The Diocese of Brooklyn takes seriously its responsibility for the safety and security of young people in our care.  We are confident that few if any non-profit, community or governmental agencies go to the same great lengths as our institutions to protect children from abusers.  Nevertheless, we must always be vigilant to discover what more can be done to protect our children.

We commend the parents of the Church Saint Mel who take seriously their responsibility to monitor the social networking usage of their children.  The courage of these parents has furthered the safety and security of all children in Flushing and Whitestone.  At the same time, we are troubled that our state does not require all those convicted of sexual abuse of a child to have their status as a sex offender made public.

In recent years our Church has become keenly aware of the ravages of child sexual abuse.  We will continue to examine our policies and procedures.  Moreover, we will continue to take all possible steps to keep the young in our care safe.