Diocese found compliant in national audit
November 9, 2007 , Worcester , MA — The Office of the Bishop announced today that the Diocese of Worcester was found compliant in the 2007 Audit conducted in early October as part of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. The bishop was notified of the results in a letter from the Gavin Group, the Boston-based audit firm which was contracted by the Office of Child and Youth Protection of the Unites States Conference of Catholic Bishops. This was the third audit performed since the charter was initially implemented in 2002 and the third time the Diocese of Worcester was found in full compliance. The audit preparation was coordinated by Monsignor Thomas Sullivan, chancellor for the diocese.
Most Rev. Robert J. McManus, S.T.D., Bishop of Worcester, thanked all who were involved in preparing for the audit and have been addressing the issues on an ongoing basis, “notably the staffs of the Office for Healing and Prevention, the Office of Religious Education, and the Catholic Schools Office, as well as Catholic school administrators, pastors and parish safe environment coordinators, hundreds of teachers and catechists, and the Diocesan Review Committee. A successful audit represents the work of many people over several years.”
The audit instrument involved reviewing procedures and performance of 13 of the 17 articles of the charter. Articles 8 through 11 do not apply to local diocesan audits as they deal with the national office issues and the reporting between the national bishops’ conference and the Holy See. Areas audited locally include reporting and working with authorities, background screening and record keeping, outreach to victims and families, codes of conduct, and training.
Bishop McManus also noted the continued commitment of the Diocese of Worcester to the spirit of the charter as well as its details. He said “the diocese will continue to be vigilant in its effort to insure the safety of all its people. In the immediate future we will be focusing our attention on strengthening the safe environment training programs in our Catholic high schools and I look forward to seeing the results of new initiatives taking place.”
As in years past, it is expected that the complete audit reports of all the dioceses and eparchies in the United States will be published once the audit process is concluded around the country. Past audit reports and other information are available at usccb.org/ocyp.
Diocese given favorable audit report
February 10, 2005 , Worcester , MA — Most Reverend Robert J. McManus, S.T.D., Bishop of Worcester, announced today that the National Audit of Catholic dioceses on their compliance with the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People had given a favorable report to the Diocese of Worcester. The audit was conducted last December by the Gavin Group, an independent auditing firm whose auditors have years of experience in law enforcement.
"I am pleased to see that this audit has once again confirmed the commitment our diocese has made to healing for those who seek the Church's assistance and restoring trust to the faithful community as a whole," said Bishop McManus. "A great injustice was done to these victims of sexual abuse by members of the Church. While there is no simple answer on how to foster healing in their lives, we join with the rest of the Church in expressing our sorrow for the pain which was inflicted upon them and their families. We will continue to work with those victims who have approached us to address their individual needs. The sincerest response we can make to the community as a whole is to continue to strengthen the policies, procedures and spirit of our local policies and the national charter. This audit recognizes that commitment."
No specific recommendations for improvements were cited. It is expected that the national results will be released in Washington later this month by the Office of Child Protection of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. The audit report is posted on the diocesan website at www.worcesterdiocese.org.
2004 Audit Executive Summary: Diocese of Worcester (USCCB Office of Child & Youth Protection)