Our prayer for service
Creator Father, life is your gift to us and through Baptism you invite us
to share the gift of our lives in service to others.
Be with us each day as we choose to show your presence in the world.
Give us the courage and generosity to accept your love and your call.
We pray especially for all those who serve you as liturgical ministers,
pastoral ministers, outreach and faith formation ministers, hospitality
and maintenance ministers.
Keep them close you to you. Open their hearts and minds and the
hearts and minds of all our parishioners, that they may accept your call
to follow the gospel life in the spirit of St. Anthony. Amen.
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power.
Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh,
but against the rulers, against the authorities,
against the cosmic powers of this present darkness,
against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Ephesians 6:10-12 | NRSVCE
Working with Minors and Vulnerable Adults
St. Anthony’s Parish is committed to providing a Safe Environment for ministering to all vulnerable persons (minors and adults) by following the standards set out by the Calgary Catholic Diocese Strengthening Our Parish Communities protocols, including screening, training for abuse prevention and reporting and collaboration with civil authorities.
Active ministries at St. Anthony’s Parish which involve ministry with vulnerable persons include:
Altar Servers
Choirs with youth and/or children
Sacramental Preparation
Pastoral Care
Youth Ministry
Legion of Mary
Knights of Columbus
Society of St. Vincent de Paul
Spiritus Sanctus Homeschool Coop
El Shaddai
Missionary Families of Christ
Building Key Holders
Any parishioner or employee in a high trust position
Preparation for service with Vulnerable Persons
When interacting with vulnerable persons it is necessary to register our intent to volunteer,
educate ourselves on the issues of vulnerability and creating a safe environment, and obtain
a Vulnerable Sector Police Clearance Certificate. Our duty to care is an act of generosity and charity.
Here are the protocols to follow to prepare for service at St. Anthony’s Church.
Step 1: Register your intent to serve:
- Complete the Volunteer Information Form.
- Send your completed forms to ministryscreening@stanthonysyyc.ca.
Step 2: Familiarize yourself with the accountability and responsibility when serving vulnerable people with the Diocese of Calgary:
All ministry members:
- Read the Diocese of Calgary Code of Pastoral Conduct and Accountability for Volunteers.
- Read the Diocese of Calgary Appendix for the Code of Pastoral Conduct and Accountability for Volunteers
- Sign and date the Acknowledgement: Code of Conduct and Accountability for Volunteers
- Sign and date the Confidentiality Agreement.
- Send your completed Acknowledgement form and Confidentiality Agreement to ministryscreening@stanthonysyyc.ca
Ministry members with direct contact and responsibility for vulnerable persons:
- Read the Diocese of Calgary Working with Minors and Vulnerable Adults
- Sign and date the Agreement to Working with Minors and Vulnerable Adults
- Send your completed Agreement form to ministryscreening@stanthonysyyc.ca.
Step 3: Police Information Check and Sexual Abuse Prevention Training:
A) Obtain your Vulnerable Sector Police Information Check or Police Information Check
When you receive a letter to obtain a Police Information Check or a Vulnerable Sector Police Clearance Certificate from our office go to https://www.calgary.ca/cps/public-services/police-information-checks.html
B) Complete the required Sexual Abuse Prevention Training when working with Vulnerable Persons:
The objectives of the training are:
- To gain an understanding of what sexual abuse is
- To understand how molesters gain access to children
- To gain an understanding of the impact of abuse on victims.
- Learn how to create a safe environment
- Learn what to do if a child or vulnerable adult discloses abuse to you
When you receive an invitation to access Praesidium Academy, complete the onboarding information and the required training modules:
All ministry members must complete the following once.
- Meet Sam
- It Happened to Me
- Keeping Your Church Safe
- Your Policies (review of the Diocese Agreement to the Code of Pastoral Conduct and Accountability)
All ministry members are required to complete the Abuse Prevention Module or an equivalent Praesidium course (as determined by the Diocese of Calgary) every 2 years.
When working directly with minors (under the age of 18) you are also required to also complete:
- Duty to Report Mandated Reporter
- Preventing Bullying
- Social Media Safety
When working directly with Vulnerable Adults you are also required to also complete:
- Preventing Elder Abuse and Neglect
- Preventing Abuse Against Adults with Disabilities
Step 4: Respond to the invitation to serve in a particular ministry:
- You will be invited to participate in an interview conducted by the ministry leader to determine your readiness for service in that ministry.
- Sign and date your assigned role description from the pastor.
- Attend the prayer meetings and training with your ministry group.
- Identify your availability and commit to fulfilling your assigned tasks.
Maintain your Service file:
- Renew your Police Information Certificate every 5 years.
- Update your training as requested.
- Email ministryscreening@stanthonysyyc.ca to enquire about your status.