The Diocese of Owensboro seeks to help all people who have been sexually abused especially those abused by a person working for the Church. Copies of the policy with forms to report an incident are available from the parish office or on the diocesan pastoral website ar www.rcdok.org . Contact phone numbers are: Catholic Pastoral Center at 270-683-1545 to speak to the Bishop or a member of the Diocesan Review Board, Kentucky Child Abuse Hotline 1-800-752-6200, BG Police Department 270-393-4244 or Hope Harbor 270-846-1100.

The Gospels of Mark and Luke include the story where Jesus reprimands his disciples for not allowing little children to come to Him. Jesus asserts that His Father’s Kingdom belongs to little children.

Our Lord was emphasizing the openness, trust, and sheer wide-eyed wonder with which children approach life. He wanted his followers to contemplate the possibilities of God’s Kingdom for them with the same childlike wonder.

It is extremely sad, therefore, to contemplate the terrible effects that the crime of child sexual abuse has on children and young people and their families, and sadder still to consider that this has occurred within our Church.

The mission of the diocese’s “Safe Environment Program” is to insure the safety of children and young people who have been entrusted to our care in our parishes, schools, religious education classes, and other programs.

We pursue this mission in four ways:

1. By thoroughly screening and supervising all Church ministers, employees and volunteers who work with children and young people as part of their ministry.
2. By providing appropriate training in recognizing and reporting child abuse.
3. By holding all Church ministers, employees and volunteers who work with children and young people to Christ-centered and professional codes of conduct.
4. By providing the opportunity for every minor in Catholic schools and parish faith formation programs to participate annually in a safety training covering the topics of sexual abuse prevention and the need to tell if abuse is occurring.

Parish Contacts - 270-842-7777 Matthew Keyser x 106 & Cheryl Powell  x 102 

Summary of the “Statement of Policy and Procedures on Sexual Abuse” for the Diocese of Owensboro.