Print Issue: April 25, 2002

Ministers Educated On Sexual Abuse Through Archdiocesan Program

By Priscilla Greear, Staff Writer

ATLANTA - Years before the recent surfacing of the church's national sexual abuse scandals, Katie Fortunato began offering the "Understanding Boundaries in the Ministerial Relationship" video and workshop as one of her first presentations with the archdiocese's Project Aware child abuse prevention and awareness program.

The goal of the workshop, developed in 1998 by former director Merrine McDonald with Fortunato's help, is to increase awareness and understanding of three challenges to the integrity of ministerial work - sexual harassment, sexual exploitation and sexual abuse - and to begin open discussions about sexual misconduct. It focuses on the minister's own responsibility and is appropriate for all clergy, parish staff members and volunteers in ministerial roles in the church. It is a required part of advanced catechetical certification and of the diaconate formation and pastoral ministry formation programs.

Increasing her ability to protect children as a religious education coordinator in the parish school of religion at St. Jude the Apostle Church, Vera Bifulco attended the workshop this year as part of the pastoral ministry formation program. "She (Fortunato) always gives excellent workshops. It came at a very good time considering everything going on. The information she has always heightens your awareness."

She added that, "I think it's reassuring to people that we have this program, that all our catechists are screened and have to have driver's license checks and are made aware of the policies. We try to have two adults in every classroom. You want to protect yourself from any negative perception. It's a good safeguard."

Chris Thompson attended the workshop in April as part of his diaconate formation program. He found the training "very valuable" in heightening his awareness of abuse issues and his related responsibilities as a minister. As a deacon he plans to encourage all staff members at his parish, Our Lady of the Assumption, to have the training. "It certainly puts this kind of issue more in the forefront and gives me more concrete kinds of things to look for and concrete kinds of responses that can be made. And with everything that's been going on lately, (it's good) to be able to communicate to the community what the Atlanta Archdiocese is doing, taking a very strong, proactive approach not only to deal with the cases but to prevent this kind of thing by (helping people) know what's going on and what to look for."

The workshop gave him a greater sense of his own boundaries in ministering to others and of signs of boundary violations in others, he said.

"In this day and age we need to be very careful in the things we do and how they might be perceived. We need to be on the lookout for these kinds of things and I guess it (child sexual abuse) happens more often than anybody would like to imagine and if we do (witness it) there is a clear policy the archdiocese has on how to respond."

Participants in the workshop are given handouts on the archdiocese's policy on sexual abuse and Georgia abuse reporting laws, Project Aware information and guidelines for maintaining ministerial boundaries. The information also covers safe ministry to children and youth through things like always having at least two adults present during a program, event or ministry involving children. Directors of religious education can also borrow a video to show on their own. Another workshop, required for basic catechist certification and diaconate and pastoral ministry formation programs, reviews emotional, physical and sexual child abuse, along with pertinent statistics, signs and symptoms to look for, and how to respond to and report it.

"When you work for the church people have an innate trust in you," said Fortunato, Project Aware coordinator. "I wonder how much that's changed since Boston. We have a big responsibility and I think people need to be reminded of that responsibility. People are continuing to want to get the catechetical training scheduled. I think we can feel good we have an established program, an established curriculum in place. We have a policy, a training program . . . It's just making sure we follow through on that."

The program has its own history: Jan Larango, whose sons were sexually abused by a Catholic priest, approached the archdiocese in the early 1990s to establish the program. Its establishment was one of Archbishop James Lyke's last requests before he died.

Compared to other dioceses, "We are pretty unique in what we do, though I don't think we will be anymore. I think it could be a model for other dioceses," Fortunato said.

In the workshop Fortunato also encourages parishes to develop their own response plan for reporting cases of abuse, while following archdiocesan policy and state reporting guidelines. Any agents of the archdiocese are required to report suspected abuse cases to the archdiocese within 24 hours, which is followed by an immediate church investigation. Certain professions are required to report abuse, but clergy are not included in this group in Georgia. but anyone with reasonable cause to believe a child is being abused may make a report to the state. Fortunato encourages all parishes to pick a liaison with her office, and she is available to answer any questions or concerns. She advises persons suspecting church workers of abuse to first share the concern with that person's supervisor.

"One of the things we hope as a by-product (of the workshop) is they make sure in their own parishes if there is a concern about harassment and abuse that everybody on the parish staff knows what to do, that required protocol has been established," she said. "I think a lot of times it gets people thinking. I hope they think a lot about it and bring it up with colleagues."

The workshop outline states that persons are encouraged to "trust your instincts" in checking out potential abuse. And if a victim/survivor approaches someone in the parish, that person should "provide empathy and know the appropriate referral sources."

"Part of why abuse and harassment occur is because people are afraid to come forward and say anything," Fortunato said.

Participants learn how it is the minister's responsibility to set boundaries and maintain the integrity of a relationship, even if the one being ministered to tries to cross them. "We always need to remember because we are representatives of the church-that (it) is a big responsibility. Even though we may not be powerful we represent God to people and protection to those who are vulnerable."

The workshop also addresses less clearly defined violations. "We want people to think about inappropriate boundary crossing. We need to not let that kind of thing slip by. It's not against the law to tell off-color jokes, but it may be inappropriate."

Participants often ask questions about handling and documenting a suspected case of abuse, and how they might advocate for and minister to someone who is abused. Fortunato eventually hopes to offer the training at priests' deanery meetings, and to parents during preparation for baptism and first Communion. "I'd like every person who works in the diocese to have this," she said. Regarding child abuse, "children are so vulnerable and it's the responsibility of adults in their lives to keep them safe. We want to get better in getting the information out to parents and people who work with children."

Before the clergy sex scandals recently surfaced, the coordinator said that one of her challenges was getting people to realize that it could happen within church communities. Statistics indicate that sexual abuse does not discriminate by race, religion, socio-economic status, education or any other grouping. As people now realize, "it can happen even in families of faith...People know priests who seem to be the most holy, the most pious (but) there's that human sin, frailty."

Yet she also noted that of the three million reported cases of child abuse last year, most statistically involved allegations against parents or step-parents.

For information call Project Aware at (404) 885-7459.