Frequently Asked Questions regarding VIRTUS

What is VIRTUS?

VIRTUS is a live, three-hour awareness session for adults which better equips adults to protect children in the world around them. VIRTUS sessions are ongoing and scheduled at parishes and schools throughout the archdiocese. Parish and school leaders may request that a VIRTUS session be scheduled at their parish or school through the online request form.

Who is required to attend a VIRTUS session?

All clergy as well as diocesan, parish and school employees must attend a VIRTUS session. All volunteers who have regular or unsupervised contact with minors must attend a VIRTUS session.

Are substitute teachers required to attend a VIRTUS session?

Yes.

How do I know when and where sessions are available?

Visit www.virtus.org to view a list of sessions.

How do I register to attend a VIRTUS session?

Go to www.virtus.org

1. Click on the “Registration” link in the left-hand column.

2. Select “Saint Paul and Minneapolis (Archdiocese)” from the drop-down box.

3. Create your own “User ID” and “Password”.

4. Follow the screen prompts to continue the online registration.

How will my parish or school know that I have attended a VIRTUS session?

When you register online, make sure to note any parishes and/or Catholic schools where you work or volunteer. After you attend a session, your name will appear on lists of approved VIRTUS attendees for those parishes and/or schools. Designated contact persons at parishes and schools are able to securely access these lists at www.virtus.org.

How do I register if I do not have internet access?

It is very important that you register in advance for the session you plan to attend because space may be limited and walk-ins may not be easily accommodated. If you do not have internet access, you may have someone else register you online. Registration requires personal – not confidential – information. If you have no means of registering online, you may request a paper registration form from the facilitator at the VIRTUS session you attend and give the completed form to the VIRTUS facilitator so that PCYI staff may register you online.

My colleagues have received an email confirmation from VIRTUS that their registration has been accepted, but I have not received a confirmation. Why?

Your email security settings may not allow you to receive emails from system@virtus.org.

How do I know that I am registered for the session I selected?

You may go to the VIRTUS site and login with your USER ID and PASSWORD to view your registration information.

How do I know if a session has been cancelled due to bad weather?

If parish events or school classes are cancelled where the VIRTUS session will be taking place, the session will likely be cancelled. If you are not sure of the session’s status, please call 651-251-7742. You will hear a recorded message regarding any session cancellations.

How do I change the email address in my account at www.virtus.org?

You may update your email address (and other account information) by going to www.virtus.org, logging in, and clicking on “Update My Account”.

Now that I have attended a VIRTUS session, what further training is required?

Members of certain groups are required to complete monthly online training bulletins at www.virtus.org. These short bulletins are followed by a one question quiz which must be completed successfully in order for the person to be noted as having completed the training bulletin.

Members of the groups listed below are required to complete online training bulletins at www.virtus.org:

• Priests in active ministry
• VIRTUS Facilitators
• Local Coordinators of the VIRTUS program

Employees and volunteers who do not fall under one of the categories named above are not required to complete the monthly online training bulletins.

Parish and school leaders are expected to read the PCYI web-based newsletters which are published three times during the program year. Parish and school leaders are emailed a link to this newsletter in the Fall, Winter and Spring when the newsletter is published.

We continue to invite anyone interested in learning more about creating a safe environment for our children to visit www.virtus.org to view the featured articles there.

If I am assigned the monthly online training bulletins, how do I know when the next bulletin is available for me to read?

You should receive an email from system@virtus.org sent to the email address you entered when registering online. However, your email security settings may not allow you to receive emails from system@virtus.org. If this is the case, make a note to visit www.virtus.org each month to complete your training bulletins.

How do I access my monthly online training bulletins at www.virtus.org?

You access your monthly online training bulletins by logging on to www.virtus.org, then clicking on the “My Training” tab at the top of the page. Your current bulletin is at the top of this “My Training” tab page. You will also see a box on the right-hand side of the “My Training” page that says “Training Bulletin Report”. This tells you how many online training bulletins you currently need to complete. If you have past bulletins to complete, click on the text “Click here to see your complete report ” to see a listing of which bulletins you need to complete. You access each individual bulletin by clicking on that bulletin’s title.

I attended a VIRTUS session in another diocese, do I need to attend another session in this archdiocese?

No, at this time you do not need to attend another VIRTUS session in this diocese. Please email the PCYI office at pcyi@archspm.org and let us know in what diocese you attended as well as the location and approximate date of the session you attended. We will then verify your attendance and transfer your VIRTUS account to this archdiocese.

Whom should I contact if I have any additional questions, comments or concerns?

If you have any questions, comments or concerns regarding the Protection of Children and Youth Initiative (PCYI), please contact our office at 651-251-7742 or email pcyi@archspm.org.

I attended Boy Scout leader safe environment training, do I need to attend VIRTUS, too?

As of the end of the 2007-2008 program year, Boy Scout leader safe environment training was no longer accepted in lieu of VIRTUS.