Youth Protection Policy

When youth participate in the life of the Church, their care is entrusted to the parish. Church leaders, staff, and volunteers who work with youth must be prepared to uphold this sacred trust.

READ METROPOLITAN SABA’S LETTER ANNOUNCING THE YOUTH PROTECTION POLICY (YPP) PROGRAM

The Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America is committed to the ongoing and attentive care and protection of our youth.  This includes taking active steps to be a community that deters, detects, and deals with instances of child sexual abuse within our Archdiocese.  

The Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America’s Youth Protection Policy serves as a framework for preventing, identifying, and responding to instances of child sexual abuse that may occur within church premises or during church-related activities.  The primary goal of the Policy is to prevent sexual abuse of our youth. The purpose is not to create an atmosphere of fear or a system of procedural burdens, but to promote an environment of safety and community awareness — all for the ultimate purpose of furthering the ministry of Christ’s love for His children.

Our Youth Protection Coordinator at Holy Cross is Samantha Clay. You can contact her with questions or concerns related to this policy, as well as to receive the training and background check information required to be onboarded as a volunteer: youth.protection@holycross-aoc.org.