Education and Training

VIRTUS®

The Office of Safeguard the Children provides ongoing training, support, and resources to help prevent child sexual abuse and to address children’s safety in our parishes, schools, homes and communities.

The Archdiocese of Los Angeles mandates all clergy, staff, whether paid or volunteer, and all volunteers who work in any capacity with or around children, the elderly, or people with special needs to complete the initial three-hour VIRTUS® Protecting God’s Children for Adults™ program. The program helps clergy, staff, volunteers, and parents to understand the facts and myths about child sexual abuse, how perpetrators groom children and young people, and how they, as caring adults, can learn and implement the important “Five Step Plan” to Protect God’s Children in helping to prevent child sexual abuse.

More than 150,000 clergy, staff and volunteers have participated in these training sessions throughout the five Pastoral Regions of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

VIRTUS® Protecting God’s Children™ and Keeping the Promise Alive Recertification– Upcoming Training Sessions click on the region link below:

Safe Environment Training for Short-Term Faculties (Up to Two Months in the Archdiocese)

Priests who receive short-term faculties are required to undergo a background check (fingerprinting) under the California Education Code before commencing their ministry in the archdiocese and must attend archdiocesan safe environment training or provide proof of current certification if they are in the archdiocese for more than 15 days.

VIRTUS® – Begin Registration Process: 
  1. To register for a VIRTUS® session click VIRTUS® – Begin the Registration Process: Click “view a list of sessions” for upcoming VIRTUS® Protecting God’s Children and Keeping the Promise Alive sessions.
  2. Click on “Select your Organization” to view a drop-down menu.
  3. Scroll down to “Los Angeles” to view sessions listed by the five Pastoral Regions.
  4. Clicking “Select” will show you a list of upcoming sessions by location and date.
  5. If a session is only for the parish or school, please select another session.
VIRTUS® Keeping the Promise Alive ™ Recertification Program and other Recertification options

Safe Environment Recertification Training is required every four years for VIRTUS® Keeping the Promise Alive and other options on how to recertify; please click on the link below.