According to the Missouri Department of Social Services, in Fiscal Year 2017 there were 1132 substantiated incidents of child sexual abuse in Missouri involving 1261 children, 214 of whom were in the counties of our diocese.  You can help prevent this from happening and ensure that our parishes, schools and homes are safe places for all children.  The Diocese of Jefferson City will hold three VIRTUS® Protecting God’s Children classes in Columbia on the following dates:

• Monday, August 27, 2018 at 6:30 p.m. at Our Lady of Lourdes parish.  Class will be held in Flanagan Hall.
• Thursday, September 6, 2018 at 6:30 p.m. at St. Thomas Moore Newman Center.  Class will be held in the Disciples Room.
• Sunday, September 16, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. at St. Thomas Moore Newman Center.  Class will be held in the Disciples Room.

Participants should register in advance at www.virtus.org.  Please arrive early so that the class may begin on time.  Due to the nature of the subject, children are discouraged from attending.

This program is one component of the overall effort to protect God’s children and vulnerable adults.  All employees and volunteers with ongoing and unsupervised contact with children and youth are required to attend a Protecting God’s Children session.  All parents, grandparents and other adults in the parish community are encouraged to attend.  To view valuable resources regarding the protection of children and vulnerable adults, please go to https://diojeffcity.org/child-and-youth-protection-2/,  www.virtus.org or the USCCB’s website at http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/child-and-youth-protection/index.cfm.