VOLUNTEER TRAINING
- All St. Elizabeth Ann Seton adult volunteers and ministry leaders (18 yrs and older) who work/volunteer with youth and/or vulnerable persons, must complete the Archdiocese of San Antonio’s Virtus Online Training. The training program allows participants to register and complete training online from any computer with internet access. Virtus training will be good for a 3-year period.
- How To Complete
In order to fulfill this requirement, please complete the steps as outlined in the below two areas: - New Volunteers
(volunteers who have never registered and/or completed Virtus training)
- Current / Former Volunteers
(volunteers who completed Virtus training within the past 3 years or need to recertify)
- ABOUT VIRTUS
“Virtus” is a Latin word meaning: Valor, Moral Strength, Excellence and Courage – the Virtus program is designed to help combat sexual abuse of children and create a safe environment for children.
Per the Archdiocese of San Antonio’s Code of Conduct, two “Safe Environment Trainings” are required: Protecting God’s Children and Sexual Harassment Training. Successful completion of the training results in a completion certification that is good for 3 years. Criminal Background Checks (CBCs) will still be required to coincide with the Virtus training.
The goal of the Virtus program is primarily to be proactive instead of reactive when dealing with child sexual abuse. To prevent sexual abuse, VIRTUS advocates five steps:- Knowing the warning signs of abuse
- Controlling access to children
- Monitoring programs involving children
- Being aware of how children behave
- Communicating concerns
If you have forgotten your Virtus ID or Password, contact the Archdiocese of San Antonio’s Office of Victim Assistance & Safe Environment at 210-734-7786.
If you are interested in volunteering as a Religious Education teacher or volunteering to serve during Mass, click one of the links below. A staff member will get back to you shortly.
Safe Environment Protocols
PROTOCOLS
The Archdiocese of San Antonio provides several resources and videos to parishes in an effort to help programs talk to students and parents about safety measures.
WHAT WE ARE DOING
Our Religious Education programs will review some topics about safe environments and boundaries with our students in October and April. If you would like to learn more about what the Archdiocese offers or to watch videos for specific age levels, check out the following links:
Videos For Families
Empowering God’s Children (Grades K-5)
Spanish Grades K-5 Spanis
Empowering God’s Children (Grades 6-8)
Spanish- Grades 6-8
Empowering God’s Children (High School)
Spanish High School
Songs For Families Of Little Children
Safety Procedures
The safety of our students, families, volunteers, and staff is a top priority for our Faith Formation Ministry. It is important to us that parents feel comfortable and confident while their children attend classes at SEAS. We take several steps to ensure we are providing a safe environment for all.
Each of our volunteers and all of the staff are required to take Safe Environment Trainings. Our Good Shepherd and Elementary students must be picked up from their classroom to guarantee that they leave with a trusted adult.
To help with safety measures, we ask that parents read the below handbook provided by the Archdiocese of San Antonio.