“See that you do not despise one of these little ones,* for I say to you that their angels in
​heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father." -Matthew 18:10

Child Protection & Safe Environment

St. Dominic Church is committed to keeping children and the vulnerable safe and to bringing healing to those harmed. 
All children have the right to be safe and protected from harm in any and all environments – home, school, religious institutions, neighborhoods and communities. St. Dominic Church and The Archdiocese of Washington embrace this right to safety and are dedicated to promoting and ensuring the protection of all children. ​

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Education & Training

Any adult seeking employment or volunteer service with an Archdiocesan parish, school, agency, or other ministry must attend a training session on the protection of children. We use the Protecting God's Children for Adults training provided by VIRTUS. This training conducted by VIRTUS certified facilitators on the prevention of child sexual abuse. The training makes participants aware of the signs of child sexual abuse, the methods and means by which offenders commit abuse, and five easy steps one can use to prevent child sexual abuse. Two videos are the centerpiece of the training: A Time to Protect God's Children and A Plan to Protect God's Children. The facilitators incorporate policies and procedures into the training defining child sexual abuse, addressing the reporting of child sexual abuse, the screening and selection of employees and volunteers, and victim advocacy. 
 We will be hosting a training in the Parish Meeting Room on ​November 3rd from 9:30 am until 12:30pm.
​You must Pre-register for this free training at the Virtus/Protecting God’s Children website (click the button above)
1. Click on “Registration” (on the left side of the webpage).
2. Choose “Washington, DC (Archdiocese)”.
3. Enter the data requested and click “Continue”.
4. Choose the November 3rd training session at St. Dominic Church and click “Complete Registration”.
*Please note: Once the maximum class size has been reached, registration will be closed at this location and you will have to choose another date and location.

Archdiocese of Washington Child Protection Policy

This child protection policy builds on a 1986 policy issued by the Archdiocese of Washington that was updated in 1993, 1999, 2003 and 2007. It is responsive to our concern for children and to the provisions contained in the revised Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People and the Essential Norms for Diocesan/ Eparchial Policies Dealing with Allegations of Sexual abuse of Minors by Priests or Deacons initially approved by the full body of U.S. Catholic bishops at its November 2002 General Meeting, with revisions approved at its June 2005 and June 2011 General Meetings. ​

With renewed faith, we recommit ourselves to the goals of this policy:
  • To reiterate and strengthen educative and screening procedures toward the goal of preventing child abuse by Archdiocesan personnel and volunteers
  • To identify and observe reporting requirements to civil and Archdiocesan authorities
  • To address the spiritual, physical and emotional care of the abused child and the family as well as the affected Catholic community
  • To address the spiritual, physical and emotional care of the individual against whom the charge was made
  • To carry out all policies with regard to Church procedures when child abuse is alleged. 
The full Archdiocese of Washington Child Protection Policy is linked below.

Additional Information:

​The Nature and Scope of Sexual Abuse of Minors by Catholic Priests and Deacons in the United States in 1950-2002
In June 2002 the full body of Catholic bishops of the United States in their General Meeting in Dallas approved the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. The Charter created a National Review Board, which was assigned responsibility to commission a descriptive study, with the full cooperation of the dioceses/eparchies, of the nature and scope of the problem of sexual abuse of minors by clergy. The National Review Board engaged John Jay College of Criminal Justice of The City University of New York to conduct research, summarize the collected data, and issue a summary report to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops of its findings. This report by the John Jay College is authorized for publication by the undersigned. Msgr. William P. Fay, General Secretary, USCCB.
The Causes and Context of Sexual Abuse of Minors by Catholic Priests in the United States, 1950-2010
In June 2002 the full body of Catholic bishops of the United States in their General Meeting in Dallas approved the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. The Charter created a National Review Board, which was assigned responsibility to oversee the completion of the study of the causes and context of the recent crisis. The National Review Board engaged the John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York to conduct research, summarize the collected data, and issue a summary report to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops of its findings. This report by the John Jay College is authorized for publication by the undersigned. Msgr. David J. Malloy, STD, General Secretary, USCCB

Helpful Videos:

Bishop Robert Barron Question & Answer about the Sexual Abuse Crisis
Bishop Robert Barron answers the questions, "Why remain Catholic with so much scandal?"

Webpage & Video from the Knights of Columbus