FAQs
Signing in books in the sacristy – who needs to sign and when? There are altar servers at some Masses, but not all. Should they sign at weddings/ funerals/ baptisms/ weekday masses/ etc? sometimes there are altar servers, often from the family at the cent
There should be a Sacristy Register or signing in book in every sacristy. This MUST be signed at each Mass or Ceremony by all priests , servers, sacristan, server helpers and anybody who is in the sacristy.
Should the priest/ sacristan sign in at every Mass or just where there are children present?
If there are no servers present, then line to be in saying NO SERVERS. However, it must be filled in by priests and sacristan etc.
This is our only record of who was in the sacristy. A hard book / register should be used and once full, retained and stored in parish.
Do Parish Safeguarding Reps need to attend another full day safeguarding training, if already done one previously?
With the new training programme, anybody who has previously undertaken a full days training, only need to do a 3 hour refresher every 3 years.
Will safeguarding training be delivered online in the future?
We hope to start rolling out the adult safeguarding information sessions online in the next few months. We are currently looking at developing an online information session for parishes in relation to children, instead of the parish based info sessions in the past
If we have existing Altar servers returning, do we need to have a new parental / guardian consent form signed?
If there are no changes and the last form signed included permission for photos, etc then no.
Do Church stewards need to be Garda vetted?
As stewards do not have a role with children or vulnerable adults thy do not need to be vetted.
What will happen if I report abuse?
Reporting abuse is always difficult. We will try to make it as easy as possible for you. Normally we will meet with you to hear your account of abuse. We will discuss and agree with you where the meeting should take place. We can meet you in our offices but if that is inconvenient or otherwise difficult for you we can arrange to meet in a place of your choosing. If you do not want to meet us, we will take your complaint over the phone, by letter or in an e-mail.
Can I report abuse in confidence?
Any information that you share with us will be treated with the utmost respect and only shared with the people who need to know it. We are required to share information about abuse with the civil authorities, that is, the PSNI & Gardai as well as Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, or the relevant Health and Social Care Trust. We also need to share the information with some colleagues in the Diocese. If you tell us that you were abused by a person who is still alive, we will put your complaint to that person in order to get their response to it.
We will explain all of this to you when we hear from you and before you tell us about the abuse so that you can make an informed decision about sharing your information with us.
What support will I be offered?
We will put you in touch with Towards Healing. This is an organisation that provides a range of services to people who were abused by priests and religious and for their families. One of the services they provide is counselling. The service is free and there is no waiting list.
Marie will also keep in touch with you to let you know how the Diocese is dealing with your complaint if that is your wish. Alternatively, you will be offered the assistance of a Support Person to accompany you through the process of dealing with your complaint if that is your preference.
What if I do not want to report abuse to the Diocese?
You can take your complaint directly to the PSNI/Gardai or to Tulsa, the Child and Family Agency (ROI), or the relevant Health and Social Care Trust (NI). These Telephone Numbers are listed above. If you are unsure who to approach we can assist you with this.
If the allegation relates to church personnel in the Diocese of Derry, it would be helpful if you let us know that you have reported this matter to the PSNI/Gardai.
What if the person that abused me was not a priest or in any way connected with the Church?
If you are having any difficulty finding out who you should contact, we will be happy to advise you.