Volunteer Compliance Requirements

The safety of our children and vulnerable adults is our highest priority. In compliance with the requirements of the Archdiocese of Chicago, St.Joseph Catholic Church requires all priests, staff, and volunteers to complete the following requirements: All volunteers must complete the following requirements set forth by the Archdiocese of Chicago to comply with the Archdiocesan mission to protect children and young people. Please email Marilyn Williamson at [email protected] if you have any questions. All must be completed and/or updated annually to volunteer with youth and/or vulnerable adults at St. Joseph Catholic Church.

VIRTUS/Protecting God's Children/Keeping the Promise Alive/Vulnerable Adult Training

All our regular volunteers must complete the VIRTUS: Protecting God’s Children Training. VIRTUS, a national training developed in Washington DC in 1998 by the National Catholic Risk Retention Group Inc., equips adults to recognize and respond to early signs of child sexual abuse in order to prevent the abuse of minors and vulnerable adults. All adults who work with minors and vulnerable adults must attend the Protecting God’s Children program, which educates adults on the issues surrounding child sexual abuse, teaches them how to recognize signs of abuse, and equips them to respond to suspicious behavior. In addition to attending the Protecting God’s Children training, all adults working with minors and vulnerable adults must continue their education by periodically reading articles and watching videos that are assigned to them. Our parish has online access to every volunteer’s VIRTUS records, which enables us to ensure that all volunteers are up-to-date on their training.

Complete online VIRTUS training. Please make sure you follow all prompts to complete all background checks and trainings. If there are any RED boxes that are outdated, please update them. There are monthly bulletins emailed that you must stay up to date on. If you are working with vulnerable adults, you must complete the Vulnerable Adult Training online training. This replaces PGC.
Link to instructions
Link to VIRTUS website


Background Check/CANTS 689 Form
Volunteers must complete a background check. All background checks are completed by an agency approved by the Archdiocese of Chicago and provide a complete criminal history of the individual. This empowers us to screen out individuals who present any danger to minors or vulnerable adults. This is an annual form that requires renewal after July 1st. Please print the form, sign it, and turn it in to the Parish Office.
Link to downloadable form


Archdiocesan Standards of Behavior Form (Formerly Code of Conduct) 
This is an annual form that requires renewal after July 1st. Please print the form, sign it, and turn it in to the Parish Office.
Link to downloadable form


Mandated Reporter Training
All of our volunteers who work with children must complete Mandated Reporter Training. Mandated Reporter Training provides adults mandated by state law and Archdiocesan policy to report suspected child abuse and neglect with information on how to recognize and report child abuse and neglect. This requirement includes school personnel, clergy, DREs/CREs, catechists, youth ministers, and coaches. Please print the certificate you receive at the end of the training and turn it in to the Parish Office. The certificate for this training is good for three years.
Link to instructions
Link to Mandated Reporter Training


CANTS 22 Form
This is an annual form that requires renewal after July 1st. Please print the form, sign it, and turn it in to the Parish Office.
Link to downloadable form