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Contact Felipe Sanchez, Director of Administrator | (310) 566-1502 |
About Safeguard the Children
Providing a safe environment for children, youth, and vulnerable adults
Safeguard the Children is a comprehensive program designed to promote a safe environment for children, youth and vulnerable adults and prevent child sexual abuse. The program was initiated in all dioceses in the United States at the direction of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).
There is a Safeguard the Children (STC) Committee in each parish which helps to implement the objectives of the USCCB “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.” The Archdiocese of Los Angeles has produced an informative brochure entitled "Working Together" that provides resources on how to prevent abuse and provides information on reporting child abuse. You can find it along with more information about the policies and activities of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in “Protecting Our Children" at www.lacatholics.org/departments-ministries/protecting-children/ .
You can also read the monthly bulletin put out by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles at: www.lacatholics.org/did-you-know/
Requirements for Parish Clergy, Staff, and Volunteers at St. Monica
- All volunteers and clergy, along with our staff, regardless of whether they work with or around children in any way, are required to attend a VIRTUS session, “Protecting God’s Children” adult awareness training session.
- Any volunteer who supervises or is perceived to supervise children in any way is required to submit to a background check in the form of fingerprinting by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. You can sign up for free at LiveScan fingerprinting
- Faith Formation volunteers, students and their parents take part annually in the ”Empowering God's Children” or other approved safe environment education program.
- All parish staff are required to submit to a background check in the form of fingerprinting by the Los Angeles Archdiocese
For a schedule of VIRTUS sessions and fingerprinting at St. Monica, please check latest announcements or the calendar. You can also call the Parish Office at (310) 566-1500 for dates as well.
Child Abuse Prevention Month
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Child Abuse Prevention Month: April 2022
In honor of National Child Abuse Prevention Month, April 2022, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles invites you to join us in transforming awareness into action by participating in a special nine-day Novena for Protecting and Healing from Abuse, April 22-30.
The Office of Safeguard the Children is dedicated to “protecting all of God’s children” by fully implementing Article 12 of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People adopted by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2002. The office provides ongoing support, education, training and resources to help prevent child sexual abuse and to address children’s safety in our parishes, schools, homes and communities.
To this end, St. Monica Safeguard the Children (STC) Committee continues to assess and implement the objectives of the charter and to protect vulnerable populations in our midst. Our community regularly hosts VIRTUS training and fingerprinting opportunities to ensure that our volunteers, clergy, and staff have been trained on what a safe environment should look like. It is important that everyone is aware of what abuse can look like, and that we report suspected child or elder abuse. We are all responsible for the care and safety of children and vulnerable adults.
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles also continues helping survivors of sexual abuse and their families during National Child Abuse Prevention Month, and on behalf of Archbishop José H. Gomez, we affirm our continued commitment to report allegations of sexual misconduct to law enforcement, support victim-survivors in their healing journey, and protect children and the vulnerable.
As a community, we hold victims and survivors in our hearts and pray for healing throughout our nation. We will light our candle on Apr. 25 and in a special way pray for protection and healing from abuse. May we all find comfort in the love and support of our community, gathered together to protect the most vulnerable.
"United in Prayer" Novena: Apr. 22-30
Together for the next nine days, let us pray that the vulnerable are protected from abuse, and that survivors of abuse may be accompanied ont heir paths to healing.
Intercessions
Click Here to View Daily Intercessions!
Prayers
Our Father, 3 Hail Marys, Glory Be, Prayer for Healing
Prayer for Healing
God of endless love,
ever caring, ever strong,
always present, always just:
You gave your only Son
to save us by his blood and cross.
Gently Jesus, shepherd of peace,
join to your own suffering
the pain of all who have been hurt
in body, mind, and spirit
by those who betrayed the trust places in them.
Hear the cries of our brothers and sisters
who have been gravely harmed,
and the cries of those who love them.
Soothe their restless hearts with hope,
steady their shaken spirits with faith.
Grant them justice for their cause,
enlightened by your truth.
Holy Spirit, comforter of hearts,
heal your people's wounds
and transform brokeness into wholeness.
Grant us the courage and wisdom,
humility and grace, to act with justice.
Breathe wisdom into our prayers and labors.
Grant that all hamred by abuse may find peace in justice.
We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Did You Know?
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Safeguard the Children: Did You know Created on Friday, 03 March 2023Read more...
The Archdiocese provides fingerprinting services free of charge and works with the California Department of Justice to have these fingerprints submitted and scanned by the appropriate agencies. Anyone in the archdiocese who has regular contact with minors or vulnerable...
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Safeguard the Children: Did You know Created on Friday, 03 March 2023Read more...
Over the last several decades, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles has partnered with ex-FBI agents to investigate allegations of clerical sexual abuse. This partnership is part of a comprehensive abuse protection effort in the archdiocese that includes mandatory fingerprin...
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Safeguard the Children: Did You know Created on Saturday, 25 February 2023Read more...
It is important to take immediate action if someone discloses abuse to you, or if you suspect abuse or neglect is happening. The Archdiocese of Los Angeles offers a detailed list of resources with information about what to do if you suspect a child, vulnerable or elder...
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Safeguard the Children: Did You know Created on Monday, 09 January 2023Read more...
A reference check is a professional investigation that can provide invaluable information to protect your organization. Among the steps to take when hiring an employee, enlisting a volunteer, or retaining an outside vendor or another independent party, the reference ch...
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Safeguard the Children: Did You know Created on Monday, 09 January 2023Read more...
When children are unsupervised online, it is difficult to know who they come in contact with, so it is important to know the warning signs that they might be talking to an online predator. Talk to your children about appropriate and inappropriate conversations online. ...
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Safeguard the Children: Did You know Created on Monday, 09 January 2023Read more...
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles and Joan Vienna, director of Safeguard the Children, were recently recognized for their 18-year partnership with the VIRTUS® program, working to keep children and young people safe from child sexual abuse in our parishes, schools, homes, ...
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Safeguard the Children: Did You know Created on Friday, 06 January 2023Read more...
It is important to understand how we, as Catholic adults, can make a difference in protecting the lives of our children and young people. Every adult, whether they are parents or not, can contribute to the safety of the children in our communities in a variety of ways....
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Safeguard the Children: Did You know Created on Friday, 06 January 2023Read more...
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles affirms our continued commitment to report allegations of sexual misconduct to law enforcement, support victim-survivors in their healing journey, and protect children and the vulnerable. The Archdiocese created a website, lacatholics.org...
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Safeguard the Children: Did You know Created on Friday, 06 January 2023Read more...
Child sexual abusers often target nurturing, child-friendly environments, where parents and participants assume that no one would ever want to harm a child. The Archdiocese of Los Angeles began implementing the VIRTUS® Protecting God’s Children sexual abuse prevention ...
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Safeguard the Children: Did You know Created on Friday, 06 January 2023Read more...
Did you know that the Archdiocese of Los Angeles requires all staff members, and volunteers who work in any capacity with or around children, the elderly, or people with special needs, to complete the VIRTUS® Protecting God’s Children for Adults program? This program h...
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Safeguard the Children: Did You know Created on Friday, 18 November 2022Read more...
When a child discloses abuse, the first thing to remember is to stay calm. Coming forward takes incredible courage and trust; it is usually very hard for children to open up. If a child discloses abuse to you, it is important to listen fully to what he or she is saying...
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Safeguard the Children: Did You know Created on Friday, 18 November 2022Read more...
Christmas is a popular time to decorate with candles and electric lights, both inside and out of the house. These decorations can be beautiful and festive, but also come with the risk of fires. Parents should make sure to keep candles out of reach of children, and off ...
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Safeguard the Children: Did You know Created on Friday, 18 November 2022Read more...
The ChildHelp Abuse Hotline is a valuable resource available nationwide for reporting child abuse. If you have witnessed abuse, or if a child has confided that he or she has been abused, you can reach out to the ChildHelp Abuse Hotline for information on what to do nex...
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Safeguard the Children: Did You know Created on Friday, 18 November 2022Read more...
Archbishop José H. Gomez recently blessed the inaugural garden of healing dedicated to victim-survivors of sexual abuse at Saint Camillus Center for Spiritual Care in Los Angeles. Gardens of healing, which are being planned in the five pastoral regions of the Archdioce...
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Safeguard the Children: Did You know Created on Friday, 18 November 2022Read more...
The California Age-Appropriate Design Code Act, which was signed into law in September, requires companies to assess potential harm in how they use data from children (defined as any user under 18) in new services or features, and to enact plans to reduce risk. Compani...
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Safeguard the Children: Did You know Created on Friday, 18 November 2022Read more...
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued a notice advising people against participating in a dangerous TikTok trend: cooking chicken in NyQuil, a nighttime cold medicine. According to videos on the popular social media site, people are cooking “sleepy chi...
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Safeguard the Children: Did You know Created on Friday, 18 November 2022Read more...
Children are especially susceptible to colds and flu, partly because they are exposed to more germs at school or daycare, or from picking up random objects and less frequent hand washing. You can protect your child against germs by taking preventative actions. Encourag...
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Safeguard the Children: Did You know Created on Friday, 11 November 2022Read more...
If you are traveling to visit family or friends this Thanksgiving, these tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics can help you prepare for smooth and safe flights. Allow your family extra time to get through airport security. Talk to your children about the screeni...
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Safeguard the Children: Did You know Created on Thursday, 03 November 2022Read more...
Safety awareness begins with paying attention to your surroundings. Mark your calendar or set a reminder on your phone to do periodic safety checks at home, in the office, and in places you and your children visit regularly. Safety risks could include dirty spaces, dan...
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Safeguard the Children: Did You know Created on Monday, 26 September 2022Read more...
An airbag can save your life, but for a young, small child, air bags pose a serious risk. All new cars have front seat airbags, so be aware of where your child should sit in the car to be safe for his or her age. All children in rear-facing car seats must ride in the b...
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Reporting Abuse
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Reporting Child Abuse and Elder or Vulnerable Adult Abuse
It is important that everyone report suspected child or elder abuse. If you ever come across suspected abuse, we urge you to call the Los Angeles County Child Protection Hotline at (800) 540-4000. The hotline is operated twenty-four hours, around the clock, seven days a week. You don’t need to know that child abuse or neglect is taking place, you are welcome to report your suspicions and consult with a social worker if you are not clear whether what you are witnessing or have learned of is abuse. Depending on your profession, you might even be legally obligated to report suspected child abuse and neglect, a so-called “mandated reporter.” But if you are not a mandated reporter, you can even make your report anonymously.
Priests, deacons, school faculty and administrators and other staff members in our parish and schools have been designated as mandated reporters under California law. When one of these persons receives information leading to a “reasonable suspicion” that a child is being abused or neglected, he or she must make a report to the appropriate child protection or law enforcement agency. For more information on Responding to an Allegation of Suspected Child Abuse: www.lacatholics.org/departments-ministries/protecting-children/ .
If you are being abused, have been abused, or know someone who is being abused and you need assistance making a report, call Victims Assistance Ministry at the Archdiocese of Los Angeles at (800) 355.2545,
You may also seek help directly by contacting one of the Child Protective Services or one of the Law Enforcement Agencies listed below. In an emergency, call 911.
- LA County Child Abuse Hotline
(800) 540-4000 - Investigative Control Unit for All Child Abuse Reports
(213) 486-0530 - Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
Special Victims Bureau (24 hours)
(562) 946-8531
To speak to a detective
(562) 946-7960 - District Attorney’s Office
Sexual Crimes Division
(213) 974-9790
Family Violence Division
(213) 974-3785 - For callers residing outside of California who wish to contact Child Protective Services in Los Angeles
(213) 639-4500
- LA County Child Abuse Hotline
Volunteer
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Volunteer Opportunity
The Safeguard the Children committee welcomes inquiries from parishioners with backgrounds in social services, law enforcement, education, child health or legal issues who are interested in joining the committee. Contact Felipe Sanchez at or (310) 566-1502.
Mass
Mon–Fri, 7:00 am - Church
Mon–Fri, 12:10 pm - Church & Livestream
Sat, 8:00 am - Church & Livestream
Sat, 5:30 pm - Church
Sun, 7:30 am - Church
Sun, 9:30 am - Church & Livestream
Sun, 11:30 am - Church
Sun, 5:30 pm - Church & Livestream
Outdoor seating is available at all weekend Masses.
Confession
Mon–Fri 5:30–6 pm
Sat 4:30–5:00 pm
contact us
St. Monica Catholic Community
725 California Avenue
Santa Monica, CA 90403
310-566-1500 Contact Us
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