Protecting God's Children
Click link below for workshop dates and locations
The national sexual-abuse prevention program “Protecting God’s Children”
was adopted by the Archdiocese of St. Louis in November 2002 and is
provided at no cost to parishes, schools, and archdiocesan agencies. All
archdiocesan employees and volunteers who work with children on a regular
basis are mandated to attend a presentation of the program. Priests in the
archdiocese also participate in the program, and pastors are encouraged to
be present at sessions that are offered in their parishes.

Developed by National Catholic Services, “Protecting God’s Children” is a
comprehensive two-and-one-half-hour program that includes two video
presentations which incorporate stories from victims of sexual abuse and
their families, who speak about the impact that the abuse has had on them.
In addition, the videos feature testimony from perpetrators of child abuse,
who tell how they selected their victims and how they made the victims feel
that the abuse was their own fault. The program also provides information on
how to prevent situations that can lead to abuse, on what behaviors should
raise concern about abuse, and on how to report abuse. The program
additionally provides an online continuing education and skill-development
component, designed to enhance human resource, staff development, and
management skills for all parish and archdiocesan personnel who work with
and have responsibility for the welfare of children.