VIRTUS

VIRTUS Training

VIRTUS® and Safe Environment

VIRTUS® is a child- and vulnerable-person protection program used by the Archdiocese of Santa Fe to help create safe environments within the Church. The program provides training that helps clergy, employees, and adult volunteers recognize signs and symptoms of abuse, understand appropriate boundaries, and know how to respond to concerns about the safety of children and vulnerable adults.

The Archdiocese of Santa Fe requires clergy, employees, and volunteers age 18 and older to complete VIRTUS training and a criminal background check as part of its safe-environment requirements. The Archdiocese also requires ongoing compliance; for example, its deacon newsletter states that VIRTUS training must be kept current every five years.

Why VIRTUS Is Important

VIRTUS helps the Church fulfill its responsibility to protect children and vulnerable adults and to ensure that parish ministries provide safe and respectful environments. Training encourages adults to:
  • Recognize warning signs of abuse
  • Maintain appropriate physical, emotional, and spiritual boundaries
  • Understand their responsibility to protect those entrusted to their care
  • Know how and when to report suspected abuse
  • Promote a culture of safety within the parish and wider community

The Archdiocese of Santa Fe provides VIRTUS Online in both English and Spanish, along with its current Code of Conduct and Abuse Awareness Training resources.

For Sacred Heart Catholic Church, VIRTUS is an important part of preparing those who work with children, youth, and vulnerable adults to serve responsibly and help make the parish a safe environment for everyone.