Program Requirements

It is the policy of the Dioceses of Detroit to have all employees and volunteers working with our youth and vulnerable adults to have completed and fulfilled specific requirements prior to beginning services, and a record of such information be maintained. These requirements apply to all who, “are involved with minors on a regular, recurring basis, and those who may have an opportunity to be alone with children during parish, religious education or religious education sponsored events.”

To ensure the safety of our youth, the Diocese of Detroit adopted the Protecting God’s Children (PGC) Virtus) program. As mandated by the Diocese of Detroit, St. James Parish and Religious Education Program require our volunteers (over the age of 18) who work with our children, in any capacity and for any length of time, to attend a Protecting God’s Children Workshop, as well as undergo a criminal background check prior to providing volunteer services.
Please contact the Parish’s PGC Coordinator at 248-347-3434 for questions regarding the Protecting God’s Children Program.

The Protecting God’s Children program is the VIRTUS program aimed at protecting children from child sexual abuse. Protecting God’s Children is a 3-hour awareness session for adults in the faith community who interact with minors.

Participants are taught to identify situations that could leave a child vulnerable, the signs that a child may have experienced abuse, the methods of sexual offenders, and critical steps to help prevent abuse. The program has trained more than 101,000 adults in the Archdiocese of Detroit parishes, schools, and other ministries, creating a united faith community that is uniquely qualified to protect our children.

Who is required to attend Protecting God's Children workshops?

• All clergy working in the Archdiocese of Detroit
• All adult paid employees of Central Services, Parishes, and Catholic Schools
• All adult volunteers who have regular and/or unsupervised contact with minors

Not our compliance, but our calling

Often when we hear about the efforts of the Church in regard to sexual abuse, we hear about the importance of compliance with the USCCB Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. From a faith environment perspective, the importance is not in our compliance, but in our calling. As Catholics, we are called to respect the life and dignity of every human person from conception to natural death. The Charter guides us in action to our calling. Our calling furthers the Gospel message of Christ.

Background Checks

As a Church, we value the safety of children in our care, our employees and volunteers, and the people whom we serve. The Archdiocese of Detroit mandates that criminal history background checks be conducted for all employees and volunteers who may have unsupervised contact with a child, the elderly, or persons with disabilities.