Volunteer Requirements

Essential Three (Safe Environment)

The Safe Environment Office of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, and thus Divine Mercy, has one goal – providing safe environments for all children and vulnerable adults. In light of this, the Archdiocese has mandated three requirements for all volunteers who have regular or unsupervised contact with children and/or vulnerable adults:

Background Checks:

Certain criminal convictions may prevent volunteer applicants from serving in some capacities. Youth (13-17) have to submit two reference letters in lieu of an adult background check.

Driver’s Information:

Whenever an adult volunteer wishes to drive others as part of their responsibilities, the adult must complete or provide:

Motor vehicle records background check
A current Driver’s Information Form
A copy of their driver’s License
VIRTUS – Protecting God’s Children for Adults Safe Environment Training
A VIRTUS training session is a three hour awareness session which better equips adults to protect children in the world around them. Attention: Anyone who had VIRTUS and/or background checks before June 30, 2008 need to be renewed by March 31, 2016.

Volunteer’s Code of Conduct:

The Archdiocesan Volunteers’ Code of Pastoral Conduct establishes standards of ministerial behavior and appropriate boundaries for volunteers.

Age Summary:

Ages 13-17: Two reference letters & Youth Code of Conduct.
Ages 18 & older: Background Check, Adult Code of Conduct, & VIRTUS Training Session.