We, the Catholic faithful of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, share responsibility for the life and mission of the Church.  Each of us is called to celebrate, promote and, when necessary, to defend the life and dignity of every person.  This responsibility requires that together and individually we treat everyone with respect, do what we can to see that harm is never brought to others, especially minors and vulnerable adults, and seek to bring healing for those who have been harmed.  To help achieve this, the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City has taken the following steps:      

           *Appointed a Victims Assistance Coordinator to offer immediate assistance to victims;    

           *Adopted a Code of Conduct;    

           *Adopted and implemented age appropriate safe environment programs for the education of children, youth and adults;

           *Established a policy requiring criminal background checks of all clergy and religious, those in formation for the priesthood or permanent diaconate, all church employees and volunteers who have regular contact with children and/or vulnerable adults.  

Ensuring a safe environment for children, young people and vulnerable adults is a continuous effort.  The Archdiocese pledges to continue to work toward identifying areas where we can be more effective.