Policy Regarding Ethical Ministry to Minors

Attached below is our most recent comprehensive policy regarding ethical ministry to minors, approved by our Provincial Council March 7, 2020. The original is in English, and there is also a Spanish translation.

The Dominican Province of St. Albert the Great, the Chicago-based Central Province of Dominican Friars in the United States, first adopted a policy on ethical ministry to minors at a meeting of its Provincial Council, October 9-10, 1987, in order to ensure that minors were protected from sexual abuse and well-served by our friars. Our Provincial Chapter of 1990 endorsed the policy and asked that it be included in the Acts of that Chapter. The province continued to update this policy in the ensuing years to make use of society’s deepening understanding of this issue. The policy was most recently revised in 2020. This policy comprises:

• appropriate standards of conduct for province members, positive as well as prohibited behaviors;
• a member’s responsibility to inform both the religious superior as well as civil authorities when he has any knowledge pertinent to the sexual abuse of a minor;
• how the province responds to an allegation against one of its own members, along with guidelines for pastoral care for victims, families, and parish communities;
• the function of the province’s sexual misconduct review board;
• the required screening that takes place as a part of admissions, initial formation, and the ongoing formation of its members.

The full policy is attached below as well as how someone can contact the province to report an allegation. The Province of St. Albert the Great remains committed to the protection of children, minors, and vulnerable adults and longs to see these tragic forms of misconduct cease within the Church and within society at large.