Dear Friends,

    Child abuse is a terrible tragedy and a sad reality in our society. We at the Diocese of Manchester want to do all we can to prevent the abuse of children, who are so very precious to us. We want to stop abuse from occurring in families, neighborhoods, schools, on the playing field, and to make sure that it never occurs again in our Church.

    The Diocese of Manchester requires all adults who regularly work with minors to complete child abuse awareness training. The online training you are about to complete is known as Not on My Watch. This training has been developed to educate those who work in Church ministry about the problems of child abuse and neglect. In this training, you will learn how to recognize the signs that indicate a child may be abused or neglected; how to identify potential abusers; and how to report suspected abuse to the proper authorities. I wholeheartedly approve of this training program, which is in accord with Catholic principles.

    Please join me in this effort to be vigilant and join me in praying for all victims of abuse and their families. May God’s loving care be evident and God’s healing profound. May God continue to guide us in our efforts to prevent abuse in our Church and in society at large.

In Christ,

Bishop Peter A. Libasci