As part of our ongoing effort to promote a safe environment for youth and minors, our Abbey and Diocese have undertaken an extensive effort at safe environment training for adults and youth, background checks for adults who have access to minors, and a comprehensive continuing education program.
To that end, Abbot Elijah has assigned Fr. Patrick Boland O.S.B. as the “Monastic Safe Environment Coordinator" for Subiaco, with Karla Kennedy serving as the "Lay Safe Environment Coordinator" for Subiaco This role encompass all aspects of Safe Environment training, background checks and record keeping necessary for Subiaco Abbey, Academy, Alumni and any other organization working with youth using our Subiaco facilities.
Included within this mandate is their role as Site Administrators for both Subiaco Abbey and Subiaco Academy for the diocesan Safe Training Environment Program, namely, "CMG Connect/Circle of Grace." All dioceses in the United States are required to provide safe environment training for children and youth. This is not “sex education.” Rather, it is age-appropriate information for children and youth so they can know how to help create safe environments for themselves, identify abuse either by adult or student, and what to do when they feel that a certain environment is not safe.
For our children and youth, the Diocese of Little Rock and Subiaco Abbey use Circle of Grace, a program developed by the Archdiocese of Omaha and endorsed by Catholic Mutual Group. For a brief video introduction of the program, you may click below: