The Archeparchy of Pittsburgh is committed to protecting the rights, safety and dignity of every person, especially children, entrusted to its pastoral care and to implementing fully the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People adopted by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, including programs to increase awareness and promote safe environments for children and youth engaged in activities on the parish, protopresbyterate and Archieparchial levels.

Any person who has an allegation of sexual misconduct against a member of the clergy or other person working for or on behalf of the Church in the Archeparchy of Pittsburgh should contact the Office of Clergy by writing or calling: 66 Riverview Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15214, 412-231-4000.

The Archeparchy will respond immediately to all allegations of sexual abuse. All allegations of sexual misconduct against minors will be turned over to the proper civil authorities.

In addition to investigating the complaint, the Archeparchy offers individualized pastoral care to victims of abuse that may include counseling, spiritual assistance, and referrals to support groups.

The Archeparchy's policy requires all catechists, volunteers and employees who work regularly with children in the church to undergo criminal background checks and state-specific child abuse history clearances. They are obligated as well to participate in a Safe Environment Workshop developed and coordinated by the Office of Religious Education (ORE) or similar programs conducted by the Latin Catholic dioceses in outlying regions of the Archeparchy, such as Texas and Louisiana, by agreement with the Archeparchy. Contact the Safe Environment Coordinator, Sister Agnes Knapik, OSB (330-856-1813) for information about the Safe Environment Program.

The Archeparchy's workshop includes a review of the national Charter, the Archeparchy’s Policy on Sexual Misconduct, the Code of Conduct developed by the Archeparchy especially for those working with children and youth, and the process relating to obtaining individual background checks. Catechists also receive lesson plans for “Safe Environment” issues to correspond with the God With Us curriculum, along with a self-check list on creating a safe environment.

A Guide to the Sexual Misconduct Policy of the Metropolitan Archeparchy of Pittsburgh and a copy of the policy itself are available in Portable Document Format (PDF) on the Archeparchy’s Web site by clicking on the Available Downloads link, in the grey-shaded box above right. Printed copies of each are also available through the Office of Communications, Metropolitan Archeparchy of Pittsburgh, 66 Riverview Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 412-231-4000, ext. 21.