person consults with parish and school leadership and collaborates with other parish and school personnel to develop and update the plan so that it becomes, in effect, a living document.
The rest of the plan lays out just how the parish or school will accomplish three important elements that must be included in each plan.
First, all personnel and each new member of clergy, employee and volunteer must be included in a program of screening and orientation. The type and intensity of screening varies according to how critical the position is judged to be, especially with respect to the trust placed in any position vis-à-vis minors, vulnerable adults or finances.
Second, each parish and school must have supervisory procedures that decrease risk by insuring prudent behavior.
When I was young, we learned to avoid the "occasion of sin." That language is not often used now, but the idea is the same.
Prudent behavior includes avoiding situations in which one might be alone with minors or otherwise operate in a manner that leaves one unaccountable for one's behavior. It is important to insure that substances that decrease inhibitions, like alcohol, are not used as a form of recreation or relaxation around or with minors.
Prudent behavior protects everyone. It creates a boundary prior to criminal or unethical behavior that, when crossed, triggers remedial action.
Finally, each parish and school must develop a plan of education. This educational program must be on-going and motivating as well as informative. It must address all the various groups that make up the local community.
The local compliance plans, in the first phase of the educational program, have placed a great emphasis on teaching all clergy, employees and volunteers about their responsibilities under the law (Mandated Reporting) and as persons to whom authority has been delegated by the pastor, administrator or principal (Code of Conduct).
But this year, parishes and schools have been busy developing the second phase of the educational program. In this phase, children, youth and their parents are being educated about how they can maintain their own safety.
In this education, it has been important for all to remember that that we as a church set ourselves against all forms of violence against children and in families. There are many forms of child abuse; sexual abuse is only one of the ways that children and families suffer. It has also been important to remember that abuse occurs more often in familial or neighborhood settings than anywhere else.
These are the main components of the plan. With experience, the plan changes, improves.
If you find that the content of this article is news to you, I encourage you to get involved.
Speak with the leadership of your parish or school. Ask to learn more about the local plan for compliance. Get to know your local compliance representative. Seek to understand the essence of the plan and ask how you can help.
Be involved. Be part of the solution.

2005
JUNE

Slowing down for reflection

I have learned that everything slows down in Tucson from June to September.
This annual pause in the pace of hectic activities in our parishes, schools and agencies is both a time of rest and reflection.
This column is an opportunity for me to reflect on the many dimensions of our Safe Environment Program in the Diocese of Tucson about which I have written in this space the last 11 months.
Setting out on this reflection, it occurs to me that I have come to understand that in our imperfection as human beings repetition is the key to learning.
Those who say, "You said that already," have not yet come to terms with this particular vexing aspect of Original Sin -- we don't "get it" very easily. 
Of course, one might also argue that belief is the rationalization of an aging professor.
Who knows? In any case, here goes.
In the last year, I wrote to you about the spirit that infuses the Safe Environment Program (SEP), a spirit that is animated by the hard lessons we have learned from the crisis of sexual abuse within the Church through which we have been passing.
We have learned that this crisis has resulted not only from the actions of a small minority of our priests and other personnel who abused youth.
It arose also from a way of thinking and operating that made it possible for abuse to be perpetrated unseen by those around and that led to what we now know were ineffective responses to abuse when it was discovered.
The spirit underlying the SEP is a commitment to a change in that way of proceeding.
The entire church in the U.S. has been involved in a root cause analysis of the crisis that will direct our attention to the changes that must be made.
The Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People adopted by the U.S. Bishops, the Guidelines for the Prevention of and Response to Sexual Misconduct adopted by our Diocese and the local compliance plans in each of our parishes and schools are the evolving responses to this root cause analysis.
I wrote to you about just some of the many dimensions of the change that we seek and the ways in which they are being implemented.
We considered our increasing ability, with education, to recognize abuse when it is occurring and to respond effectively to that recognition.
We do so with our partners in law enforcement when possible, and we do so with assertive and persistent internal investigation when law enforcement has completed its process.
We are trying to implement this assertive stance with a commitment to the truth above everything else, remaining as much as possible at a balance even in the face of confusing facts and angry attacks.
And we are trying also to respond in every situation with compassion for all involved.
We considered our commitment to become more systematic and deliberate in the way we conduct the "business" of Church.
We must adopt procedures, as a matter of course, by which we come to know each other better when we delegate authority to serve in our parishes and schools.
The generally accepted ways of coming to know each other in this type of situation include completion of an application, a check of credentials and references and, when the position embodies trust with the lives of others, fingerprinting and a criminal history check.
These changes have been perhaps the most difficult for some of our members, and even some of our leaders, to understand and accept.
They sometimes are misunderstood as an added burden.
In fact, they are but a different way of doing what we already do; the "business" of Church is not in contradiction to the pastoral outreach, but an inherent dimension of any human organization.
They are sometimes seen as useless bureaucracy or even an insult.
I say to you that they are a way of carrying out the business of Church that reduces the risk of harm to others and therefore reduces the risk that the people of parish will lose the assets devoted to the liturgical worship and the pastoral outreach that are the essence of our faith.
We considered the many ways in which we are educating ourselves to do better.
I have written about the educational programs to make all personnel better able to recognize and respond to sexual abuse. This includes greater understanding of the responsibility of anyone in service or ministry to maintain proper boundaries.
I wrote about our effort to educate children and youth, and their parents, in personal safety. I have tried to distinguish that education from "sex education," a critical distinction that puts the focus on forming our children and youth, with their parents, so that they are better able to protect themselves from abuse.
We considered just some of the ways that we are addressing the screening and formation of those who are called to formation for ministry as a priest, deacon or lay person.
In this issue of Catholic Vision there is an article on a just-completed pilot project to further the continuing education of our priests, just as all other professions do.
Ministers who remain alive in mind, body and spirit are healthier persons. They are not only less likely to offend others, but they are more likely to share that gift of life with those they serve.
Finally, we considered the ways in which our Church is working to become part of the solution to the problem of violence against our children and in our families.
I wrote about our commitment to the work of the Southern Arizona Children's Advocacy Center (SACAC). Our Catholic community in Pima County helped to pass the bond issue to support the construction of the building that will house an inter-agency center in which SACAC will coordinate with law enforcement and social service agencies to investigate allegations of abuse and offer support to those who have been harmed.
There are more dimensions of the SEP to be discussed, and they will follow in columns after the "summer break," beginning in August.
The strongest imagery that I can bring to what we are trying to do through the SEP is that this is like a war, a spiritual war, with many fronts on which we are engaged.
There are many forces that seek to leave us discouraged, even despairing. There are some that would have us move from healthy guilt to deep, insatiable shame. There are those among us who do not see the need for change and simply want to get back to "normal."
We cannot give in to any of these forces.
Our prayer must be for the wisdom to see what must be done and the strength to do it.
Most of all, we pray that in this time of trial we will be true.
May we see our suffering as a share in the suffering of Christ and may we be lifted up.
I wish you peace and joy in these summer months.

2005
AUGUST

Boundaries for the professional person

I hope your summer has unfolded well and has included some creative ways to stay cool.
This is the third summer we have experienced in Tucson. Although there is some acclimation to the heat, I never have forgotten the answer of one long-time Tucsonan when asked by a naïve newcomer, "Do you get used to the heat?" His waggish response, "Do you get used to putting your head in an oven?"
Over the last year in this column, I have written often about issues of criminal behaviors that comprise sexual abuse or sexual assault.
These are critical matters, but they are not the only matters of concern as we in the Diocese of Tucson work together to fulfill our common commitment for the protection of children and vulnerable adults while building a culture of mutual respect and personal integrity.
Beginning with this column, I will be writing about non-criminal issues: sexual exploitation with adults, sexual harassment with adults and the meaning of healthy boundaries to prevent such sexual misconduct or its appearance.
Sexual exploitation is a violation of the trust that is given in a helping relationship. Exploitative relationships need not involve sexual intercourse. Relationships that promote emotional dependence, involve touching in sensual ways, encourage romantic infatuation or adulation all are sexual in nature and involve risk for hurt, misunderstanding and scandal. Exploitation may also involve money or labor.
Exploitation is a risk whenever there is an "imbalance of power."
An imbalance of power is characteristic of helping relationships. The imbalance of power is a necessary concomitant of the authority given to the person empowered to minister to others.
The authority is given both by delegation from (in our Church) bishop and pastor and by the individual being assisted.
The greater risk comes not from this delegation of authority itself, but from willful or unconscious failure to recognize or respect the "power differential." In the latter situation, the helping relationship is often experienced as mutual, a relationship between persons of equal authority.
In this context, strong feelings that arise in the course of the helping relationship are often misinterpreted as indications of true romantic love and therefore treated as irresistible. Such feelings may even be rationalized as good for the one served.
Part of the devastating impact of sexual exploitation is that, at the time of the exploitation, it seems mutual even to the victim. Only later does it come to light that the relationship was really unilateral.
The new perspective may arise when the relationship is ended. Such relationships usually end at the initiative of the person in the helping role. It may become clear that the reality of the situation does not allow for an ongoing, naturally developing, mutual relationship.
Or the person in the helping role may "get tired of" the relationship and transfer affections to another person. At this juncture, it becomes evident to the victim that they may not be the "only one."
Sexual harassment also involves a power differential, but, when compared to sexual exploitation, there are some unique differences.
Sexual harassment is an offense characteristically marked by insensitivity.
Although there may be sexual touching, sexual harassment is more often limited to non-sexual touching, remarks or looks. 
Sexual harassment, in research conducted at Saint Louis University School of Medicine, appears to be a less harmful experience (on average) when compared with sexual abuse or sexual exploitation.
The less severe impact, as reported by women who had experienced sexual harassment, might be related to the fact that it is the most immediately annoying of the three types of harm.
However, sexual harassment also can produce shame and embarrassment. Because it often occurs in a work setting, it has implications for the livelihood of the victim.
As we continue to build a culture of mutual respect and personal integrity, it is important that we all become more aware of the less publicized and sometimes more subtle ways in which another person can be offended in the course of ministry and collaborative service.
The development of a culture increasingly marked by mutual respect, with the ability to resolve conflict in honest conversation, and personal integrity is a particularly critical aspect of any prevention program. Without that culture, the policies and the procedures of the diocese will be less effective in preventing harm.
Those who are delegated authority to provide ministry and service in the Diocese of Tucson must continue to grow in awareness of the power they hold and in skill to wield it for good.
Next month, I want to consider with you the role of healthy boundaries in preventing the misuse of power, whether consciously or unconsciously.

2005
SEPTEMBER

No dancing on the edge

I wrote last month about professional boundaries: the way in which boundaries work to prevent criminal behavior and to enhance healthy relationships. 
I pointed out the two boundary violations of sexual exploitation and sexual harassment, which, while not criminal acts in the State of Arizona, are serious violations of trust in any professional or ministerial relationship.
Moreover, the Code of Conduct for all who minister in the Diocese of Tucson specifically addresses these boundary violations, making clear that such behaviors are unacceptable.
(The Code is available for your review at www.diocestucson.org under "Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention, Resources.")
In this month's column, I want to talk about how to maintain boundaries effectively.
Boundaries are not a strait-jacket. I still hear comments that under present circumstances it is not possible to show affection to those we serve, including even hugging a child. 
Nothing could be further from the truth. Our children need to receive signs of our affection and care. It does matter a great deal, however, in what manner that affection is shown -- how, when and where that hug is given. 
The Guidelines for the Prevention of and Response to Sexual Misconduct of the Diocese of Tucson address in Section VI (B) the importance of avoiding situations that involve being alone with a minor in the course of service or ministry, or having an insufficient number of adults to supervise a group of minors.
It is critically important to avoid such situations in which you are alone with a minor who is not your own child. This is for your own good as well as for the safety of the minor.
This does not mean that you cannot insure privacy in discussion with a child, youth or adult. You can, for example, be in clear view of others even while your voices can't be heard.
Appropriate privacy that is safe for you and the person you are serving does not require secrecy.
If you see this type of common sense rule about being alone with minors violated by any parish or school personnel, address it: do not let it pass.
The same is true, although to a lesser extent, with adults that you serve. Some adults are clearly vulnerable by virtue of disability of some type; however, any adult who comes to you for education, counseling, formation or other assistance is also vulnerable.
You and all those who co-labor with you are in a position of authority. No matter how small your role may seem to you, in your role you are much more important in the eyes of those you serve than you may realize.
Occupying that position of authority, offering education or pastoral counsel, you must be careful to avoid doing harm. Boundaries serve that protective purpose.
There are social or psychological boundaries as well as physical boundaries. You must be equally careful to respect these boundaries.
A good rule of thumb for respecting social and psychological boundaries is "go slowly."
Any time you are going fast, bad things are more likely to happen. We bump into the car ahead of us. We file a paper in the wrong slot, and then can no longer find it. We stub our toes -- literally or figuratively!
With people, when we go too fast, we make errors of insensitivity. We are now quite accustomed to speaking about cultural sensitivity, but we can still forget that each human being is unique. No matter how familiar a person may appear or actually be to us, the inner person remains at some level a mystery.
We respect that mystery by remaining aware of and sensitive to the reactions of the other person.
Nowhere is this more important than in the situation in which one person carries the authority inherent in service or ministry. We must use that authority consciously, but carefully, and only for the good of those we seek to help.
I offer this image that I hope will help you remember and understand that message:
A boundary is like a cliff. Of course, we do not walk over it. The consequences can be severe. But, beyond that, we do not dance on the cliff's edge.
Knowing the dangers that lie beyond a boundary, we keep a respectful distance.
Use boundaries in that way. Learn from them how not only to avoid evil but to how to seek the greater good.

2005
OCTOBER

To do nothing is the greatest risk of all

Just a year ago this month, as we continued to implement our Safe Environment Program in the parishes and schools of the Diocese of Tucson, we increased the focus on the education of children and youth as to how they can protect themselves from abuse and mistreatment.
As I reflect on my experience and the feedback I have received about this increased focus from many people over this past year, I realize most of all how important it is to meet straightforwardly the challenges of this aspect of our Safe Environment Program (SEP).
Doing that requires straight talk, patience, perseverance and, in this column, a review of what we are doing.
Education in general is one of the three key components of the SEP.
Our plan calls for programs at all levels (personnel, students and parents) that are repeated annually and are designed to increase motivation and change behavior.
The education of children and youth has as its primary purpose to enhance their ability to be part of their own web of safety.
I have developed an even greater appreciation for the wisdom of those professionals who have described so well what works with children and youth.
The content of almost all of the recommended educational programs addresses three key components of helping children and youth prevent or stop abuse: recognize, resist and report.
Recognizing includes reinforcing in the child or youth that what is not comfortable or welcome attention does not have to be tolerated.
Education in this area includes clear explanations of the two most common forms of abuse -- neglect and physical harm -- as well as sexual and emotional mistreatment.
The information is presented in a manner appropriate to the age and sophistication of the children and youth. Trained presenters adjust the information even as they are speaking, according to how they "read" the group.
For a child, being able to resist unwelcome attention has limitations. It is not possible for the youngest children to protect themselves in all situations, but even they can be taught in simple terms that if they don't feel comfortable with the way an adult or other child is treating them, they do not have to simply tolerate it. They can speak up.
This is the essence of reporting. All children and youth, from the youngest to the oldest, can learn that it is a good thing to speak about their discomfort with adults in their family or, since the great majority of abuse occurs within the family, identified trustworthy persons in the parish or school. 
A critical aspect of the education of children and youth is the identification of those adults from whom they can expect an open and balanced response if they want to report abuse.
Children and youth must come to have confidence that they are part of a community that will listen to their report, sort out the facts, and help in whatever ways are indicated by the investigation.
One of the great burdens of abuse, one of the factors that makes the impact so devastating for those harmed, is carrying the secret, not telling anyone, sometimes for many years, for fear that they will not be believed or that they will be told it is their fault.
For all these reasons, most programs also include education for the parents who often need our help -- and who certainly deserve it -- to create a safe environment for their children.
They often need education as to how they can create an environment in the home so the child will feel comfortable talking about what is uncomfortable for him or her.
They need information about how to respond if there is suspicion of abuse, and an understanding of how and why the parish or school must respond in those circumstances.
They may need help and encouragement to face problematic situations in the home, extended family or neighborhood that threaten the well being of their children.
There are good resources for helping our parishes and schools meet the challenges of this important work. I will write about some of those resources next month.
I hope that by what I have written here you come to share my conviction that we must do something to educate our children and youth in personal safety from abuse and mistreatment.
All children are vulnerable, and children from 5-14 are particularly so.
Nevertheless, I believe we can reduce their vulnerability through education.
We can give them the assurance that if they are not comfortable with the way in which they are treated, their discomfort matters to us.
We can teach them ways to stand up for themselves, whether with adults, older kids or peers.
We can offer to them the promise that there are trustworthy adults to whom they can speak and the assurance that they do not have to hold secrets they do not want or like.
One of the challenges in taking on this work of informing our children about the dangers in the world is that our education itself might be perceived as contributing to their loss of innocence.
On the other hand, it has been wisely said that failing to provide this education is the one thing we can do that will certainly increase the risk that they will be robbed of their innocence entirely.
To do nothing is the greatest risk of all.

2005
NOVEMBER

Personal Safety Education for Children Is Challenging Work

In last month's column, I shared with you why I believe it is so important to educate our children and youth about their personal safety.
This month, I want to discuss how this education is accomplished.
"Not alone," is the first response.
No single one of us and no one group of us can do such a challenging work alone.
First, respecting that parents are the primary educators of children, pastors and teachers have their roles as well in our Catholic schools and in our parish religious education program.
Under the guidance, oversight and support of the pastor and with input from parents, personal safety must be integrated into curriculums so that it intersects effectively with respect for life and with respect and support for the parent's primary role.
Second, although our Church has its own way of understanding personal safety, we work collaboratively with civic resources in our community to provide this education to our students.
This synergistic interaction of "church and state" has been the way of our Church from the beginning, and it is effective, allowing us to benefit from the expertise of others as we build relationships that benefit both our Church and our civic community for the good.
One of the best resources we have found for personal safety education for younger children (up to the pre-teens) is the Southern Arizona Children's Advocacy Center (SACAC).
I have written before about the important work that SACAC does in our community.
The primary mission of the organization is to cooperate with law enforcement in Southern Arizona to insure fair and effective investigation of allegations of child abuse while preventing further trauma to the child from the investigative and prosecutorial process.
SACAC also reaches out to support the families of the children who have reported abuse. At such a time, regardless of the outcome of the investigation, the strain on the family is tremendous.
The third aspect of SACAC's mission is the prevention of abuse, and education is the key to prevention.
The SACAC education program enjoys the support of local law enforcement agencies. For example, I was introduced to it by Det. Gerard Moretz of the Pima County Sheriff's Department, who helped the Diocese so much in its initial educational efforts.
For the youngest children, SACAC presents personal safety information in a brief play featuring a costumed character called Happy Bear. The information is presented in a very simple manner, appropriate to the age of the children.
The information emphasizes that children do not have to tolerate touches or other behaviors that make them uncomfortable. They learn that the parts of their body that are covered by bathing suits are private. This simple information is worked out in examples and conversation.
Children also learn that they can speak up, telling parents and other trusted adults in the parish or school when they feel uncomfortable with the attention or touch of others -- adults, older children or peers. They learn words for parts of the body that can be understood by adults.
For some, the education of young children in personal safety raises concerns. These concerns are varied. Some equate personal safety education with "sex education." Some worry that exposing young children to the dangers in the world will harm them.
In contrast to these concerns, practical experience tells us that, in the hands of a competent teacher, personal safety education benefits children.
The SACAC program for personal safety is grounded in practice as well as research. It is used in many other types of settings in many other states.
Within the Diocese of Tucson, the program has been used in many parishes and schools. The reactions have been very favorable.
A letter that Bishop Kicanas received recently from St. Patrick Parish in Bisbee illustrates the type of reaction that we are getting from persons who actually experience the program.
A parishioner wrote to compliment SACAC staff member Enrique Aviles for his presentation of the personal safety information. Enrique is bi-lingual and understands how to talk to children in a calm, reassuring and even "fun" way that will help children acquire the skills to "recognize, resist and report" abuse or mistreatment.
The writer noted that the pastor, Father Larry Kasper, was present during the presentation, as were many members of the pastoral team, teachers and parents.
The parishioner said she was writing to Bishop because she wanted the rest of the Diocese to know that St. Patrick Parish in Bisbee is taking matters in hand.
She thought the program was "helpful to every parent, teacher, student and child," serving as a "wake up call to all."
Father Larry also reflected on the program's benefits by reporting that a mother and father had shared with him that after experiencing the program one of their children told them how badly she felt because her sister was picking on her. They told Father that they were glad to know about this and had taken care of the issue.
This "at home" experience of those parents emphasizes that personal safety education has to do with much more than sexual abuse.
Personal safety education encompasses the most common forms of child abuse: neglect and physical harm from adults and bullying by other children.
In our commitment to stop violence against our children and in our families, all these forms of abuse and more are the focus of the educational programs being adopted by our parishes and schools.
Viewing the broad picture from the vantage of my office here at the Pastoral Center, I observe that when parishes and schools actually try the SACAC program, they find that it is very well received and makes a positive impact.
Nevertheless, the right of a parent to refuse participation in the program is still respected. We ask only that the refusal be communicated in writing and that the parent take on the responsibility of educating their children in personal safety.
In addition, any parish can opt for a different program of personal safety education.
We ask only that the program be reviewed by the Diocese to insure that it addresses the basic requirements: that it teaches children how to feel confident in saying what makes them uncomfortable, how to resist what makes them uncomfortable and how to make a report to responsible, trustworthy adults.
For example, in the Yuma-La Paz Vicariate, which is the only part of the Diocese outside the service area of SACAC, unique programs are being developed in cooperation with local law enforcement and social service agencies.
A new family advocacy center has been established in Pinal County and one is being planned in Graham County. We hope that these centers will also develop programs for children, youth and their families.
Collaboration with local resources not only respects the diversity within our communities, by utilizing expertise from the civic community it builds relationships that are crucial in achieving our overall goal of reducing violence against our children and in our families.
This collaboration builds trust, which is crucial when a report of possible abuse must be made and investigated.
Next month, I will write about personal safety education programs for older children and for teens.

2005
DECEMBER

Parental Involvement Is Critical in Personal Safety Education

I have written in my last two columns about the rationale for educating children and youth in personal safety and specifically about some of the methods parishes and schools are using for the education of young children.
This month, I want to address the education of middle school and high school age youth in personal safety and share some resources that can assist with that education.
I also want to share some thoughts about the importance of parental involvement in the personal safety education of older children.
We know that programs in personal safety for young children must be simple and short.
However, with middle school and high school age children greater complexity is possible in the content and presentation.
We can take more time to develop themes and do so in a way that encourages youth to take in general principles that empower them to make judgments in a wide variety of situations.
As with younger children, the basic structure of the educational objectives for older children remains the same. We want them to be able to "recognize, resist and report" threats to personal safety and security.
Practically speaking, for better or worse, by the time our children reach middle school they know quite a lot more than most of those in my generation did at that age.
Teachers and parents do well not to fight or fear this reality, but to build on it by encouraging questions and comments and allowing time for meaningful discussion.
Whether such discussion takes place, of course, is another matter; sometimes it seems that the older they get, the more frustratingly reticent our children can be about initiating revealing conversations with us as parents and grandparents.
Nevertheless, we can help by creating environments that make such conversations more likely. We can remain alert to any initiatives the child or youth may make so that we can respond effectively.
In the end, each set of parents and grandparents must decide when and how to speak with their children.
One of the very useful resources we have found for opening the discussion about personal safety with middle school age children is a video (VHS or DVD) called Break the Silence: Kids Against Child Abuse.
This 30-minute video, available in Spanish or English, is used by the Southern Arizona Children's Advocacy Center as well. It features four children who speak about their experiences of abuse: neglect, physical and sexual abuse.
The producers of the video worked around material that had the potential to be too graphic by using animation to tell those parts of the stories.
For high school age students, the Diocese of Orange has produced a very helpful video (DVD). It is called Breaking the Silence.
The video is divided into several sections. The main section portrays a group of students talking about child sexual abuse in our Church. This is followed by a series of very brief segments extracted from that conversation, which are intended to trigger focused discussions.
Finally, there are several more sections that treat related subjects in depth. These sections can be used to supplement the main discussion or, in the case of shorter educational programs, to serve as the stimulus for a follow-up class.
The video is formatted so that the content can be used in various configurations to suit the audience and presenter, but there are two drawbacks: it is available only in English and it deals only with sexual abuse.
Nevertheless, the video has proven itself to be, in the hands of an experienced teacher, a very effective tool for the education of high school age teens in personal safety.
I recommend both for use in parishes and schools. These videos are available at the pastoral center for review. Write to me if you want more information about either of them at pauld@diocesetucson.org.
At all levels of personal safety education for children, it is critical to involve the parents in the educational program.
We encourage parishes and schools to notify parents when the personal safety education is scheduled for their children and to hold an informational session for parents.
There are several very practical advantages to notifying parents and offering an informational session.
First, parents can make an informed decision about whether they will permit their children to participate in the program.
Second, by attending the informational session parents can learn about the ways they can create a safe environment for children in their own home.
Third, notifying parents alerts them to the importance of follow-up with their children on the day of the personal safety education. Even if parents cannot come to the child's educational session, it is important they ask about what their child learned so they can shape it to fit their family's values.
Fourth, the information session is an opportunity for parents to learn how they can facilitate discussion of personal safety in a manner that is respectful to the child and healthy for the whole family.
Finally, the information session can emphasize how important it is that everyone, parents and grandparents included, understands the mandated reporting law.
All us must know how to make a timely report, should that unhappy necessity present itself, and all of us must understand the obligation of those in authority in the parish and school should they come to hold a reasonable concern that a child is being harmed.
If we understand that obligation, there will be less to explain and work through if a report does need to be made in the future.
In one way or another, every diocese in the U.S. is looking for ways to carry out parent information sessions.
Many have made known resources they have found particularly useful. We have some of those resources on hand at the pastoral center for review by parishes and schools.
Parent information sessions do not have to be very long or complicated to be effective. They best offer basic tips about remaining aware, taking advantage of spontaneous opportunities to talk and giving a consistent message across the three key points: recognize, resist and report. 
Some concluding thoughts on personal safety education for children:
Our children vary in the risks they face and their vulnerability to those risks. We can help them by reducing the risks and increasing their ability to recognize and resist abuse or maltreatment in whatever form -- physical, emotional or sexual -- and from whatever source.
Our children vary in their ability to cope with abuse or maltreatment. We can help them increase their resiliency in the face of such harm by insuring that they understand that it is not their fault and feel confident enough to tell someone.
Our children need not be victims. Our children can be part of the web of safety for themselves and others. Our children can be part of the solution, the reduction of violence against children and in our families, in our Diocese and in our communities.
We cannot prevent all harm, but we can help our children to recognize, resist and report the dangers they face. Even when they are not facing danger directly, they can learn how to help another child who they may know is facing such danger.

2005
DECEMBER

Screening candidates for priesthood

What does your safe environment program do to insure that candidates for priesthood are thoroughly screened and effectively trained?
This is a question I often hear from parishioners and others in the communities of the Diocese.
It is one I am glad to answer. Screening and formation are aspects of the safe environment program about which there is much good to say.
I give the credit to the Vocations Office team of director Father Miguel Mariano and executive assistant Marty Hammond for helping us make great strides in this area.
We have been reviewing their progress in preparation for the independent audit of our compliance with the Charter for the Protection of Children and Youth that is scheduled by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops for the week of Dec. 6. Let me share some of the details with you now.
You may not have heard about it, but the Vocations Office has had in place for many years a very extensive process by which information is collected from many sources about the candidate.
The application form itself is extensive, requiring an autobiography, resumé and academic transcripts.
Various medical examinations look to the physical health of the candidate, and there is an enhanced psychological evaluation. The psychological testing is complemented by a thorough interview that covers all aspects of life, including psychosexual health.
In addition, fingerprinting and criminal history checks now bolster the process of receiving and vetting background data.
Finally, the admissions committee -- a group comprised of clergy, religious and laity -- reviews all the data and interviews the candidate.
Only then is a recommendation made to the Bishop as to whether a candidate for admission to seminary for the Diocese is acceptable.
I imagine none of us would enjoy the depth of self-disclosure required in this process, but the candidates willingly give themselves to the evaluations because they understand how important it is for the Church to select and form persons of integrity to be priests of our Diocese.
If the candidate is accepted, the information that is generated in this intensive screening is not stored away and forgotten. We cannot think of the screening process as a hurdle to be accomplished and then left behind.
Rather, the information is shared with the seminary faculty and used to help shape the plan for human formation. Human formation is the aspect of seminary training that attends to the development of psychological, sexual and social health.
No candidate comes to seminary formation as a whole person. God calls us all to our respective vocations as broken persons. The key to health, therefore, is to recognize our brokenness and to seek out all that is given for our healing.
Most seminaries have embraced this perspective. You may not realize it, but over the last two decades, seminaries have become leaders in our Church with respect to human formation. Gone are the days when students could complete their training with little awareness of sexuality, boundaries, psychosocial strengths and weaknesses.
The seminary faculty shares their observations, at the end of each year, with the Vocations Director. This collaboration between seminary and Diocese helps keep up the momentum of the formation process and allows for observation in different settings.
After First Theology, the student participates in a 10-week parish internship. The internship supervisors are trained in how to support and scrutinize the candidate. The supervisors submit a written report of the experience, with input from all those in the parish who interacted with the candidate.
Prior to ordination as deacon and again as priest, the candidate's record is reviewed by another committee. The committee reviews the psychological assessment, the history in seminary as documented in year-end reports and the history of placements in the Diocese.
The purpose of this review is two-fold: to be sure that no critical problem that would argue against ordination has been missed and to name for the candidate and the Bishop what growth should be encouraged in the first years after ordination.
The seminary is given a copy of this pre-ordination review. The seminary faculty votes prior to each ordination and submits that vote to the Vocation Director and the Bishop.
I hope you might agree that this process is much improved. Nothing is perfect, but the chances of a serious problem being unrecognized are significantly decreased. The potential for developing a growing person, aware and loving, are increased.
Of course, growth cannot stop at ordination. Much is going on as well with respect to ongoing support and formation of our priests.
But that is a subject for another time.

2006
JANUARY

Shifting Gears

Something significant is happening with the Safe Environment Program in the Diocese of Tucson, a change that I have been sensing these last few months and that I have been praying about.
When there is a significant change in process in any aspect of life, it is helpful not only to recognize it, but also to name it correctly.
Recognized and named, change is much easier to move with.
One way to recognize and to name a significant change is to look back at what has been, and I have done some of that, as have all of our parishes and schools, in conjunction with this year's audit of our Safe Environment Program by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Looking back over these last three years, much time has been given to the uncovering and repair of harm that had been done.
We began with the commitment to collaborate with law enforcement when they could investigate allegations, to vigorously investigate ourselves when law enforcement could not and to respond with respect and what assistance we could offer to those who brought allegations.
In these last three years, much effort also has been devoted to establishing a personnel system that will make it more difficult for abuse to occur in our midst.
We made a commitment that all those who minister to minors or vulnerable adults in the Diocese would participate in a common process of background checks.
The overwhelming majority of our people collaborated in that process. Even persons well known and highly visible in their parishes submitted to the process. They understood and proclaimed by their example that the system would make everyone safer.
We made a commitment that all persons who minister or serve in the diocese, no matter the role, would inaugurate an educational process. They attended basic education in the Code of Conduct, Guidelines for the Prevention of and Response to Sexual Misconduct, and the mandated reporting law of the State.
Many have already gone beyond the basic education, learning more about how to recognize and report abuse, no matter where it may occur or by whom it is perpetrated.
The numbers tell the story.
All priests, deacons, seminarians and deacon candidates -- more than 350 persons -- have gone through screening and education.
More than 1,200 employees and 5,500 volunteers have done the same.
More than 10,000 students -- all our school children and a good start on our religious education and youth groups, have received education in personal safety, and more than 7,000 parents of these children and youth have discussed factors in maintaining a safe environment in the home.
These numbers are something we can be proud of. They tell an awesome and inspiring story.
So then, what is happening now? What is this change that I have been sensing?
I can only share what I sense as I call and visit our priests and deacons, compliance representatives and other employees and volunteers.
As we emerge from the Chapter 11 bankruptcy, as we complete the incorporation process for parishes, I have noticed three subtle but powerful shifts in attitude emerging.
First, there seems to be a deeper realization that we are in this for the long term.
Of course, when we really thought about it, it was clear that the great effort of these last three years was not just to get out of the crisis. In fact, we made a public commitment to set out on a journey that would transform us as a Church.
On the other hand, it is only human nature that part of us would cling to the hope of "getting past" all of this. Now, in light of our common and accumulated experience, it is more clear at every level that this is "for better or worse" a commitment to a new way of operating.
Second, it is clear that no one in ministry or service in the Diocese of Tucson is just along for the ride.
It is clear that each person in this local Church plays a role in making the Safe Environment Program a reality. In some areas you may play a small role, perhaps just that of cooperating. In other areas, you may take leadership, even teaching others.
Whatever the role, it is now more clear that for each person who gives himself or herself unselfishly to the work, we as Church are the stronger for it.
Third, and especially in the wake of the various steps associated with the incorporation process, there is a change in perspective with respect to the Safe Environment Program.
More often I experience pastors, compliance representatives and other leaders in the parish coming to Richard Serrano, director of diocesan Human Resources, and me for assistance in accomplishing their goal of preventing abuse and violence against our children and in our families and their goal of mitigating risk in the parish and school.
There is a sense that this program is a remedy that, while it does not always taste good, is good for us.
It is beginning to sink in that the safe environment we are talking about is a safe environment for every member of the parish and for the parish as a corporate whole.
With that realization, the desire to implement and improve the plan has been enhanced. There is a greater desire not only to comply with "directives from headquarters," but also to do what is right and necessary for the health of the community -- the children and parents, clerics and laity, employees and volunteers who make up the parish and school.
All of the shifts in attitudes that I have identified here are, I think, markers of the significant change I have sensed, change that will lead to renewed and creative energies for the work.
What are the implications of all this?
That will be the focus of my next several columns and of the educational programs to be conducted for all personnel in 2006.
So, how shall we name the significant change that has taken place in our Safe Environment Program?
Let's say we are "shifting gears."
We have momentum. The car is moving, and we are shifting gears. First gear has served its purpose. Second gear will carry us farther.
In the next few months, I will write more about how I see the particular changes unfolding in all the dimensions of the program. 
In the meantime, we are in gear and moving along together. Roll down the windows and enjoy the breeze.

2006
FEBRUARY

Diocese Is in Compliance; Local Plans for Compliance

I wrote in last month's column about the beginning of Phase II of the Safe Environment Program in the Diocese of Tucson.
The completion of Phase I was punctuated by the third audit of the Diocese for compliance with the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The audit was conducted by an independent audit agency.
In December, the Diocese was given notice, consistent with the results of the first two audits, that it was found to be in compliance with the Charter.
The form of the third audit was that of a structured, detailed self-report. The audit instrument guided the audit team in a review of each aspect of the Safe Environment Program mandated by the Charter -- response to those harmed, response to allegations of abuse and policies to prevent abuse.
A major focus of the third audit was an assessment of the success of our efforts to implement policies to prevent abuse. There was a particular emphasis on our screening and education processes for all priests and deacons, employees and volunteers.
This focus meant that each of our parishes and schools had hard work to do. Each one had to review and report on its success in implementing its Plan for Compliance. 
In the end, although with some effort, we all pulled together.
All employees and volunteers either are in compliance or they have been placed on inactive status until they are.
This marks the completion of Phase I. We do not forget the past, but we can, with some well-earned confidence, look forward to our future.
In this month's column and over the next several months, I will be considering with you the practical implications of this shift in emphasis.
This month, I will discuss the changes you will see in the parish Plan for Compliance, changes that reflect the shift in emphasis that marks Phase II.
First, let's review briefly the thinking that led to the idea of allowing local parish plans in the context of the overall diocesan Guidelines.
I have written before about the interaction of centralized and decentralized elements in the Diocese of Tucson Safe Environment Program.
The Diocese provides standards to be met, resources to meet those standards, and audits to insure that they are met. These are the centralized elements.
Each parish and school develops a plan to meet the standards in a manner that is right for the local community. This is the decentralized element that builds on the strength, works around the weakness, and therefore respects the unique identity of each community that makes up this diverse diocese.
One of the resources that the Diocese provides is a template or outline for the local plan for compliance. Recognizing the shift into Phase II, I have been working with my colleagues at the pastoral center on a new outline for the local plan.
Now, as the time comes for the annual review of the local plan, your pastor will be working with his safe environment program team to revise it according to the new template.
The changes are important markers of the different emphasis inherent in Phase II.
In the revised plan, the focus will be on screening new candidates for ministry or service.
New volunteers and employees alike will continue to be welcomed, of course. We very much need the dedicated persons who feel called to help in the work of our parishes and schools.
But the difference between being grateful and careless has never been so clearly delineated in our Church.
We want to integrate careful review and orientation of new employees and volunteers so deeply in our parishes and schools that it no longer feels awkward or even offensive.
The education plan will move from the basic education on mandated reporting to more sophisticated material for both new and experienced employees and volunteers.
In addition, all employees and volunteers will h