Our Diocese
Letter to Parish Responsible Ministry Committee Members (PRMCs)
The following letter has been sent to all parishes to reach the Parish Responsible Ministry Committee members (PRMCs) from the Diocesan Responsible Ministry Committee (DRMC). Download letter and training schedule here:
Re: Suggested letter of invitation for the training sessions for High Risk Ministry Personnel
As requested at the last sessions for the PRMCs, enclosed is a letter approved by Bishop Thévenot, M. Afr., which could be used by the PRMCs to invite their High Risk Ministry Personnel to the fall training sessions.
The suggestion of the DRMC is that each PRMC go through the list of High Risk Ministry Positions (Appendix 2 of the Responsible Ministry Protocol) and make a list of the positions occurring in their parish taking note of the individuals serving in these High Risk Ministries. The next step is to make copies of the attached letter on parish letterhead, the training schedule, and Police Record Check (appendix 4d) and give one to each person in your parish ministering in a High Risk Ministry Position. You may also wish to include the chart of training dates with the invitation.
If an individual refuses to do the Police Record Check, disregard it for the moment. Strongly encourage them to attend the 2 hour training session being offered in the deanery. After the training session they may have a change of heart.
If there are any questions please call the Diocesan Centre and speak with Christine Taylor at
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Dear Fellow Parishioner,
You may have heard that the Diocese has launched a Responsible Ministry Protocol, a protection plan for those working with children, youth and vulnerable adults. The purpose of this plan is five-fold:
- to prevent the abuse of children, youth and vulnerable adults;
- to protect the most vulnerable among us;
- to train and support our clergy, employees and volunteers;
- to provide a process for reporting all incidents of abuse, neglect and harm;
- to protect clergy, employees and volunteers against false allegations of abuse.
It is obvious that no protocol will prevent abuse or false allegations of abuse from happening. The intention of the Diocese is to exercise due diligence in narrowing the opportunity for either of these to occur.
This fall, all Ministry Personnel (pastors, employees and volunteers) in the Diocese of Prince Albert who work in High Risk Ministry Positions (those who minister to children, youth and vulnerable adults in positions of trust) will need to attend a two-hour session, which will inform them about the Responsible Ministry Protocol and how the procedures will effect them. The schedule of training dates, places and times is:
Deanery 1: Sacred Heart Cathedral in
Deanery 1: Sacred Heart Cathedral in
Deanery 2: Immaculate Heart Parish in Tisdale September 12 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Deanery 3: St. Odilon Parish in Rosthern September 13 1 p.m. - 3 p.m.
Deanery 4:
Deanery 5: St. Joseph Calasanctius in
Deanery 5: St. Joseph Calasanctius in
Deanery 6: Our Lady of Peace Parish in
If you are not able to attend the session offered in your deanery, you are welcome to attend one in another deanery.
This fall all persons in the Diocese of Prince Albert working with children, youth and vulnerable adults in positions of trust will need to be screened. They will be required to fill out a Ministry Application Form, sign a Covenant of Care and Declaration of Intent, complete a Police Records Check, and be interviewed by a member of the Parish Responsible Ministry Committee tasked with implementing the Protocol.
We are asking those in High Risk Ministries (those ministering to children, youth and vulnerable adults) to get a Police Records Check done as soon as they are able. The application form needed to present to your local police or RCMP detachment is included with this letter. The process is quite simple. Fill out the enclosed form and bring it and two pieces of I.D. (the enclosed form lists the type of I.D. required) to your local police detachment. The officer receiving your application will photocopy your I.D. and give you a form to fill out. If there is a cost for the Police Records Check, bring the receipt back to the parish office for a refund. If your gender and date of birth matches anyone with a criminal record in
For those who volunteer in organizations such as Girl Guides, Boy Scouts, children/youth sport leagues, schools, nursing homes, hospitals, etc., these procedures are the norm for employment or volunteer positions. Some of us may feel that due to the number of scandals in the Church over the last number of years it is about time that the Diocese initiates such a plan. For others who have had no previous encounter with such screening processes, you may feel affronted when asked to enter into this process. We hope that all will enter into this process focused on the purpose of our ministry…the mission of Jesus Christ.
Yours in Christ,
The Parish Responsible Ministry Committee