People place in their Church leaders a trust that must never be violated by any person employed by or volunteering services to the Church. With a firm determination to promote and honor that trust, the Diocese of Buffalo renews its resolve to provide safety and protection for children and young people in Church ministries and institutions.
St. Mary of the Angels Parish follows the Diocese's Safe Environment Program --a program in which all diocesan offices, parishes, schools, and other organizations must participate. All staff and volunteers who have regular contact with our children (under 18), must enroll in VIRTUS --a nation-wide best practices program designed to help prevent wrongdoing and promote "rightdoing" within religious organizations. The VIRTUS programs empower organizations and people to better control risk and improve the lives of all those who interact with the Church. Participants engage in regular on-line instruction throughout the year for the life of their participation in the program.
If you have regular contact with our children through youth programs, religious education, etc. you need to enroll. To enroll, go to http://www.virtus.org and under log in button click on Registration. Click on View a list of sessions and your organization is Buffalo, NY Diocese. Choose the session you will be able to attend and start the registration process. It is fairly simple.
Our Virtus Administrator can help with your registration process. If you register on-line for a Virtus session, please let her know so she can get you the appropriate forms. Please call 716.372.4841 for more information.
You can also read more about the Diocese's policies and directives on its Protecting God’s Children web page.