Thank you for your interest in serving as a volunteer at St. Joseph Catholic Church. The Archdiocese of Baltimore and St. Joseph Catholic Church are committed to providing a safe environment for children and youth. We will exclude from ministry, employment and volunteer service anyone against whom there is a credible allegation of child abuse.
All parents and adult volunteers in any of the ministries at St. Joseph must be fully compliant with the Archdiocese child protection policies before they can serve as volunteer.
VIRTUS is the child protection compliance management system used by all Archdiocese of Baltimore schools and parishes (WWW.VIRTUSONLINE.ORG). Please note in VIRTUS our parish location is listed as Joseph Odenton, St. (Odenton).
ADULT VOLUNTEERS
PRIOR volunteers, who registered and served before October 31, 2017 on the former system, Shield the Vulnerable, do NOT need to create a new volunteer account on VIRTUS. All records transferred from Shield the Vulnerable to VIRTUS. However, please check if your training and background check are still current (within the last five years).
All NEW volunteers are required to register using VIRTUS.
POLICIES:
VIRTUS will direct volunteers to review the Code of Conduct for Church Personnel and A Statement of Policy for the Protection of Children and Youth.
TRAINING:
VIRTUS will direct volunteers to complete the new online training Protecting God’s Children.
BACKGROUND CHECKS:
The Archdiocese of Baltimore will continue to work with Employment Screening Resources (ESR) to conduct online criminal history screening; as part of the registration process, VIRTUS will direct volunteers to the ESR website where they will be asked to submit to an online criminal history screening.
REFERENCES:
Archdiocesan policy requires volunteers to provide THREE references:
(1) Personal (if previously worked or volunteered in the Archdiocese, reference must be the applicant’s most recent supervisor).
(2) Family Member/Other Personal
(3) Professional/Civic (if providing a business address or phone, provide company name as well).
YOUTH VOLUNTEERS AGES 14-17
Presently there is no requirement for Teen Volunteers to register with VIRTUS (although expected in the future). All applicants for volunteer service who are at least 14 years of age must:
1. Complete the Application for Volunteer Service.
The application must be signed by the volunteer’s parent or guardian. The signature must be placed beneath the applicant’s signature.
2. Have three references listed.
Be sure to include complete and current email addresses and telephone numbers for your three references on page 2. The references must be adults. A teacher, principal, pastor, etc. may be the “Professional Reference”.
3. Complete WORTHY OF THE CALL Training.
Minor volunteers, between the ages of 14 and 17, must receive age appropriate child and youth protection training utilizing the Archdiocese training video, Worthy of the Call. This training is not currently available on-line. Please contact the parish office, to arrange a training date.
Minor volunteers, 14-17 years old, do not receive a criminal background check.
Youth Volunteers Under Age 14
Children under 14 are considered to be doing Christian service and need not acquire volunteer certification requirements. It is required that a parent (VIRTUS Certified) volunteers with the child.
If you have any volunteer questions or are in need of assists please contact Briana Kaczmarek (secretary@stjosephodenton.org) or 410-674-9238.
