IOWA
The Catholic Globe
By JOANNE FOX
joannef@scdiocese.org
Investigating the compliance of a diocese with practices that will prevent child abuse is probably not a job with a lot of warm fuzzies.
But Greg Simmons and Jim Leisner from Rochester, N.Y., insist their Catholic faith has been enhanced and empowered by their findings.
The two auditors from StoneBridge Business Partners – the business firm the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has chosen to perform safe environment audits – visited the Diocese of Sioux City from Oct. 28-30.
The two men conducted on-site interviews with several parishes, schools, Diocesan Review Board members (the committee which investigates abuse claims) and Bishop Walker Nickless to insure compliance with the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People (Dallas Charter).
According to Colleen Sulsberger, coordinator of the Office of Safe Environment for the diocese, what’s unusual about this is Bishop Nickless is one of only 26 U.S. bishops who have authorized parish and school audits this year.
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