St. Philip's Parish is committed to following the policies and guidelines of the Diocese of Fort Worth's Safe Environment Program to ensure a culture of safe and respectful conduct in all ministries. Thank you for assisting us to enhance and protect the dignity and trust of all God's People.
The Safe Environment Program in the Diocese of Fort Worth includes:
All elements must be completed before the start of service.
Safe Environment Awareness training is through Virtus. The initial awareness session is called Protecting God's Children for Adults. Classes are scheduled at the diocesan office, at St. Philip, and at parishes throughout the diocese and you may attend any one of these. The full diocesan schedule is available on the Virtus web site.
Employees and volunteers are required to participate in Safe Environment retraining, renewing every two years. The renewal session is a choice of Keeping the Promise Alive for Adults OR A Plan to Protect For Adults. A new Background evaluation is done periodically and you will be contacted by the Safe Environment Coordinator when this is due.
If you have never attended a Virtus awareness class in the Diocese of Fort Worth, please follow these steps:
1. Complete the Volunteer Ministry Application Form - the fillable form is below. Save it as a PDF and email the completed form to Carolyn Ditsworth or mail to the Parish Office, Attn: Carolyn Ditsworth, St. Philip the Apostle Catholic Church, 5201 Cross Timbers Rd, Flower Mound, TX 75022. DO NOT COMPLETE THE APPLICATION AT THE VIRTUS WEB SITE.
2. Create a Virtus profile. CLICK HERE to enter the Virtus site and "Start Registration."
3. Register for an initial training class from the Virtus site. Initial training classes are entitled "Protecting God's Children for Adults"; please only select options with this title. St Philip options:
LIVE Initial Class - Protecting God's Children for Adults
Saturday October 14, 9 am - 12 noon
*See Virtus website for dates/times at other parishes
You will be contacted regarding any other forms or information needed to complete your Safe Environment certification.
If you have already attended a Virtus class in the Diocese of Fort Worth, you will need to log in to your Virtus account to register for a renewal class.
1. CLICK HERE to log in to your Virtus profile. If you don't remember your password, select "Need login information" and follow the prompts to reset your password.
2. Register for a renewal class (Zoom or Live options available) from the Virtus site. Renewal classes are entitled "Keeping the Promise Alive" or "A Plan to Protect for Adults." Please only select options with these titles. St Philip options:
ONLINE Virtus Renewal via ZOOM (ONLY for those who took Virtus initial 3 hour class)
Wednesday, TBD, 10-11:30 AM - Susan Schabel facilitating Keeping the Promise Alive
VIRTUS Renewal LIVE class - (ONLY for those who have taken Virtus initial 3 hour class)
Saturday, October 21, 10-11:30 am, A Plan to Protect God's People
Monday, October 23, 7-8:30 pm, A Plan to Protect God's People
*See Virtus website for dates/times at other parishes
All youth volunteers must complete Teen Leadership Training to comply with the Diocesan Safe Environment Policy. The training is valid for three years.
Training for ages 13 and under: Contact Carolyn Ditsworth for information on parent-taught lesson.
Training Session for 14-17 years old: TBD. Please contact Carolyn Ditsworth to RSVP.