IN THE DIOCESE
tvc.dsj.org | September 19, 2017
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Santa Clara Faith Formation Conference Focusing On Broader Faith
By Liz Sullivan
A major focus of the newly branded
Santa Clara Faith Formation Conference
(SCFFC), to be held November 3-4 at
the Santa Clara Convention Center, is
“Word, Worship and Witness” to align
with the Catholic Church’s focus on
where Christ is made known. This year’s
theme is “God is Always with Us.”
“Our Diocese has been refl ecting
on ways to re-envision our response
to Word, Worship and Witness and
the Santa Clara Faith Formation Con-
ference is taking that to a much more
intensive level,” said Father John E.
Hurley, CSP, Vicar for Evangelization
of the Diocese of San Jose. “The con-
ference is divided into equal thirds to
provide a practical diversity for further
implementation in our parishes and
ministries.”
The conference is held in partnership
with the Leadership Roundtable. Joining
the Diocese in sponsoring it are the Dio-
cese of Monterey in collaboration with
the Archdiocese of San Francisco and
the dioceses of Stockton and Oakland.
In addition to the General Keynote
speaker, ValLimar Jansen, and English
and Spanish keynote speakers, Bishop
Robert McElroy and Maria del Mar
Munoz-Visoso, there will be a Chinese
keynote speaker in Bishop Joseph Ha,
O.F.M., the Auxiliary Bishop of Hong
Kong, and Vietnamese keynote speaker
Father Doan Ng uyen, S.J. Father Bren-
dan McGuire, Vicar for Special Projects
for the Diocese of San Jose, will deliver
the school keynote.
“I am grateful that the Diocese of San
Jose continues its commitment to Faith
Formation with the Diocese of Monterey
in nurturing all of those involved with
Faith Formation in a variety of ways,”
said Hurley. “I am also grateful we are
in collaboration with the Archdiocese
of San Francisco and the Dioceses of
Stockton and Oakland.”
Typically the fi rst day of the confer-
ence has always been an In-Service day
for elementary schools in the Diocese
of San Jose and Monterey. This year,
SCFFC has turned that area of the con-
ference up a notch.
“We formed a school task force to
better mee t the needs of principals
S ANTA C LARA F AITH F ORMATION C ONFERENCE
and teachers,” said Hurley. “This year
we are happy to welcome the schools
from San Jose, Monterey and Stockton,
as well as principals from the Diocese
of Oakland and the Archdiocese of
San Francisco, who will join us for In-
Service days in 2018.”
While the Leadership Rountable is
only available by invitation, Hurley
is excited about the partnership with
the Leadership Roundtable, which is
a national organization that promotes
best practices and accountability in the
management, finances, communica-
tions and human resources develop-
ment of the Catholic Church in the U.S.,
including greater incorporation of the
expertise of the laity.
At the SCFFC, this will involves
Bishops and Executive teams on all-
day session on November 3 addressing
various needs. Also, that day pastors
and principals will come together to
collaborate. On November 4, pastors,
along with their pastoral councils and
principals with their school boards,
will meet for two intensive workshops
for collaborative leadership for their
respective groups.
“Having been involved with the
Leadership Roundtable for almost 10
years, I am grateful for the partnership
of fostering leadership in our diocese
and the Bay Area through the confer-
ence,” said Hurley.
For more information, a full list of
more than 90 sessions and to register,
visit SCFFC.org. Early registration is
open until September 30.
“This has been a great joy for me to
be involved with the planning commit-
tee for this conference,” said Hurley.
“It has featured more than 25 people
from San Francisco, San Jose, Monterey,
Stockton and Oakland. There is a lot of
energy building and I am excited by the
energy. So many people have expressed
gratitude that we have an even stronger
commitment to the conference.”
Diocesan Requirements for Adult Volunteers
By Griselda Cervantez
The Office for the Protection of
Children and Vulnerable Adults (OP-
CVA) is thankful for your commitment
to promoting a safe environment in all
of our parishes, schools, and events.
As part of your commitment, it is im-
portant to understand and be compli-
ant with all volunteer requirements.
If you are unsure if you are fully
compliant, this is a great opportunity
to fi nd out! All adult volunteers that
have regular contact with children,
vulnerable adults, or minister to the
home-bound must
1. Participate in a Safe Environ-
ment Training
2. Participate in the proper form of
background screening.
The Sa fe Env i ron ment Tra i n-
ing may be completed through the
Shield the Vulnerable online course at
www.shieldthevulnerable.org. If you
prefer a live training, please check
our website for training schedules at
www.dsj.org/opcva. The training must
be completed prior to participating in
volunteer services and must be renewed
every three years.
In addition to fulfi lling the Safe
Environment Training requirement,
adult volunteers must complete the
appropriate background screening.
The Diocese of San Jose employs
three types of criminal background
screenings:
1. Live Scan Fingerprinting,
2. Professional Background Check,
3. Manual Review of Megan’s List.
Please check with your parish or
school to confi rm which background
screening is applicable for your volun-
teer service role.
If you want to volunteer and are not
yet compliant with all requirements,
please take a moment to contact your
site’s volunteer coordinator to begin
the process. As always, the OPCVA
is also available to answer your ques-
tions at (408) 983-0113 or via email at
[email protected]. Once again, thank
you for your commitment to making
the Diocese of San Jose a safe environ-
ment for all.
Most Reverend Patrick McGrath,
Bishop of the Diocese of San Jose