As Celtic Franciscans of the Celtic Catholic Church of the Americas, we cherish and affirm each person as a gift from God with an inherent right to dignity of life and of integrity of body, mind and spirit. This shall be respected, nurtured and protected by all of us from any physical, sexual, emotional and spiritual harm.

 

All of us as a religious Order and institution share an obligation to ensure that these fundamental rights, especially of our children and our vulnerable adults are respected.

 

These guiding principles inform our OCF/CCCA Safeguarding Policy that aims to insure that none of our personnel, ordained or lay, engages in behavior that could allow abuse of ANY kind to occur or engages in actions that could be misinterpreted by anyone, especially children or their families, as constitutes or leads to abuse.

 

Ultimately our goal is the establishment and maintenance of a loving environment which is safe, caring and vigilant towards the protection of each other and insuring that any deviations from this goal are immediately reported to the appropriate OCF/CCCA and Law enforcement authorities.

 

In light of our goals and the importance we place on Safeguarding and prior to matriculation into Seminary or work in any of our ministries or programs, all of our candidates for Holy Orders or Lay ministers/Celtic Franciscan Companions working specifically under our aegis or direction, voluntarily undergo a thorough Background Investigation conducted by Sabrehawk International. Founded and run by former US Dept of Justice - US Marshal Service personnel they are the recognized security industry leader.