Creating and maintaining a safe environment for everyone in our parish, especially our youth, is paramount. All volunteers, clergy and staff at Holy Cross must complete the safe environment (CORI check) offered by the diocese through the VIRTUS program. 

 

Effective July 11, 2022, all VIRTUS® Protecting God’s Children for Adults (“Safe Environment Training”) for new clergy, seminarians, diocesan/parish/school/agency employees, educators, and volunteers/other persons who are required to be trained but have not previously completed Safe Environment Training will be conducted via live, in-person instruction.

The OSEVA will offer weekly in-person Safe Environment training sessions. These three-hour training sessions will be held at the Pastoral Center in Springfield on the following days and times. Please note that a ZOOM option is available for those unable to attend live, in-person instruction.

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 9:00 AM -- FIRST AND THIRD MONDAY OF EACH MONTH
 1:00 PM -- SECOND AND FOURTH MONDAY OF EACH MONTH
 6:00 PM -- SECOND THURSDAY OF EACH MONTH

To create an account and register for a session, please go to VIRTUS®Online at www.virtusonline.org. Persons who already have a VIRTUS®Online account, should register for a session using the “Register for a Training” icon on the home screen.

In addition to weekly trainings offered at the Pastoral Center and by Zoom, additional trainings will be offered in-person throughout the Diocese by VIRTUS® facilitators. To view a complete schedule of trainings (in-person and remote by Zoom) or to register for a training, log into your VIRTUS® account.

VIRTUS® RE-CERTIFICATION TRAINING

Clergy, seminarians, diocesan/parish/school/agency employees, educators, and volunteers who have completed Safe Environment Training prior to July 1, 2021 will be required to complete re-certification training no later than October 31, 2022. Re-certification training is a prerequisite for all clergy, seminarians, diocesan/parish/school/agency employees, educators, and volunteers wishing to remain eligible for ministry within the Diocese of Springfield.

The re-certification training consists of an online module “A Plan to Protect God’s Children, 4.0,” provided through your VIRTUS®Online account. The training takes approximately 30 to 60 minutes to complete.

For persons who are required to re-certify, an email will be sent from VIRTUS® prompting the individual to complete the required training. In addition, when the persons logs into their VIRTUS®Online account, the “Home Tab” will show under “Current Training” that “You have 1 online module assigned.”

To complete the re-certification training, please log into your VIRTUS®Online account and complete the training listed under your “Current Training” tab.

The CORI  and Code of Conduct forms still must be completed and sent in along with a copy of a photo ID. Contact Cathy Daniel, our Child Advocate, at 413-372-6239 or hcc.cathy@gmail.com to obtain the forms.

Information about the safe environment program, and all of the programs offered through the diocesan Office of Child and Youth Protection are available on the diocesan website by clicking here.