Safe Environment: Diocesan Policies for All Parish Volunteers
Thank you for your interest in volunteering! St. Matthew is committed to providing a safe environment for all members of our faith community, especially the young and vulnerable adults. In accordance with the Diocese of Charlotte requirements, all parish volunteers must complete the following forms before they can participate in parish ministry.
- Release and Authorization Form authorizes the parish to request a background check. The form is submitted to the Diocese of Charlotte by the parish for processing.
- Volunteer Profile asks for standard personal information.
- Acknowledgement of Receipt Form for Sexual Misconduct Policy, which is the last page of the policy and must be signed and dated.
- Acknowledgement of Receipt Form for Code of Ethics Policy of the Diocese of Charlotte, which is the last page of the policy and must be signed and dated.
Download the forms here or you may obtain them at the Church Office during normal business hours. Completed and signed forms should be returned to the Church Office in a sealed envelope to the attention of Lisa Hornung, Safe Environment Coordinator. Drop them by the office or mail them to St. Matthew Catholic Church, PO Box 49349, Charlotte, NC 28277.
As part of our regular practice at St. Matthew, we audit the Safe Environment compliance files regularly. Active volunteers must have background checks renewed every five years, and may be randomly renewed more often. You will be contacted if a renewal is required. This is done in compliance with Msgr. McSweeney's and the USCCB's requirements.
Additionally, volunteers must attend a Protecting God’s Children workshop. This 2½ hour program is intended to educate volunteers to recognize and prevent sexual abuse. Registration is required for the workshop. and may be done online at www.virtus.org. After the workshop, you will be asked to keep your training updated through online monthly bulletins. The monthly training requires approximately 15 minutes. There is an additional yearly recertification. You will be notified by Virtus, through email, of the bulletins and the recertification.
- Please check the parish bulletin and website for upcoming dates of Protecting God’s Children at St. Matthew.
- If you do not have access to the internet or are unable to work online, please contact Lisa Hornung, Safe Environment Coordinator, at (704) 543-7677 x 1016.
- Please visit the diocesan website, www.charlottediocese.org for additional information about the Protecting God’s Children program.
