Primary Educators League

What will happen with "safe environments" under Archbishop Nienstedt

2007-04-25T17:25:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, Bishop Nienstedt from the Diocese of New Ulm was named the new coadjutor Archbishop for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. According to this article in the Star Tribune, Bishop Nienstedt will shadow Archbishop Flynn for about one year until Archbishop Flynn retires.

It will be intesting to see if Archbishop Flynn essentially steps away from the day to day operational activities of the archdiocese and lets coadjutor Archbishop Nienstedt take the realm and make decisions.

Given the controversy over the "safe environments" initiative in the Twin Cities, it will be interesting to see if he allows the status quo to prevail. If he is truly shadowing Archbishop Flynn for one year, we can expect to see no changes to the "safe environments" programs for the 2007-2008 school year.

From what can be seen online, the Diocese of New Ulm acted almost immediately after the U.S. Bishops enacted the Charter for the Protection of Children and Youth. The diocese also appears to have provided significant transparency unlike our archdiocese. Here's a link to their "safe environments" programs.

If you want to learn more about how coadjutor Archbishoph Nienstedt thinks, he appears to have published a significant amount of material on the Diocese of New Ulm's web site.

"Out of Harms Way" Assessment: Grades 5-8

2007-03-27T10:30:00.000-05:00

The "safe environments" programs have kicked off in full force during the month of March as the parish schools need to complete the four lessons before the school year ends. This e-mail is concerning the “Out of Harms Way” program for our 5th – 8th graders.

We have confirmed that the 5th – 8th graders must take this assessment (click here to launch the PDF of the assessment). (Remember that a 5th grader is usually 10 years old). It will be given prior to the first lesson as well as after the fourth lesson. The same assessment is given to all grades (5-8). They will then be able to track the improvement based upon how each child answers the pre/post assessment.

All across the Twin Cities, parents received, or are soon likely to receive, a parents pack of information concerning the upcoming “safe environment” program for their 5th-8th graders. From what we've seen, there's very little information about the specific lessons that will be taught in the classroom for the “Out of Harms Way" program. We have not seen or heard that any parish mailed out copies of the assessment for the parents to review prior to their child being exposed to it. If your parish is hosting a curriculum night for the “safe environments” programs, we highly encourage you to attend and participate. If you can’t make it, schedule an appointment with the school/parish administration to review the materials.

Many who are on our e-mail list probably don't have their children at one of the parishes using this material. However, roughly 60-70% of the parishes in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis are using the "Out of Harms Way" program and their children will need to take this pre/post assessment. We encourage you to pass this on to people at other parishes.

Given that some parishes have started their “safe environments” programs, your child may have already been exposed to the “Out of Harms Way” assessment by the time you receive this e-mail. If you have an issue with this assessment, we would encourage you to call your school administration, school board members, pastor, and parish council members to discuss this matter.

It is unclear as to how this information might be reported. Having assessments are standard practice in education, but given the sensitive nature of this material, and the circumstances surrounding why the Church is pursuing this path, is this really the rightful position of the Church to step in and assess our children about these issues without the parents giving their blessing?

Here are some questions that you may want to have answered before your child takes the assessment:

1) Will parents receive copies of their child's pre/post assessment results after the completion of the program for each year?

2) Does the school/parish keep copies and a record of each child's assessment for each year?

3) If the school/parish keep copies or a record of each child's pre/post assessment, who has access to that information? What is the guaranty of confidentiality and privacy? (After all, this isn’t just another math test).

4) Do the results get sent back to the archdiocese and/or to the KidWISE Institute?

5) Is the school, parish, and/or archdiocese keeping a "safe environments" file on each student in the school for the duration of their attendance in that Catholic school?

The parishes and schools are diligently keeping track of each child who is in attendance for each lesson and which ones that are not in attendance. Additionally, they are keeping track of the reasons why your child is not attending...i.e. did he/she just happen to be sick that day, or did the parents opt him/her out. It seems like the Church doesn't pay nearly this kind of attention to those who receive the sacraments of First Confession, First Communion or Confirmation.

Please contact us if you run in to any challenges in discussing this information with your school and parish leadership. It is likely you will need to go beyond the level of your child's teacher and principal to make any headway. You may want to discuss this with your pastor and school board members to see if they agree as to whether or not they believe this assessment is appropriate for 5th – 8th graders in Catholic school.

Please consider joining our e-mail list at www.primaryeducators.org. We don't send out a lot of e-mails, but if you want to stay informed please join the list. The issue with the "safe environments" does not appear to be going away any time soon.

"Talking About Touching" 3rd Grade Lesson - Kerry's Story

2007-03-23T21:02:00.000-05:00

Here's what our third graders will be learning in our Catholic schools across the Twin Cities during the months of March and April.

This is one of the required lessons as part of the "safe environments" initiative. It's also known as the Kerry lesson plan. If you'd like confirmation, you can listen to these clips from the Relevant Radio broadcast last year. There are two clips here and here.

The Archdiocese has published information on its site as well.

If you have difficulty viewing this lesson plan, you'll find it on our web site.

"Talking About Touching" 2nd Grade Lesson Plan - Ian's Story

2007-03-23T20:50:00.000-05:00

Here's what the second graders will be learning in Catholic schools across the Twin Cities during the months of March and April this spring.

For more information about the "Talking About Touching" program for our K-4th graders see here, and here. If you'd like to confirm that the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis is using this material, you can find it on its web site here.

If you have difficulty viewing this image, you can download it here.

Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis Policy on Safe Environments - Under Revision

2007-03-23T20:39:00.000-05:00

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis is in the process of updating its policy on safe environments called, "A Time to Heal: Preventing and Responding to Ministry-Related Sexual Misconduct." It is currently being revised. It will be interesting to see what the revisions bring.

It's good to know that we're only talking about misconduct here and not abuse.

Should you sign the opt-out form?

2007-03-23T20:09:00.000-05:00

Since the "safe environments" initiative has begun in earnest, the Catholic schools are being told to keep very accurate records as to who is attending the lesson plans and who isn't. For the kids who are not in attendance, they want to know why that child was missing. Was he/she just sick? Did his parents opt him/her out? Did the parents sign the opt-out form? Did they refuse to sign the opt-out form?

The question of whether or not parents should sign the opt-out form was discussed in the following blog entry .

If you have further questions, please don't hesitate to call the Office of Child and Youth Protection at the USCCB headquarters in Washington, D.C. at 202-541-3000. Teresa Kettlekamp is the head of the deparment. Sheila Kelly is her deputy.

"Safe Environments" begin in the Twin Cities

2007-03-23T20:03:00.000-05:00

We've heard that the "safe environments" programs have either kicked off or are about to once kids get back from spring break this week.

Many parishes have mailed out the parents package of information to inform the parents about the initiative. As usual though, there appears to be very little information about the actual lessons themselves included in the parents pack.

While the archdiocese encourage parishes to have public meetings for parents to come and review the material, it's doesn't appear that many did. Most parishes made some kind of note that parents could come in and review the materials. From what we've heard it sounds like very few came in to look at the material, thus there's very little outcry over the content that will be taught to our children.

Archdiocese of St.Paul and Minneapolis - Protection of Children and Youth Web Site

2007-02-21T21:26:00.000-06:00

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis now has published quite a bit of information about the safe environments program in the Twin Cities.

On the site you'll find a "History of the Initiative in the Archdiocese," as well as a detailed outline of the safe environments program and some articles from the Catholic Spirit, found here and here.

It's nice to see all of this information published with the links established.

Opting out of "Safe Environments" Programs...Must Parents Sign an Opt Out Form?

2007-02-06T21:25:00.000-06:00

Many parents have been contacting us wondering whether or not they should sign an official document that their schools are demanding they sign in they are going to withhold their children from the "safe environments" instruction.

It's important to note that the USCCB relaxed requirements recently regarding this exact situation. We posted a blog entry here which contains the original Catholic News Service story about the bishops relaxing their auditing requirements.

According to the information out of the USCCB as reported by the Catholic News Service, parents are not required to sign a document stating that they are opting their child out of the program.

By signing the opt-out form, parents may be exposing themselves to legal liability at some future date. Give it some serious thought before you decide whether or not to sign the paper opting your child out of these lesson plans. What are they going to do...kick your child out of school? If they threaten that, please let us know.

"Safe Environments" 4 TAT Lessons in 4 Months

2007-02-06T21:06:00.000-06:00

The "safe environments" initiative for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis is about to kick in to high gear. Not much has been going on up until now. However, with Catholic Schools week out of the way, there remain only four more months in the school year. Most Catholic schools still have four "Talking About Touching" (TAT) lessons that they need to complete.

Since it has been awhile since many parents have been reminded about the kind of material that will be taught to our young children, please review some TAT lessons here. (There are links from this page to specific lesson plans). The Ian lesson will be taught to our second graders which can be found here. The Kerry lesson will be taught to our third graders and can be found here. This is material that the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and many of our Catholic schools have made incredibly difficult for parents to preview before our children see it and discuss it in the classroom.

If you need more background on "Talking About Touching," more information is posted on our website.

Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis: "Safe Environments" and Sexuality Education should be taught together

2007-02-06T20:25:00.000-06:00

Sr. Fran Donnelly, BVM, Director of the Protection of Children and Youth Inititiative for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, recently sent out this e-mail to all catechetical leaders and those involved in teaching "safe environments" in our Catholic schools and religious education classes.

We have stated for months about our concern that we are introducing scary and deviant sexual scenarios to our young children which may well shatter their innocence. Addtionally, many have expressed concern that there may be an alternative agenda since many of the themes found promoted in VIRTUS and "Talking About Touching" look all too familiar to those promoted by Planned Parenthood and SIECUS.

Now we read in Sr. Fran Donnelly's January 2007 e-mail broadcast that not only does Teresa Kettlekamp, Executive Director - Office of Child and Youth Protection for the USCCB, the unname auditor who was recently at the chancery office, as well as Fr. McGlone who wrote the high school "safe environments" program "Safe and Sacred Spaces," all believe that we need to link sexuality with safety instruction. This will all play out over the next several years as more and more "sexuality" information is taught to young child from pre-K to fourth grade.

From Sr. Fran Donnelly's January e-mail broadcast:

"Both (Teresa Kettlekamp and the unnamed auditor) affirmed Fr. McGlone’s advice that there is a need for both Catholic sexuality discussions and protection themes. Even though the audit only focuses on protection, it cannot be an either/or curriculum decision in our parishes and schools. Actually, we are hearing the same concerns being voiced by many of you and will be attempting to work through these challenges with you."

And you thought the "Safe Environments" initiative really was all about protecting our children?

Sr. Fran Donnelly: "Safe Environments" Update for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

2007-02-06T20:18:00.000-06:00

This email is being sent on behalf of Sr. Fran Donnelly, BVM, Director of the Protection of Children and Youth Initiative and Sharon Tomlin, PCYI Curriculum Liaison to Catechetical Leaders in Archdiocesan Catholic Parishes.

We would like to extend to you our wishes for a Happy New Year and the successful continuation of your programs for children and youth!

This past November the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis hosted two visitors focused on our PCYI efforts. One was Teresa Kettelkamp, Executive Director of the USCCB, Office of Child and Youth Protection. The other was a compliance auditor for the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. Both visits included frank discussions over difficult challenges that we are experiencing, affirmation of the work we have already done, and suggestions that will help us “pass” the 2007 audit.

Both Ms. Kettelkamp and the auditor commended the Archdiocesan efforts to develop a sound program from its inception. It was Fr. Kevin McDonough who insisted that those on the Archdiocesan task force focus our efforts on changing hearts and our culture. Only within this context, did he want us looking at compliance issues related to the audit. Nonetheless, the audit is exceedingly important and we do want to make sure that for the 2006 – 2007 program year, we are in full compliance with the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops! Many dioceses that focused on compliance first are now being challenged with issues related to effectiveness.

At all levels, the curriculum and audit forms appear to give both the Archdiocese and individual programs high quality information for adults and children, and thorough documentation that will be helpful to the auditors. The main concerns for both Ms. Kettelkamp and the auditor were related to the challenges of keeping the Family Safety Fair effective on an ongoing, yearly basis and of the alternative programs having a yearly, on-site sharing of information included in their programs. Both affirmed Fr. McGlone’s advice that there is a need for both Catholic sexuality discussions and protection themes. Even though the audit only focuses on protection, it cannot be an either/or curriculum decision in our parishes and schools. Actually, we are hearing the same concerns being voiced by many of you and will be attempting to work through these challenges with you.

Both Ms. Kettelkamp and the auditor were interested in hearing about your solutions to the first year of content rollout and again were impressed with the energy you all are putting into the initiative. We also thought you would like to know that it appears that the USCCB office will be coming out with clearer criteria in the late winter/ early spring. This will make all of our lives simpler!

We wanted you to be aware of a number of other considerations as you move into 2007 and begin planning for the 2007 – 2008 program year

1. Audits for the 2006 – 2007 program year will include some dioceses piloting on-site visits to randomly selected
parishes and schools. There is an expectation that leaders will be able to produce evidence to support the Fall and Spring

Audit Reports.

2. In the very near future, your pastor will be receiving a mailing that will include a Promise to Protect/Pledge to Heal

poster and A Prayer for Healing card from the USCCB. It is suggested that you display the poster in a prominent location

for adult and student viewing. The posters will have updated contact information for the Archdiocese’s Advocacy and PCYI

offices. This future mailing will also include insights gleaned from an upcoming meeting between regional bishops, the national

Office of Child and Youth Protection staff, and auditors for the 2006 – 2007 program year.

3. All of the Alignments for PCYI Curricula with the Archdiocesan K – Grade 8 Religion Standards are now posted on both

the Extranet and the Archdiocesan Website: www.archspm.org.

4. Sharon Tomlin continues to be in conversation with the Saint Paul Police Department regarding an internet safety program

that the department is willing to fund for all of our Archdiocesan schools. It would be very helpful for parish faith formation

staff members to get the word out to your public school teachers and local police department staffs that these materials are

available. The materials were developed by Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program and NetSmartz with
sponsorship coming from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and The Office Of Juvenile Justice and
Delinquency Prevention. These curriculum materials are probably best taught by technology instructors and cannot be used as

a substitute for Protection of Children and Youth materials; however, many instructors might find these materials to be a

valuable addition to their present resources.

Until the newest edition becomes available, the Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the NetSmartz developers are encouraging people to go out to the following website in order to preview materials: General Information and Parent Preview: www.netsmartz.org

5. Lastly, Sharon Tomlin would love to be invited out to observe some of your classrooms or debrief with your catechists this winter and early spring. Whether the focus is TAT, Out of Harm’s Way, Family Safety Fair, Creating Safe and Sacred Places or any other Archbishop Flynn-permitted curricula, Sharon would like to see the programs during implementation and learn from your staff’s experience what appears to be working well and what we need to do to make these even more effective programs. Her contact information is: work phone number: 651-290-1622 and work email address: tomlins@archspm.org.

In closing, we would like to encourage you to pass this information on to your Protection of Children and Youth site coordinator or committee, and to find a good place to display the USCCB poster. We hope that you can spread the word about NetSmartz materials and that faith formation staff members will find time to view the full set of alignments on the Archdiocesan website. Lastly, we hope that some of you might be able to have Sharon come out and visit your programs in the near future.

Sincerely yours in Christ’s name,

Sr. Fran and Sharon

"Safe Environments" Fallout: The Academy of Sts. Peter and Paul in Loretto loses 21 families due to "Talking About Touching."

2007-02-06T20:07:00.000-06:00

The safe environments programs have caused upheaval in several Catholic parishes and schools across the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

One such parish, Sts. Peter and Paul in Loretto, Minnesota has been particularly hard hit. Many parishioners were very upset about the handling of the safe environments initiative at the school and parish. The debate was contentious last spring between parents and the parish leadership. As a result, we have heard that 21 families left the parish school. This has been devasting to the school budget and the greater parish community. The Catholic school's future is uncertain given the massive loss of tuition money those 21 families represented. This defection is a result of the way the parish and school leadership handled the decision to teach the controversial "Talking About Touching" program to the youngest school-aged children.

Other Catholic schools saw parents pull their children, but the situation in Loretto is one of the more dramatic examples of the fallout from the USCCB's "Safe Environments" initiative and the"Talking About Touching" program promoted by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

It's a shame that Catholic families are being driven away from parish schools to public schools and other schooling alternatives.

Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis -" Talking About Touching" Aligned with Catholic Religious Instruction

2006-12-12T20:32:00.000-06:00

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis recently published a 27 page document outlining in detail how each lesson correlates to the teachings of the Catholic Faith. This is different than the recently published "Correlation Guide" by Harcourt Press. However, this 27 page document looks very similar to one that was distributed at the rollout meeting nearly one year ago. The final few pages of the document are dedicated to "Creating Safe and Sacred Spaces" for high school students.

It is unclear who the authors are of this document. However, at the Archdiocesan-wide meeting in February 2006, the spokeswoman for the Committee for Children admitted that they, CFC, had created something for the Archdiocese of Boston that aligned the Catechism with "Talking About Touching." This document has a similar look and feel to that shared by the Committee for Children representative at the February 2006 meeting.

This document comes on the heals of the Catholic doctors calling for an end to "safe environments" and they specifically called out "Talking About Touching" as being anything but Catholic teaching.

The 27 page document can be found on the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis "Protection of Children and Youth Initiative" page. This page has some information about the "safe environments" initiative. On the left side where you'll see the new document, you will also see an article from Archbishop Flynn as well an article on "safe environments" published by the Catholic Spirit. Neither of those articles have been available to the public for some time. In addition, the Catholic Spirit no longer has posted the Special Report they published this fall to rollout the "safe environments" initiative to the Archdiocese. We have asked the editor, Joe Towalski, repeatedly post these articles again. While Mr. Towalski has never responded, Sr. Fran Donnelley just informed me that they are working on getting these reposted. We have also asked Mr. Towalski if he would be reporting on the Catholic Medical Association's devastating report on the U.S. Bishops' child safety programs. There has been no response.

I can't help but think what the Church and the world would be like if we marshalled the same kind of passion, commitment, organization, and financial backing to educate adults in the Faith.

Archdiocese of Boston and Harcourt Press Provide Cover for “Talking About Touching.”

2006-12-03T08:57:00.000-06:00

Harcourt Press, publishers of many of the controversial sex ed materials taught throughout Catholic schools in the U.S., has joined the fray in the “safe environments” controversy that has been roiling many dioceses across the country.

In an e-mail and letter sent by Claudia Glaze from the Committee for Children, (the nonprofit publishers of the Talking About Touching program), to instructors using TAT in order to comply with the U.S. Bishops’ mandate for “safe environments” training for all Catholic school and religious ed children, she states that the Committee for Children has “collaborated” with Harcourt Religion Publishers and “religious educators from the Boston Archdiocese” to publish a “Call to Faith – Talking About Touching Correlation Guide.” She goes on to state that correlation guide, “is a wonderful breakthrough for Catholic educators who are teaching the Talking About Touching program within a religious-education context.” In other words, we will now be able to wrap TAT in Catholicism. However, for those who oppose the use of TAT and other like programs in our Catholic schools, this “Correlation Guide” will not quiet the outcry to remove these programs from our Catholic schools and religious education programs.

Given that 95+% of Catholic school children in the U.S. were already enrolled in some sort of “safe environment” program prior to the start of the ’06 – ’07 school year, why would Harcourt Press and the Archdiocese of Boston only now come out with a guide book that places “Talking About Touching” in context of Catholic teaching? Harcourt must expect a good return from this kind investment. Someone believes these “safe environments” programs and “Talking About Touching” will be around for a long time to come in our Catholic schools.

Catholic Doctors Call for an End to Bishops’ “Safe Environments” Mandate

2006-12-03T08:19:00.000-06:00

Last month, the long awaited report by the Catholic Medical Association concerning the U.S. Bishops mandated “safe environments” programs was published. The 55 page report entitled, “To Prevent and To Protect” challenges the “safety” experts and calls upon the U.S. bishops to end the “safe environments” mandate and take a serious review of Article 12 of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. The CMA concludes, "We therefore recommend that U.S. bishops rescind the safe-environment mandate as it applies to children and adolescents and discontinue all child-empowerment programs for preventing child abuse."

Across the country, parents have reacted negatively as many view the U.S. bishops' madate as usurping their role as primary educators for their children. According to Our Sunday Visitor, 5.7 million Catholic school children have received “safe environments” training either through their Catholic schools or their parish religious education programs. It is estimated that over 95% of all Catholic children from pre-school to high school are currently enrolled in one of these programs.

Dr. Lynne Bissonnette-Pitre, a physician-psychiatrist and lead author of the Catholic Medical Association’s report, “To Protect and to Prevent” is quoted as stating the following in Our Sunday Visitor about various "safe environments" programs, “it (safe environment programs) causes children to be very confused. You could have a child who is 6 years old hearing about sexual abuse. It's a deviant, perverted form of sexuality that has nothing to do with love and marriage and chastity and responsibility for others. It's very frightening for the child and causes them to have confusion as to who is a safe person and who isn't.

Several important news analysis articles have been published recently that are worth reading.

Mary Jo Anderson has been covering this story for the past several years. Don’t miss her latest article, “Grave questions about bishops’ child-abuse prevention programs.”

Mary Ann Sullivan, who writes for the National Catholic Register and has also been covering this story for many years, just published this article on Monday, “Doctors Recommend Reform of Bishops’ Sex Abuse Prevention Plans.”

Paul Likoudis, The Wanderer Press, provides more detail of the recommendations offered by the Catholic Medical Association. This three page story does an exceptional job of bulleting out the areas of concern raised by the CMA and highlights key recommendations.

Domenico Bettinelli, publisher of the Bettnet Blog, made this entry after the report was released. Bettinelli lives in Boston and has been reporting the clergy sex abuse scandal and it’s aftermath from the epicenter of where this story initially broke years ago.

If you’re interested to learn more about the Catholic Medical Assocation, see their web site. “To Prevent and To Protect,” is available for purchase directly from the CMA’s web site for $10.

The Catholic Spirit "Safe Environments" Special Report Now Online

2006-08-30T14:36:00.000-05:00

The Catholic Spirit has finally posted the articles that ran in the August 17, 2006 special pull-out section on "Safe Environments."

There are three key links:
1) Julie Carroll's article entitled, "Parishes, schools to begin sex abuse prevention, safety programs."

2) Parish and School Curriculum Choices. There are no specifics by parish. We are trying to collect that information and once we have it, we'll post it on www.primaryeducators.org. The Archdiocese does not intend to publish this information.

This is also the first time that the archdiocese has publicly stated in writing that the "Formation in Christian Chastity" or Harrisburg program is approved by Archbishop Flynn. With no public exposure, the Harrisburg program now has 36 schools using it while "Talking About Touching" has 31 according to The Catholic Spirit (Aug. 17, 2006).

3) Questions and Answers with Sr. Fran Donnelly, Director of the Protection of Children and Youth Initiative for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Sr. Fran addresses the concerns many parents have about this program.

Here's the cached version where Sr. Fran Donnelly confirms that Planned Parenthood endorses "Talking About Touching."

Just for fun, run the following Google search for "Planned Parenthood endorses" and see what you come up with.

Archdiocesan staff has been busy preparing for the launch of the "safe environments" initiative this fall. Pastors, principals, and DREs will be prepared to answer all your questions and concerns. It is expected that every parent will have an opportunity to review the material before their children are taught safe touch.

If you haven't seen the "Talking About Touching" or TAT lessons, or if perhaps you need a refresher after a long summer, please check here.

KidWISE Founder, Paula Statman, to speak at Holy Name of Jesus Sept. 6 at 7pm

2006-08-30T10:37:00.000-05:00

Paula Statman, Founder of the KidWISE Institute, will be speaking at Holy Name of Jesus Church in Medina on Wednesday, September 6th at 7pm (see page 4 of the bulletin linked). (Here's a map for the church location). This will be a good opportunity to hear her talk in person about the KidWISE "Safety Fair" for grades K-4 as well as her program, "Out of Harms Way" for the 5th - 8th graders. The Safety Fair is an approved alternative for parishes to use for the "safe environments" curricula. "Out of Harms Way" is the recommended, or default program for the middle schoolers grades 5-8th. For a complete list of the Archdiocese's recommended program see here.

Given all the controversy that has surrounded the "Safe Environments" curricula recommended by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Paula Statman's KidWISE Institute stands to benefit the most financially from the "Safe Environments" initiative in the Twin Cities.

Several of the Primary Educator League leaders have been speaking with priests, principals, and directors of religious education regarding the "safe environment" options. Many have viewed the KidWISE one-day "Safety Fair" as a good option. It doesn't appear to carry the same controversial baggage that the "Talking About Touching" program does and it only takes one day to complete it. They figure they can get this "safe touch" program out of the way in one day.

Many parishes had been under the impression that the KidWISE Institute's "Family Safety Fair" would cover K-12th grades. However, over the summer, it became clear that it was only going to be implemented for grades K-4. That means, parishes, and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis will have to purchase two programs from Paula Statman...the KidWISE "Safety Fair" and the "Out of Harms Way."

Holy Name of Jesus in Medina was one of the parishes that was going to be creating a new program with Statman. However, it's unclear at this time as to whether or not that is going to happen. Perhaps we'll learn more on September 6th during her talk.

52 Parishes Approved to Use Formation in Christian Chastity

2006-08-21T11:36:00.000-05:00

Archbishop Flynn has approved 52 parishes to use Formation in Christian Chastity (FICC), also known as the Harrisburg, PA program according to The Catholic Spirit, the official newspaper of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

The Catholic Spirit published a large special pullout section for its August 17th edition. However, that section does not yet appear to be available online. Here are the highlights:

"Talking About Touching":
(preschool and kindergarten): 57 parishes
(grades one through four): 65 parishes
(grades preschool through fourth): 31 schools

"Family Safety Fair" (preschool through fourth grade): 40 parishes, 14 schools

"Out of Harm's Way" (grades five through eight): 80 parishes, 42 schools

"Creating Safe and Sacred Spaces" (grades nine through twelve): 79 parishes, 6 schools

Alternative programs approved by Archbishop Harry Flynn

"Formation in Christian Chastity" (Harrisburg program) 52 parishes, 36 schools (some supplementing with one of recommended programs)

"Diocese of Alexandria Child Protection Catechesis": 4 parishes, 2 schools

Undeclared: 37 parishes, 27 schools
Source: The Catholic Spirit, August 17, 2006

Safe environments programs are to be implemented during the '06-'07 school year. There is not an official breakdown by parish by curriculum chosen, but for a list of parishes using FICC, please see here. The list is not complete but we hope to hear from all the parishes who have received approval so we can add them to the published list.

Pastors Say No to Talking About Touching

2006-06-02T06:59:00.000-05:00

While more and more pastors are receiving approval to use Formation in Christian Chastity, some pastors, after reviewing the materials and hearing feedback from parents, are opting for other programs altogether.

For example, the pastors at St. John the Baptist in Savage, and St. Joseph’s in West St. Paul, while initially open supporters of the Talking About Touching curriculum, ultimately chose an alternative and obscure program from the diocese of Alexandria, LA. What's important to note about this is had the parents in those parishes not banded together to raise this issue with their pastors, they would have been using TAT in their school and parish. Our initial take on the Alexandria program is that while it is not as explicit as TAT, it does not rise to the level of Formation in Christian Chastity. It remains an obscure program throughout Catholic dioceses across the country.

The Wanderer published an update this week on the safe environments initiative here in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and how many pastors are rejecting the Talking About Touching program. Over 15% of the parishes have received approval from Archbishop Flynn to use Formation in Christian Chastity.

The Wanderer article brought up the Relevant Radio program that took place several weeks ago. Many have been requesting those audio clips. We have posted several of them on the the Primary Educators League web site.

If you’d like to listen to some shorter clips you will find the following:

With regard to the controversial lesson plans contained in Talking About Touching, Sharon Tomlin states that they are, “changing a word here, and a word there.” Sharon confirms that the Ian and Kerry lesson plans are part of the recommended/required lessons and that they are “tweaking the message of the Ian lesson plan. Instead of a mom’s boyfriend (putting his hand down Ian’s pajama pants) it will be a mother’s relative.”

Sr. Fran Donnelly confirms that Formation in Christian Chastity (FICC, Harrisburg Program) is indeed approved by Archbishop Flynn.

Talking About Touching Teacher’s Guide - what to do when the children start to squirm. TAT jumps to the conclusion that when children start to get restless during the lesson that this may be a sign that the child has been abused. They don’t even consider that children might react this way when their innocence is being shattered.

Sr. Fran’s now infamous line about “it may not be very Catholic, but it’s real.” The original blog entry can be found here.

Sr. Fran or Sharon Tomlin goes on to say, “I would suggest that parents opt their child out.” A nd while this used to be a difficult four step process, the USCCB just changed its requirements on this to make it easier for parents to opt out.

Mary Jo Anderson, investigative Catholic reporter, was interviewed for 20 minutes by Drew Mariani. If you can't listen to the whole interview, the first few minutes of the interview are very informative. Mary Jo Anderson has written extensively on the bishops safety programs...see here and here.

Continue to check the Primary Educators League web site for an update on parishes receiving approval for Formation in Christian Chastity.

U.S. Bishops Relax Auditing Requirements of Safe Environments Programs

2006-05-24T08:20:00.000-05:00

The U.S. Catholic bishops quietly released some new information on May 15, 2006 with regard to their mandated safe environments programs according to a story published by the Catholic News Service.

The new regulations state that future compliance audits will not judge a diocese or eparchy as compliant only if every eligible child and adult has participated in the safe environment program.

Future audits only need to verify that an ongoing program is in place and that there is proof that a reason exists for nonparticipation.

'The major focus here is on verifying that a program exists, and that the diocese/eparchy is doing what is humanly possible to educate children and adults in safe environments,' said the new regulations.

Additionally, the bishops have also made an official ruling that parents who object may opt their children out of the safe environments programs. While this was not an issue for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, it has been an issue in many dioceses across the country where parents were given a choice - either have your children participate or leave the Catholic school. From the beginning, Archbishop Flynn has given parents the ability to opt their children out and we thank him for that.

It also appears that the U.S. bishops have made a ruling that if you choose not to have your child participate in the safe environments program, you do not need to sign a form stating you are opting your child out. The administrators of the program will just mark you down as having opted out. This is also good news for those of you wondering what legal issues you might be getting yourself in to should you sign the document stating you are opting your child out.

Under the new regulations adopted by the U.S. bishops' Administrative Committee, dioceses and eparchies are still required to provide the safe environment programs. Parents, however, can choose not to have their children participate. In such cases, the parents are to be offered training materials and asked to sign a form attesting to their decision not to have their children participate. If parents do not sign the form, a church administrator is to file a form noting the opt-out decision.

Word continues to spread in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis about the option parishes and priests have to choose a Catholic program such as "Formation in Christian Chastity." Just a reminder that your pastor will need to write to Archbishop Flynn to request the use of this program.

31 parishes have been approved to use "Formation in Christian Chastity." To see a continually updated list of parishes, please click here.

Important National Catholic Register article on "Formation in Christian Chastity" (FICC)

2006-05-23T21:13:00.000-05:00

National Catholic Register has been publishing an ongoing series on the American Bishops' mandated safe environments programs.

This past week they published their fifth in a series entitled, "Chastity, not abuse, is Harrisburg Focus." This is an important article for those advocating the use of FICC in your parish.

Please be sure to share this article with fellow parents, parishioners, administrators, teachers and your pastor.

Several other articles from the National Catholic Register may be of interest and are linked below:

"Parents question safety programs:"
http://www.ncregister.com/articulo.php?artkod=MTMx

"Are Safe Environment Programs Safe?" (interview with Bishop Vasa)
http://www.ncregister.com/articulo.php?artkod=MTcx

"Protecting kids from protection programs:"
http://www.ncregister.com/articulo.php?artkod=MTg4

Part 4: "Preventing Abuse: Is VIRTUS Virtuous?"
http://www.ncregister.com/articulo.php?artkod=NDA4

24 Parishes Approved for "Formation in Christian Chastity" (FICC)

2006-05-15T16:50:00.000-05:00

Dear parents,

We are thankful Archbishop Flynn has approved the use of “Formation in Christian Chastity” (FICC), also known as the Harrisburg program, for use in 24 parishes in this archdiocese! This represents just over 10% of all the parishes in the archdiocese of which there are 220 parishes in total. http://www.primaryeducators.org/ficclist.php

Please thank your pastors for writing to Archbishop Flynn to request the use of this alternative program.

We have heard several pastors say that they do not want to go against the wishes of the Archbishop. We certainly are not encouraging any priest to go against the wishes of the Archbishop. The priests have sworn an oath of obedience to him. That being said, pastors are not going against Archbishop Flynn when they write him to request an alternative “safe environments” program such as FICC. Since the beginning of the public statements about “safe environments” the Archbishop has graciously allowed pastors to petition him directly in writing to request the use of an alternative program as long as the program meets the guidelines of Article 12 of the Charter and that the auditors have already approved its use in other dioceses: http://www.archspm.org/pcyi/

If your parish has not yet made a decision, there appears to still be time to do so. There are two upcoming deadlines. We believe the chancery would like to hear from as many parishes as possible by May 20th as to what they intend to use for their “safe environments” curricula. The final deadline we’ve heard is June 30th so that they can get product ordered for the ’06-’07 school year.

There is still time to respectfully and charitably engage your pastor, principal and director of religious education (DRE). Since the Church teaches that parents are the primary educators of their children in areas of life and love, get involved in the analysis, research, and decision making for your parish. While it’s up to the pastor to petition the archbishop, that does not mean he has to make this decision alone. Many pastors continue to ask for feedback and recommendations from parents. Get involved. Do your homework. Make sure your voice is heard.

Last week, The Catholic Spirit published the letter linked below in the Letters to the Editor section. We believe this is the first time “Formation in Christian Chastity” has been mentioned in The Catholic Spirit: http://www.thecatholicspirit.com/archives.php?article=5486

Please say a prayer of thanksgiving for Archbishop Flynn and his willingness to approve these parishes for FICC. Let’s also pray for all of those parishes who have not yet made a decision about these programs.

God bless,

Primary Educators League
www.primaryeducators.org
http://www.altorfamiliarum002.blogspot.com/

Do Secular Programs have a Place in Catholic Schools?

2006-04-26T09:55:00.000-05:00

Are secular programs compatible with Catholic education?

The vast majority of parents who make great sacrifices to send their children to Catholic schools do so in order to provide their children with more than a purely secular education. They do so in the knowledge that a purely secular education does not address the totality of the human person as body AND soul. They do so in the confidence that there is more to reality and to man’s place in the world than a merely secular culture will admit or address.

Does it follow, then, that secular material has no place in a Catholic school? And in light of the current “safe environments” discussion, is it possible that secular “safety” curricula have no place in a Catholic school or religious education program?

At first glance, it seems that secular programs have no place in a Catholic school because parents expect and indeed deserve more than purely secular education, especially in the area of human sexuality. However, in the spirit of St. Thomas Aquinas’s maxim “test everything and retain what is good”, it seems that Catholic parents do not need to eschew all things secular in their children’s education, provided that the material in question is compatible with Catholic teaching in the areas of faith and morality.

The concept of “personal safety” curricula, it seems, is not in itself inimical to Catholic education. It is the particulars of the curricula that may be incompatible with Catholic teaching in the areas of faith and morality, and thus parents, pastors, principals and teachers should carefully evaluate each curriculum against those criteria.

The parents of Primary Educators League have evaluated some of the proposed “safety” curricula and determined that some may not be compatible with Catholic faith and morals, while others may be. For instance, the “Talking About Touching” curriculum for Pre-K to fourth grade does not seem to be compatible with Catholic faith and morals, as it is a program developed and recommended by groups that do not share the Catholic vision of human dignity and human sexuality. Thus the appropriateness of its use in a Catholic school seems questionable. Furthermore, TAT introduces very young children to information and scenarios for which they are not ready and which could violate their “years of innocence and tranquility”.

The “safe environment” program for grades five through eight, “Out of Harm’s Way” from the KidWISE Institute, contains valuable lessons about internet safety, responsible decision making, and heeding one’s “inner alarm”; all of which are compatible with basic standards of personal safety and decency. Where the program seems to depart from Catholic moral teaching, however, is in the emphasis on a child’s body as being his or her “possession”, which could lead to the dangerous logic of “abortion rights” and the right to “do what I want with MY body”. Furthermore, the KidWISE Institute’s philosophy of helping children cultivate their “personal power” may place too great a burden on them to protect themselves, not to mention giving them a potentially false sense of confidence in confronting evil in the world.

On the other hand, the “safe environments” component of Formation in Christian Chastity uses material from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the US Dept of Justice, both of which are secular sources. The Guidelines for personal safety measures, while secular in their presentation, nonetheless do not confront children with scenarios which could compromise their innocence. Nor does the program seem to present children with directions which may place too great a responsibility on them for their own protection. Thus, the "safe environment component of FICC does not seem to be incompatible with Catholic faith and morals. Furthermore, FICC is especially attractive to Catholic parents in that it provides the proper context for any discussion of human touch and it fosters collaboration between parents, churches and schools in the task of both educating and protecting children.

Primary Educators League recommends that every parent evaluate the proposed “safe environments” curricula and discuss them with other parents. Then, parents will be equipped to continue the discussion with their pastors, principals, DREs and anyone else responsible for teaching/leading their children. It is Primary Educators League’s mission to encourage parents in this direction and provide a forum for the discussion. Some components of secular “safety” programs may indeed be helpful to Catholic parents in this present culture, and thus should be considered rationally and prayerfully.

EMPOWERING PARENTS TO PROTECT CHILDREN

2006-04-17T09:20:00.000-05:00

It seems in this whole discussion of creating “safe environments” for children, the leaders of our dioceses have overlooked or ignored one very important tactic: empowering parents to take up their rightful role as primary educators of their children.

If the time and money invested in programs for clergy, staff, and now children had been spent educating parents in the rich heritage of the Catholic teaching on human dignity and the “theology of the body” of John Paul the Great, parents could then be the ones responsible for protecting their own children from “wolves in sheep’s clothing”. Churches and schools, of course, would assist parents in this task by reinforcing what parents first taught at home. Educated and involved parents are perhaps the best asset a child can have as he or she navigates the rough seas of a thoroughly secular culture.

How could people of good will realize such a course of action? Perhaps, rather than investing time and money into ‘safety’ curricula and training teachers to teach the curricula, the same expenditure of resources could be employed at the parish level to conduct education sessions for parents who may be unfamiliar with documents such as “The Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality”. DREs, pastors, teachers, and fellow parents could collaborate to create a program for parents, and could share the duties of conducting seminars for each parent in their own parish. This would be the principle of subsidiarity at its best.

Religious education programs and schools could then teach an appropriate children’s component to the parental sessions; flowing from the guidelines and standards presented to parents through the documents they study (chiefly TMHS). Thus, teachers at church and school would reinforce the wisdom that parents themselves pass on to their own children. This would represent a true collaboration between parents and church and school leaders.

Such a program would involve sessions for parents, lessons for parents to then teach their children at home, and a few lessons for church and school that reinforce the lessons taught at home. Each parish would conduct its own sessions for parents, thus ensuring that the program meets the specific needs of that particular parish and its families.

Such a program would be free; it would be easily accessible to all parents, teachers, priests and staff. Such a program would flow from the heart of the church and her rich wisdom in the area of human dignity. Such a program would be sensitive to the innocence of the young and committed to giving parents the tools that they need to educate themselves and their own children. Such a program would, finally, put the greatest weight of responsibility on parents for the protection of their own children. It would not overly burden children with the responsibility for their own safety, while at the same time it would give them age appropriate tools to learn caution and attention to their own safety.

Such a program would use stories of the saints and other holy people to teach children about proper behavior and human dignity. It would encourage children to pray: to God for protection and guidance, to the saints for help and prayers, to their guardian angels for extra help and protection, and to Our Lady for her loving, maternal care for each of their souls. It would discuss the importance of the vocation to which God calls each child, and the importance of remaining pure in body and soul in order to be able to respond to God’s call. It would never disturb children with unnecessary information about sex or scenarios of abuse.

Does such a program exist? Can parents find such a program that offers so thorough an education? Can churches and schools employ such a program that would empower parents first, and then give children the reinforcement of what they learn at home?

Primary Educators League believes that this program does exist. It is a program called Formation in Christian Chastity. Catholic teachers, clergy, and parents of the Diocese of Harrisburg (PA) developed the program to use in their own diocese. The Diocese of Harrisburg made the program available online so that others could use it. The Dioceses of Arlington (VA) and La Crosse (WI) use FICC. Archbishop Harry Flynn of St. Paul/Minneapolis approved the use of FICC in parishes and schools in the archdiocese. Pastors, principals and parents can view the program at www.primaryeducators.org . The program is Catholic, affirms parents’ roles as primary educators of their children, protects the innocence of children, assists in the education of both parents and children, fulfills the requirements of Article 12 of the USCCB Charter for the Protection of Youth and Young adults, is easily accessible, and it is FREE. Pastors of the archdiocese need only to write to Archbishop Flynn to request approval to use FICC (also known as the Harrisburg program). Please spread the good news to others that this is the best way to empower parents and protect children.

"It may not be very Catholic, but it's real" Sr. Fran Donnelly - Relevant Radio

2006-04-07T12:11:00.000-05:00

Yesterday on the Drew Mariani show on Relevant Radio (http://www.relevantradio.com/), 1330am in the Twin Cities, Sr. Fran Donnelly and Sharon Tomlin were on the air. During that program they confirmed several key items. (Note, we have recorded the show and should have audio clips available within the next several days. We will send out a message once they are ready).

First of all, if you recall, Sr. Fran Donnelly had sent an archdiocesan-wide e-mail stating that an organization called PrimaryEducators.org was spreading "inaccurate information" and had "flaws and misinformation in their presentation." This is false and misleading information. We sent an e-mail to Sr. Fran asking her to clarify her comments and to let us know what information was incorrect. If we were wrong, we would correct the error and state it publicly. However, we received no response and no correction from Sr. Fran.

From what we learned on the radio yesterday, we believe that we continue to state the facts of this situation in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis accurately.

For the record, here’s what we learned yesterday:

1) Sr. Fran Donnelly confirmed publicly, that yes, “Formation in Christian Chastity” has been approved for some parishes and schools. (Please make sure your pastors know this!)

2) Sharon Tomlin confirmed that the Ian lesson plan is recommended/required but that they are working on the “wording” of the language in the lesson plan so that rather than the lesson stating Ian’s mother’s boyfriend put his hand down Ian’s pajama bottoms it will be changed to Ian’s mother’s relative putting his hand down Ian’s pajama bottoms. (We can all feel more comfortable about this now, right?).

3) Sharon Tomlin did not deny that the Kerry lesson plan is recommended/required. There was no mention about changing any wording for Kerry.

4) It remains unclear as to whether the lessons selected by the Archdiocese are required to be taught or merely recommended. Catholic schools must teach four lessons each year. Religious Education must teach two lessons. So if the lessons aren’t necessarily required, that must mean that administrators/teachers might be able to select from the other lessons that are included in the 40 lesson kit? Is this supposed to make us feel more confident in the situation?

5) It was stated at the February 10, 2006 Archdiocesan rollout meeting that since all the schools will have the complete kits and since the folks at Committee for Children/”Talking About Touching” recommend that it’s best to teach these lessons to the children in the context of a full “safe environments” curricula, teachers can feel free to teach more of the lessons in the kit should they choose.

Sharon Tomlin denied this on the radio yesterday. So now it appears they do not recommend teaching more lesson plans than the four.

6) They disclosed yesterday that the Archbishop gave his approval for “Talking About Touching” at the end of January. However, on February 6, 2006, John Murphy had a conversation with Sharon Tomlin about the selection of the children’s curricula. Sharon Tomlin said, at that time….just four days before the rollout, that they still had not made a final decision. Why the lack of transparency? Why not just say, "yes, we have chosen a program, but we cannot disclose that until the February 10, 2006 meeting." For the record, after a couple of e-mails and a phone conversations, it was Sharon Tomlin who encouraged John to continue to call her back during December – January to see if a decision had been made.

7) Just before Drew went to a break, Sr. Fran recommended that parents should opt their children out.

8) After several questions, Sr. Fran made the statement, “it (meaning “Talking About Touching”) may not be very Catholic, but it’s real.”

Welcome to reality – “Talking About Touching” coming to a parish near you in the fall of 2006.

"Talking About Touching" Teacher's Guide - Shattering the Innocence of Children?

2006-04-07T11:56:00.000-05:00

Teacher’s Guide: “Talking About Touching” Grades 1-3, Third Edition 2001, p. 29

This is the teacher’s guide that comes with the 40 lesson kit for grades 1-3. The comments immediately following are to give guidance to teachers instructing our young Catholic school children ages 6-8 year olds. Remember, those in second grade are preparing for the Sacraments of First Confession and First Communion.

“When one student’s behavior threatens to disrupt a lesson, gently remind him or her of classroom ground rules. Restless fidgeting can sometimes be curbed by letting the child hold a stuffed animal or squeeze a soft ball. An extremely disruptive student can be directed to sit nearby but slightly apart from the group. She or he can still benefit from the lesson but be less of a distraction to the other students. If the disruptive behavior seems to be directly related to the lesson content, this may be an indicator that the child has been abused. Follow up later by talking with that child one-on-one" (emphasis added).

This couldn’t possibly be the way children respond when their innocence is being shattered, could it? It’s interesting to note that they assume that the child may have been abused rather than the possibility that he or she is squirming because he/she can’t mentally process the deviant sexual scenarios being presented by a trusted authority – his/her teacher.

Secondly, is anyone else reminded of the fraud that was perpetrated on the parents involved in day care centers in the 1990’s when the so-called experts questioned small children as to whether or not they had been sexually abused? What are we setting ourselves up for here?

Remember that the VIRTUS Parent’s Guide, which all of you received and read, states that one of the reasons why it’s important for your child to know the proper names of his or her private body parts is so he can “accurately communicate about his or her body to parents, medical personnel, or even to the police if the child is ever harmed.” In other words, the children need to be able to give a good interview to the authorities.

Immediately following the statement above in the “Talking About Touching” Teacher’s Guide, it goes on to say:

“If a child discloses during a lesson, explain that you will talk to him or her privately after the lesson.”

So, not only do we have to be concerned about dealing with such a sensitive topic as child sex abuse in our Catholic elementary classrooms, but we also have to be aware that a child might disclose that they have been sexually abused. The other children will be subjected to this.

Additionally, does anyone else have a problem with a teacher pulling aside your little 2nd or 3rd grader, without your permission or presence, and asking them questions as to whether or not they have been sexually abused?

But remember, the archdiocese continues to say they respect the rightful role and duty of parents to be the primary educators of their children in areas of life and love.

A Rant

2006-04-04T14:39:00.000-05:00

I'm rather confused about the actions of the chancery of late.
I know the Church educates through letters & encyclicals, through the pulpit and through special programs for adults (such as CCD or adult education classes).
I know that parents educate in the home and through the proxy of teachers within the parochial, private, or public school systems.
Why won’t the Church adopt a program to teach parents and the teachers who act as proxies in order that they can better teach their children? Why are they pushing a program that seems so contrary to what we are about as parents?

Here's an idea, create a program that disseminates the teaching documents that are already out there!

Such a program could involve a five part organization.
First, the issuing of a letter on the part of the USCCB or individual bishops advocating Church teaching about human sexuality.
Second, consistent and frequent teaching of the Church’s position on human sexuality from the pulpit. Forego the exegesis of the texts for a time and other social concerns and concentrate instead on disseminating the knowledge of what the Church teaches.
Third, offer programs through parishes which focus on educating adults in the teachings of the Church.
Fourth, insist that all teachers within the parochial schools teach this program faithful to the Church’s views on human sexuality.
Fifth, encourage parents to teach their children according to a program faithful to the Church.

Why doesn't the diocese do this? Why are they pushing on us a program like "Talking About Touching"? They don't have any kids and yet they presume to force me to teach something I would never allow into my home? Here I've been trying to help my kids grow up free from the crud on TV the looseness of advertising barrages, the titillation of popular music, doing my best on a tight schedule and budget to really keep them as happy, pure, and good as I can and instead of helping me in this job the chancery, the diocese offers something that is a hindrance to my job as a parent? A program upon which I was never consulted? A program which undermines what I've been trying to do for these last 10 years? And demanding that I teach it to my kids? And making it difficult not to teach it? And making it difficult for me to see how bad it is? Like they're sneaking through the back door to snatch my little ones while I'm busy trying to keep the house together?

What NERVE! How dare they presume to usurp my role!

I trust in the parochial system, I trust in the goodness and universality of the Church, I trust in the inherent goodness of each human person... but this galls me like nothing else. The sheer arrogance of it all. And treating me like I have no say simply because I'm a layperson and a parent? ...

Homosexual Rights Group - Early Supporter of VIRTUS in Twin Cities

2006-04-01T13:55:00.000-06:00

Catholic Rainbow Parents, a homosexual rights organization, was one of the first groups to publicly support the efforts of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis in its choice to use VIRTUS.

Catholic Rainbow Parents are part of an active GLBT (Gays, Lesbians, Bi-sexuals, and Transgenders) network in the Twin Cities. The network includes the Catholic Pastoral Committee on Sexual Minorities (CPCSM) and Dignity/Twin Cities. Perhaps you saw these groups in the news recently during their vocal protest at the Cathedral on World Marriage Day, February 12, 2006.

The GLBT network is actively pushing for homosexual rights including making gay marriage the law of the land in Minnesota. Catholic Rainbow Parents has called the Minnesota Bishops stance against gay marriage as "spiritual abuse."

In their inaugural public statement, Catholic Rainbow Parents proclaimed their support of VIRTUS in July 2005 before 99% of the Twin Cities parents had any idea what VIRTUS or "Safe Environments" were. How is it they had the early track on VIRTUS? By not revealing all the facts about homosexual predation in society, is VIRTUS providing cover for the homosexual problem plaguing the Church?

Catholic Rainbow Parents state:

We share the perspective of the National Catholic Risk Retention Group's VIRTUS programs, with which the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis collaborates in response to the mandate of the "Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People" adopted by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in June 2002.

The VIRTUS programs report that, "It is a myth that most sex abusers are homosexuals. Most sex offenders are not homosexual; they are heterosexual . . . Studies repeatedly show that most male molesters of boys are not homosexual with adults. It is a faulty assumption that an adult male who selects a young boy as a victim is gay."

Recognizing that homosexuality is an expression of the sacred gift of human sexuality, we bear public witness to the joy and blessings that our GLBT children bring to our families and our communities. We celebrate our children as gifts from God in all of their aspects, and regard them as full-fledged members of both Church and society.

Given that homosexuals make up 2% of the population, it is a correct statement that most of the child sex abusers are heterosexuals. However, VIRTUS is not providing the full truth and that is that homosexuals make up a significantly greater percentage of child sex abusers than their 2% of the population number would imply. For an excellent analysis on this, please read Brian Clowes and David Sonnier's report, "Child Molestation by homosexuals and heterosexuals" published in Homiletic and Pastoral Review.

How to get "buy-in" for "Talking About Touching"

2006-03-28T19:57:00.000-06:00

"Talking About Touching" and the Committee for Children (www.cfchildren.org) has a step by step process as to how to get "buy-in" for their program across a school district, or let's say, an Archdiocese. It's worth reading so you'll be able to understand and recognize the methodical and systematic approach being used to implement this in 95+ percent of all our parishes.

A couple of things to note. Under point #2 they actually recommend that you, "revise or create school policies and procedures that will reinforce and support the program concepts." I guess that was done wholesale by the bishops in 2002 with the creation of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.

Also, if you read the link under point number two, while they mention in the headline "Getting staff and families on board," families and parents are almost completely ignored. In fact, if you look at the entire process they have for getting "buy-in" to a school district (or Archdiocese in our case) parents are rarely mentioned except at the end of the process. They say, "get the PTA/PTO or other parent/community organizations on board to "talk up" the program." That's it. It's not until the program is sold through the adminstrators, and teachers that the parents are finally asked to get involved.

This is all top down driven. No need for parents to apply.

Is it just me or does it seem like the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis is following TAT's recommendations step by step.

1) Gearing up - Administrators and Sponsors: get approval from overall authority
2) Getting staff and families on board
3) During the Training
4) After the Training
5) Getting parents, families, and communities on board
6) Facilitating family sessions

1) Gearing up - Administrators and Sponsors:
Successful program implementation begins with strong sponsorship. The sponsor is the person with overall authority and decision-making ability to help ensure the program's success. This person is typically a school principal, assistant principal, district superintendent, agency director, or program coordinator.

2) Getting staff and families on board
Once the administrators have bought into the prevention program and understand thoroughly what will be expected of the staff in order to implement it effectively, there are some steps to take to gain buy-in from those who will be teaching the lessons and using the skills directly with children. Buy-in from staff members and families is critical for the success of implementation and transfer of learning.

Revise or create school policies and procedures that will reinforce and support the program concepts.
Pilot the program in one classroom, at one grade level, or in one school (for district-wide implementations) to build staff interest. Ask the teacher and students in the pilot to share what they have learned and the results program use have produced.
Get the PTA/PTO or other parent/community organizations on board to "talk up" the program. (my comments - Do we have all the DREs on board to talk up TAT yet?)

3) Staff: During the training

Show how the program complements other behavior-management programs that you may already have in place.

Feel free to follow the rest of the links on the CFC site for steps 4-6. Once again, the parents, recognized as the primary educators by our Archdiocese, are the last to participate in this matter.

Primary Educators League Responds to Sr. Fran Donnelly's Accusation

2006-03-26T15:55:00.000-06:00

(E-mail sent to Sr. Fran Donnelly (donnellyf@archspm.org) and Sharon Tomlin (tomlins@archspm.org) on Thursday, March 23rd. The e-mail below was in response to Sr. Fran's e-mail (posted here) to all main parish contacts re: VIRTUS that had been sent out earlier on Thursday. Note, there has been no response to these questions raised below).

Dear Sr. Fran and Sharon,

Good afternoon. I understand that you sent an e-mail this afternoon stating that "there appears to be yet another round of inaccurate information" and that, "there are parent meetings being held around the Archdiocese sponsored by the 'primaryeducators.org' group. While they may be well-intentioned, there are flaws and misinformation in their presentation."

Please let me know what is not accurate in our presentation. We are not trying to be confrontational but rather we're trying to provide accurate and factual information for parents and pastors to help them protect God's children.

You have also mentioned that, "...to my knowledge, the Archbishop remains firm in his approval of the recommended curriculum, as outlined at the February10, 2006 Leadership Meeting, the February 16, 2006 issue of The Catholic Spirit, and as outlined on theArchdiocesan Website."

Primary Educators has not stated that the Archbishop has changed his mind on the recommended curriculum, nor have we said that he recommends another program such as "Formation in Christian Chastity." We've only stated what was stated at the Feb. 10th meeting and what has been in writing published from the Archdiocese...pastors may petition the Archbishop to use another program so long as it meets the requirements of the Charter/Article 12.

You further state that
"Those few parishes and schools who have or will receive approval to use other curricula are receiving Archbishop Flynn's permission to go outside of the approved and recommended curriculum. Archbishop Flynn has not added more choices to his recommended list! There is a difference!"

There is a difference...we're not saying there are more programs that are recommended...but we are saying he has approved FICC for some parishes and schools.

Again you state

"I would like to remind all of you that Archbishop Flynn's expectation is that all school and parish religious education leaders and their pastors will view the materials first hand before making their decision to not use the recommended curriculum. It is not enough to have read or hear about the curricula from other sources. We have concerns that some may be just presuming it is OK to use other curriculum without having previewed the recommended ones and perhaps even without communicating with the Archbishop at all. I would strongly recommend that you have a conversation with your pastor, so that you and he have the same understanding."

After reading this last paragraph, how am I to explain how Providence, Holy Family Academy, and Holy Trinity have already received written approval? They did not view all the material. Other parishes will likely be approved this week. They have not seen all the material...and yet, the Archbishop gave his approval.

How many priests and DREs have come down to St. Paul to view the curriculum?

How is one suppose to take the Archbishop's words (posted here) with what you just sent out on e-mail? The Archbishop himself said, "they have a number of options to choose from." If the plan is as you've described it, there are two options...either TAT or the KidWISE fair as the alternative. There are not a "number" of options unless the Archbishop means he's approved other programs.

Can I ask what is your response if someone calls down to your office to ask if "Formation in Christian Chastity" is an approved program? The answer would be "yes," wouldn't it? It's not a "recommended" program, but you would tell them it's "approved" wouldn't you?

Lastly, can you let me know what, besides "Formation in Christian Chastity" has also been approved?

Thanks for your consideration.

Primary Educators League

Planned Parenthood - Pastor Pack Info; FICC Article - The Catholic Servant

2006-03-26T15:42:00.000-06:00

Dear parents,

Three key points to pass along:

1) An excellent FICC article that was published in last week's Catholic Servant by Barb Ernster. Please share this with your pastors and key decision makers at your parish. It will give further credibility to our effort here despite what chancery officials are saying.
http://www.primaryeducators.org/FICC_Servant.pdf

2) A flyer announcing the meeting on Thursday, March 30th. Thank you for distributing this to as many people as possible.
http://www.primaryeducators.org/Roseville_Meeting.pdf

3) A document from the presentation that provides the key points Planned Parenthood recommends our children should know from ages 5-7 regarding their sexuality.
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/pp2/portal/medicalinfo/parenting/pub-children-sexuality.xml

Please read this in context of your understanding of the VIRTUS Parent's Guide as well as the information you've learned about "Talking About Touching." (In case you've misplaced your VIRTUS Parent's Guide, you can find it here). We're not saying Planned Parenthood had a hand in the creation of the VIRTUS guide or TAT, but it is not hard to see some of the common themes that run throughout all these programs.Note: if you have distributed Pastor Packs, please note that the Planned Parenthood information was not included. (It was included in the Parent's Pack). If you'd like to share this with your pastor, please go ahead and do so.

Lastly, since we are a small but growing group of people, please pass this information along. So far there are 128 people who have signed up to receive these e-mails. Please encourage others to join the list so we can improve communications and broaden our reach. They can sign up at the web site.

When the chancery sends out communication, it goes out to several hundred people including pastors, DREs, key education personnel and VIRTUS coordinators. We have a ways to go to spread the word on "safe environments." Your help is greatly appreciated!

Protecting God's Children,

Primary Educator's League
www.primaryeducators.org
http://www.altorfamiliarum002.blogspot.com/

Sr. Fran Donnelly takes on Primary Educators League

2006-03-26T15:28:00.000-06:00

(This message was sent Thursday, March 23, 2006 to all Directors of Religious Ed, all parish main contacts and pastors).

Subject: To ALL PARISH MAIN CONTACTS from Sr. Fran Donnelly Re: VIRTUS

This message is being sent on behalf of Sr. Fran Donnelly, Director, Center for Ministry.

Dear Parish and School Leaders:

I would like to thank all of you for your timely return of the School/Parish Verification Forms related to the distribution of the Parent/Guardian Guide Materials. At this time, 66% of all parishes and schools have sent their forms in and the response has been overwhelmingly positive.

It has come to my attention that there appears to be yet another round of inaccurate information that is making it very difficult for all of you to stay the course in your efforts to implement the Archdiocesan Protection of Children and Youth Curriculum. There are parent meetings being held around the Archdiocese sponsored by the "primaryeducators.org" group. While they may be well-intentioned, there are flaws and misinformation in their presentation. And unfortunately, parents are the ones who are confused by it all. That means, of course, that you are called upon to give answers to your parents when they call. We very much appreciate all that you are doing for the good of the whole. And please know that the education staff and my staff are here to support you in anyway that we can.

To my knowledge, the Archbishop remains firm in his approval of the recommended curriculum, as outlined at the February 10, 2006 Leadership Meeting, the February 16, 2006 issue of The Catholic Spirit, and as outlined on the Archdiocesan Website.

Those few parishes and schools who have or will receive approval to use other curricula are receiving Archbishop Flynn's permission to go outside of the approved and recommended curriculum. Archbishop Flynn has not added more choices to his recommended list! There is a difference!

I would like to remind all of you that Archbishop Flynn's expectation is that all school and parish religious education leaders and their pastors will view the materials first hand before making their decision to not use the recommended curriculum. It is not enough to have read or hear about the curricula from other sources. We have concerns that some may be just presuming it is OK to use other curriculum without having previewed the recommended ones and perhaps even without communicating with the Archbishop at all. I would strongly recommend that you have a conversation with your pastor, so that you and he have the same understanding.

The Catholic Education and Formation Ministries staff has made arrangements for the materials to be viewed at numerous times between now and the end of May. You may sign up for a viewing time at the Hayden Center by calling Sharon Fruetel at 651-291-4500. Because of space restrictions, we need you to call ahead for an appointment so that you do not have to wait to get into the Instructional Services Center. Those with appointments will be accommodated first. Also, note that we will make similar arrangements starting next month for parents who wish to view the materials. And remind your parents that before the programs are implemented in your school and parish that they will have an on-site opportunity to see the materials and to have their questions answered.

Thank you again for your support and help in fulfilling the intent of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. As we move forward with this initiative, it is clear to all of us that even without the Charter's mandate, it is absolutely what all of us in the adult world need to be doing to provide safe environments for our children. I know I am preaching to the choir here, but God bless you and keep you.

Sr. Fran Donnelly
Director, Center for Ministry
651-290-1600
donnellyf@archspm.org

Email from Archbishop Flynn Regarding Father Altier and Safe Environments Concerns

2006-03-24T16:24:00.000-06:00

"Nedeau, Karen"
Date: Mon, 20 Mar 2006 15:03:09 -0600
From: "Nedeau, Karen"
To: undisclosed-recipients:;

To interested party

Thank you for your recent note. I appreciate that you have benefited spiritually from Fr. Altier's homilies. He has done much good work and is not being "silenced."

Fr. Robert Altier is a priest of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis in good standing. He wrote to ask me for permission to extend his radio ministry. I reviewed the situation and discerned that a break from his multi-media apostolates might be beneficial to him and to the parish of Saint Agnes. His primary responsibility has been and continues to be as assistant to the pastor there in ministering to the parishioners. The specific reasons for this decision are within the context of a bishop's relationship with his priests. It would be most inappropriate to discuss them with others.

Many people have leaped to inaccurate and unkind conclusions. They do a disservice to Fr. Altier and to me. I pray that Lent will be a time for them to examine their consciences and grow in charity. They would be well-advised to listen to or read some homilies about the perils of rashly judging others and about the respect owed to the successors of the apostles.

Some people have mentioned concerns with regard to the "safe environment" programs for children. Let me assure you that pastors in this Archdiocese have a number of options from which to choose and that parents always retain the right to withhold their children from any program to which they object.

I hope that you may avail yourself of some of the other good spiritual resources on the radio, Internet or in good, old-fashioned books. I personally enjoy the insights of the periodical missal Magnificat. You are also free to visit Saint Agnes where Fr. Altier continues to actively minister.

With every good wish, I remain
Sincerely yours in Christ,

Most Reverend Harry J. Flynn, D. D.
Archbishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis

This email was scanned and found to be virus-free upon transmission from the Central Corporation of the Archdiocese of St. Paul & Minneapolis.

First Principles: an answer to the pro-TAT lobby

2006-03-08T10:17:00.000-06:00

How is it that certain Catholic clergy have chosen to use the same tools as Planned Parenthood and SIECUS to fight child sex abuse? Is it possible that Catholics are fighting the same battle as Planned Parenthood and SIECUS? The first or fundamental principles which are the basis for action according to Catholic moral theology seem incongruous to those principles employed by Planned Parenthood and SIECUS. Don't Catholics accept the first principle of the Natural Law, which, according to St. Thomas Aquinas, is that Good is to be done and Evil to be avoided? Don't Catholics accept that certain actions are intrinsically (by their nature) Good, while others are intrinsically Evil?
Protecting our children is an act which the Church considers intrinsically good. Aborting our children is an example of an act which the Church considers intrinsically evil. Again, Catholics believe that the act of sexually abusing a child is intrinsically evil. But Planned Parenthood and SIECUS do not seem to believe in intrinsically evil acts at all. According to these organizations, there are no intrinsically disordered acts with regard to human sexuality. Rather they seem to hold that child sex abuse is unacceptable, because it is not consensual.

According to their own admission in their Guidelines for the Education Children, Planned Parenthood suggests that young children (before age five) are to seek privacy to touch their sexual organs for pleasure, but are to say “no” to sexual practices that hurt or are uncomfortable. The guidelines for children ages 15 to 18 are all about consent: the idea being that “if it feels good, do it.” If an individual consents to an act, according to these principles, then it is acceptable, and may even be good.

If an individual consents to an action, even one that hurts or is damaging, Planned Parenthood would be unable to proclaim that action as evil. All manner of atrocities, even the seduction of young boys by older men, are permissible if mutual consent and not intrinsic good is the basis for right and wrong. This absurd position is born out even in our current system of law as testified by this article at Concerned Women for America.

How can Catholics be fighting the same battle as Planned Parenthood or SIECUS when Catholics believe in intrinsic evil and Planned Parenthood does not? Catholics seem to be fighting anything that mars the true and complete dignity of the human person, particularly the special dignity of innocent children, while Planned Parenthood is fighting anything that hampers complete sexual license.

For many years the homosexual lobby has also fought to break down the barriers which hamper sexual license (see this article for pro-homosexual promotion of “safe environments”). They too have seen that the substitution of the system of intrinsic goods with the system of mutual consent might prove victorious in this fight. Proclaiming sexual acts as good or bad based only on mutual consent and not on a principle of intrinsic good places Planned Parenthood, SIECUS and the homosexual lobby in the same camp antithetical to authentic Church teaching. The tools developed in this camp, such as “Talking About Touching,” seem not only contrary to the battle which Catholics are fighting but also pose a grave and serious threat to the Church’s continual proclamation of the dignity of the human person.

The “Talking About Touching” program is deeply flawed. It is founded upon and answers to the despairing values of the radically secular world whose only truth seems the truth of mutual consent. No amount of “Catholic window dressing” can obscure that reality. Child sex abuse must be stopped, not because it makes children feel bad or even ‘unsafe’, but because it is objectively, intrinsically evil. We need tools in this fight such as the “Formation in Christian Chastity” program that reflect this truth, not “Talking About Touching” which seems only to further the despair of the modern world.

The Parents' Hour

2006-03-06T14:43:00.000-06:00

Parents across the Archdiocese of Minneapolis and St. Paul are up in arms over the news that of all the “safe environment” curricula available to choose from, our archdiocese has chosen the most controversial and explicit of all for our youngest children, Talking About Touching.

You can read all about Talking About Touching on this blog and on the website, www.primaryeducators.org. You can read that it is an entirely secular program, teaching intimate and distorted sexual concepts without any context of faith. You can view the lesson plans which contain stories of explicit sexual abuse of children. You can see how certain chapters of Planned Parenthood and SIECUS enthusiastically endorse Talking About Touching. You can read the history of Committee for Children, the company behind TAT, although you may think it too unbelievable to be true.

There are many parents who will dismiss this issue with a wave of the hand. “These parents must be hysterical. They must be some fringe element, the type that lives in a vacuum and refuses to expose their children to the real world. They must be the ones disrespectful of the Church, always thinking they know better. After all, the local church keeps referring to parents as the ‘primary educators of our children,’ therefore they must be respecting us, right?”

It is this last point where I take aim. It is with great love for my Church, my bishops and priests that I, as a lay person and mother, must point out the gross mistakes made, both in the actual material selected for my children, but also the way this process has been conducted. While we constantly hear that the role of the parent as primary educator is being respected, I ask, how? When? Where were the parents when our archdiocese put together a committee to study the various programs? Why were no parents invited to participate? Why have thousands of archdiocesan employees had to sit through adult training sessions, but there have been no such sessions for the parents? Why was a session held for archdiocesan employees (of which I am one) detailing the curriculum recommendations, but still no such informational session for the parents? Why are the parents the last to be allowed to view the curriculum being implemented for our children, after church employees and pastors? Are these not our children?

While I have my own answers to the above questions, that is for another day. For today, I urge parents to inform themselves and prayerfully ponder their role as parents and as members of the lay faithful. I truly believe that this is the parents’ hour and that parents have a duty to respectfully speak out against this attack upon the innocence not only of our own children, but of all children of the archdiocese.

Letter from Dr. Todd Flanders

2006-03-02T15:26:00.000-06:00

Dr. Flanders is the headmaster of Providence Academy in Plymouth. His recent comments appeared in the school newsletter and are reprinted here:

Dear families,

Many of you may be aware of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ “Charter for the protection of Children and Young People.” The document emerged as a response to what has been called “the long Lent of 2002,” when reportage of clergy abuse scandals dominated the news. The bishops since have been eager to enhance the sense of safety in Catholic parishes, schools, and activities involving the young.
Article 12 of the Charter reads: “Dioceses…are to maintain ‘safe environment’ programs which the…bishop deems to be in accord with Catholic moral principles. They are to be conducted cooperatively with parents, civil authorities, educators, and community organizations to provide education and training for children, youth, parents, ministers, educators, volunteers, and others about ways to make and maintain a safe environment for children and young people….”
This past August, Providence hosted an archdiocesan training program for our faculty, staff, coaches, and volunteers. Now the archdiocese is moving forward with implementation of the initiative for children and youth. The goal is to involve all parents and schools in the initiative in the forthcoming school year.
The archdiocese has suggested programs for use, and the Archbishop has graciously granted parishes and schools permission to petition for alternative programs, provided that the alternatives meet the requirements of Article 12. This past week, I sent a request to the Archbishop proposing “Formation in Christian Chastity,” a program that originated in the Diocese of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and is used in Arlington, Virginia and elsewhere. The program was recommended to me by our friends, the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia Congregation in Nashville, known for the strength of their Christian commitments. The Sisters operate schools throughout the U.S., including in Arlington. I have studied the program, and spoken with Harrisburg officials who co-developed it. The priests, parents, theologians, philosophers, and psychologists who assembled this program share our values at PA. Locally, I have vetted the program with trusted theologians and pastors, who are now also petitioning for its use in their parishes and schools. We are confident that it not only meets the bishops’ objectives, but correlates very well with the religious education and moral formation already happening at PA.
“Formation in Christian Chastity” is for grades 1 through 8. It is theologically and developmentally sensitive. It avoids information that might interfere with what Pope John Paul II termed “the years of innocence,” a “period of tranquility and serenity [that] must never be disturbed by unnecessary information about sex.” The beauty of childhood innocence is of paramount importance to us at PA.
Most of the program is entrusted to the discretion of parents at home, and exclusively in grades 2 through 4. School portions are similarly sensitive to the issues most imperative to PA. I invite you to examine the program, available in its totality online. Go to
www.arlingtondiocese.org/offices/protect/, and find the “For Parents” menu at the left, which links all content by grade.
I will remain in contact with you about this initiative, and will provide any and all relevant information.

Wishing you Christ’s peace,
Todd R. Flanders, Ph.D.Headmaster

2006-03-02T15:17:00.000-06:00

St. Joseph, pray for us.