Overview Background screening is a tool the Church uses to secure our children's and vulnerable adults' safety. The Catholic Diocese of Arlington conducts background checks on all clergy, seminarians, deacons, employees, and volunteers who have substantial contact with children and vulnerable adults, including a fingerprint-based state and national criminal history check. Criminal convictions for barrier crimes automatically disqualify an individual from being employed by the Catholic Diocese of Arlington or serving as a volunteer in a capacity that involves substantial contact with youth and vulnerable adults. |
What is considered to be a barrier crime? The Commonwealth of Virginia determines the type of crimes that would automatically bar an individual from volunteering or being employed by youth-serving organizations. These specific crimes are listed in the Code of Virginia. Not all criminal convictions bar an individual from volunteering or working for the Diocese. Only convictions for the crimes specified by the Commonwealth of Virginia result in an individual being ineligible. |
If an applicant has been charged with a crime but not convicted, will that person be automatically ineligible? No, only individuals convicted of these crimes will be automatically ineligible. Charges that were dismissed or expunged will not result in an individual being ineligible to volunteer. Please note that the Catholic Diocese of Arlington reserves the right to disqualify an individual from employment and/or serving as a volunteer based upon its discretion and review of the individual’s criminal history. |
How is an individual notified that they are disqualified from volunteering or being employed by the Diocese? The Office of the Protection of Children and Young People will review the results of the background check to determine if there is a conviction for a barrier crime. The Director of the Office for Child Protection will then notify the General Counsel for the Diocese and the pastor and/or school principal of the individual’s ineligibility. In compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the individual will be notified in writing of the disqualification and afforded an opportunity to discuss the decision. To protect the individual’s privacy, the nature and type of the criminal conviction will not be discussed with other individuals, including liaisons. OPCYP staff will designate the individual as ineligible in their diocesan account to provide notice to parishes and schools that the individual is disqualified from being employed or volunteering. |
Can I get a copy of the list of barrier crimes? Because the list is codified into law by the Commonwealth of Virginia, the types of crimes determined to be barrier crimes may change. The Office of Child Protection monitors these changes, so we remain current on what legally disqualifies an individual. To avoid confusion and prevent communicating information that is not current or correct, we will not distribute the list. We encourage individuals to apply even if they have a criminal background, as many convictions are not automatically disqualifying. |