by By Deacon Blaine Westlake, Safe Environment Office, Diocese of Amarillo
Amarillo—On Sept. 18, Bishop Patrick J. Zurek announced that the Diocese of Amarillo is in full compliance with the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB) Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.
In a letter dated Sept. 9 to Bishop Zurek from Stonebridge Business Partners, it advised that the “Amarillo Diocese has found compliant with the audited {Charter} Articles…” with the three-year on-site Charter audit period of July 1, 2021—June 30, 2024.
Stonebridge is an independent auditing firm commissioned by the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops to oversee the implementation of the Charter and to ensure compliance with its mandates.
As a result of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, the diocese undergoes an on-site audit every three years and annually undergoes a data audit. The Diocese of Amarillo has always been open to these audits since they were first initiated in 2002 and as such have always been found to be in “compliance.”
Bishop Zurek offers a special thanks to all Pastors, Principals, Christian Formation Directors/Coordinators, Youth Directors, Safe Environment Coordinators, Trainers, Teachers, Volunteers and Parents who worked so hard and continue to do so, year after year, to keep our parishes, schools and Catholic institutions a safe place for everyone, and most especially for our children.
The diocese currently has 2,500 adults who have received training and are cleared for ministry with children and young people in our parishes and Catholic schools. These “Church Personnel” serve in various ministries from Adult Acolytes, CCD Instructors, Catholic School Teachers and Aides, Music Directors, Deacons, Priests, Religious, Ushers, Youth Workers, etc. Any and all adults who have ministry with minors must undergo Virtus safe environment training and a criminal background check every five (5) years.
Since the 2020 implementation of Virtus, the Diocese of Amarillo is very blessed to have 76 volunteer Virtus Facilitators in the training of all Church Personnel ministering in our parishes and Catholic Schools.
Twenty-three Virtus Facilitators have trained more than 50 Church Personnel and seven have trained 100 or more. Those seven include the following: • Shay Batenhorst (100) St. Anthony of Padua School, Dalhart • April Fetterman (137) Holy Cross Catholic Academy, Amarillo • Lisa Hatley (108) Sts. Peter and Paul Church, Dumas • Deacon David Rausch (108) St. Ann’s Church, Canyon • Ann Lueb (271) St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Amarillo • Deacon Robert Smith (237) St. Mary’s Cathedral, Amarillo; and, • Yvonne Vasquez (100) St. Mary’s Cathedral, Amarillo.
A special thanks to Ann Lueb, now retired, who served at St. Anthony’s School, Hereford, and St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Amarillo, for many years. She has been training Church Personnel since the implementation of the Charter in 2002.
For further information regarding Safe Environment please visit the Diocese of Amarillo website, amarillodiocese.org., under the Safe Environment tab.
Deacon Blaine Westlake is Director of Safe Environment for the Diocese of Amarillo. He can be reached at 806-383-2243, ext. 117, or via email, [email protected].