St. Joseph Parish Family at 1747 Poquonock Avenue, Poquonock, CT 06064 US - Message from Our Pastor

The scandal of the sexual abuse of minors by clergy and others in the Church has been reported widely in the media for the past 18 months. This has been a trying time for all involved—certainly for those who were abused and their families, as well as other members of the faithful—lay and clergy—as these revelations became known. One step in the process of moving ahead from this dark moment in our history is to do our best to be sure such criminal/immoral activity never occurs again. We must all do our best to protect the children God has given to our family of faith. To that end, the Archdiocese of Hartford, in union with all dioceses around the United States, will implement a series of measures to safeguard minors and other vulnerable people. You have perhaps heard of some of these initiatives as they also have been reported in the media. In this weekend’s bulletin, you will find an announcement detailing reporting procedures for allegations of sexual abuse of minors by clergy, lay employees, or lay volunteers of the Archdiocese of Hartford. This announcement will appear periodically. In the coming weeks, we will also become acquainted with other measures to safeguard minors from abuse, including: 1. a newly revised Sexual Abuse Policy which is in full accordance with state, federal, and Church laws; 2. a Code of Ministerial Conduct which will spell out appropriate behavior for those involved in Church ministry—be they clergy or lay; 3. comprehensive awareness training in the prevention of sexual misconduct; 4. required background checks. All clergy, lay employees, and lay volunteers who regularly have interaction with minors will receive these documents and must acknowledge an understanding of them, as well as undergo such training and background checks. Our parish, like all others in the Archdiocese and across the country, will be impacted by these necessary safeguards in ministering to minors. There may be some inconveniences along the way, but we all know that the purpose is just and good. I thank you in advance for your cooperation. I will keep you advised as other measures are implemented. Father Vargo June 21, 2003

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