You are always welcome in Church and in our parish community. We are committed to keeping you safe from harm.

If you have been hurt in any way by someone, or you are at risk of being hurt, please tell us straight away so that we can help you.

Or

If you know another child or young person who has been hurt by someone, or is at risk of being hurt, please tell us striaght away so that we can help him or her.

Contact Persons

Name: Sr Shelagh Mary Waspe
Archdiocesan Safeguarding Contact
Telephone No: +27 (83) 256-1422

Name: Mrs Justina Sithole
Archdiocesan Safeguarding Contact
Telephone No: +27 (83) 359-7225

Name: Fr Russell Pollitt SJ
Society of Jesus in South Africa Safeguarding Contact
E-mail: sa-regsafeguarding@sj.org.za

Children and young people have a very important place in our Church and we are always eager to encourage their active participation in parish life. We are committed to doing everything we can to create a safe and welcoming place for our young parishioners, where their welfare is of greatest importance. It is our archdiocesan/diocesan policy to ensure that children and young people will always be safe, protected and supported in all activities associated with the Church.

If you have any concerns about the well-being of a child or young person connected to or involved in the Church, or you suspect that a child or young person may be being abused by anyone within the Church, please report the matter immediately to one of the Archdiocesan Contact Persons (details given below) or to a priest whom you know. Please provide as much detail as possible, so that the matter can be quickly and fully investigated, in the first place by the Professional Conduct Committee of the Archdiocese.

It is important that we do everything we can to protect children and vulnerable adults and to prevent them being harmed in any way.

Contact Persons

Name: Sr Shelagh Mary Waspe
Telephone No: +27 (83) 256-1422

Name: Mrs Justina Sithole
Telephone No: +27 (83) 359-7225

Name: Fr Russell Pollitt SJ
Society of Jesus in South Africa Safeguarding Contact
E-mail: sa-regsafeguarding@sj.org.za

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• Professional Conduct Resources from the SACBC
• The Child Protection Policy for Jesuits in Africa
• The Pontifical Commision for the Protection of Minors
• Pope Francis’ “The Protection of Minors in the Church” summit with the heads of all Episcopal Conferences, held in Rome, 21-24 Feb 2019.
• Pope Francis’ apostolic letter issued motu proprio Vos estis lux mundi / You are the light of the world on the universal obligation and mandatory reporting of any abuse or misconduct, or cover-up of abuse or misconduct, by a cleric or religious member of the Church against a minor or vulnerable person.

You might also find the proceedings of the recent Child Dignity in the Digital World Conference hosted by the Centre for Child Protection at the Pontifical Gregorian University most illuminating.

Some English Language Articles in the Press

• Cupich , Cardinal Blasé, America , May 10, 2010, Twelve Things the Bishops Have Learned from the Clergy Sexual Abuse Crisis.
• Zollner , Fr Hans, November 2017, The Spiritual Wounds of Sexual Abuse.
• AA.VV. , La Civiltà Cattolica, Perspectives 04, Safeguarding (contains 11 articles on the topic)
• Reis , Sr. Bernadette Mary, Vatican News ,25 July 2018, Cardinal O’Malley addresses sexual abuse involving bishops.
• Zollner , Fr Hans, Vatican News , 18 August 2018, Child protection expert: PA abuse report horrific.
• Reis , Sr. Bernadette Mary, Vatican News ,31 August 2018,  Church in Australia responds to the Royal Commission.
• O’Connell , Gerard, America , 23 November 2018, Exclusive: Archbishop Scicluna says February meeting start of ‘global approach’ to fighting sex abuse.
• Zollner , Fr Hans, Vatican News , 23 November 2018, The Meeting in February begins now with the consultation phase.
• White , Christopher, Crux , 23 November 2018, Cupich calls February abuse summit start of a ‘worldwide reform’.
• Reis , Sr Bernadette Mary, Vatican News , 24 November 2018, Cardinal O’Malley: ‘February meeting will be an important moment’.
• Gisotti , Alessandro, Vatican News , 30 November 2018, Gabriella Gambino: Alliances need to be created to face the scandal abuse.
• Gisotti , Alessandro, Vatican News , 15 December 2018, Fr. Lombardi: Church needs to thoroughly confront abuse crisis.
• Lombardi , Federico, La Civiltà Cattolica , 19 December 2018, Preparing the Meeting of Bishops on the Protection of Minors.
• Glatz , Carol, Catholic News Service , January 10, 2019, Background of meeting within the context of the Church’s response since 2002.
• Steinfels , Peter, Commonweal , 14 January 2019, Assessment of the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report.
• Vatican News , January 16, 2019, Vatican releases details on Protection of Minors Meeting.
• Lombardi , Fr Federico, La Civiltà Cattolica , 19 January 2019,  Protection of Minors: From Awareness to Commitment.
• Wells , Christopher, Vatican News , 28 January 2019, Pope: Meeting on Protection of Minors to Raise Awareness.
• San Martin , Ines, Crux , 31 January 2019, Vatican adviser says ‘real reform,’ not spin, key to recovery from abuse crisis.
• O’Connell , Gerard, America , 13 February 2019, Cardinal Cupich: The Vatican abuse summit will focus on ‘responsibility, accountability and transparency’.
• San Martin , Ines, Crux , 15 February 2019, Follow-up will be key to pope’s abuse summit, Scicluna says.