Catechists & Volunteer Information

The Diocese of Wilmington requires all parish employees and volunteers who work with children or youth to complete Safe Environment requirements before serving in ministry. These requirements are managed through the VIRTUS Safe Environment platform.

Step 1: Complete VIRTUS Safe Environment Training

The Diocese uses VIRTUS to provide Safe Environment training and annual acknowledgements. All employees and volunteers who work with children must complete this training before serving in ministry.

1. Visit VIRTUS Online at https://www.virtusonline.org/.
2. Select First-Time Registrant if you are creating an account for the first time. Returning users should sign in using their existing User ID and Password.
3. When prompted, select "Wilmington (Diocese)" from the Diocese dropdown list.
4. After registering, open Current Training and complete the required Protecting God's Children for Adults training. The training consists of several short videos with questions after each section and typically takes 60 to 90 minutes to complete.
5. If any items appear under Required Documents, complete each one. Your documents are saved automatically within VIRTUS, so there is no need to print or submit paper copies.
6. If you are unable to finish the training in one sitting, your progress will be saved and you may return later to complete it.

Step 2: Complete Your Background Screening

Before you can complete your background screening, you must obtain a screening code.

Who should I contact?
Catechists, aides, coordinators, ministry chairpersons, lead ministry volunteers, and parish employees:

• Contact Cathy DeCrescenzo in the Religious Education Office at (302) 322-6430, ext. 101 to obtain your background screening code.

All other parish volunteers:

• Contact the chairperson or lead person of your ministry to obtain your background screening code.

Background Screening Fee

• The Diocese charges a $45 background screening fee, which can be paid online. This fee is waived for catechists.
• To access the online payment form, all individuals who are required to pay the fee must obtain the required password from Cathy DeCrescenzo in the Religious Education Office at (302) 322-6430, ext. 101.

After receiving your screening code:

1. Review the Diocese's Online Criminal Background Screening Instructions on the For the Sake of God's Children page on the Diocese of Wilmington website.
2. Complete the appropriate online background screening application:
   1. Volunteer Background Screening
   2. Employee Background Screening
3. When prompted, select "St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish" as the organization where you will be serving.

Questions?

If you have questions about Safe Environment requirements or need assistance obtaining a screening code, please contact Cathy DeCrescenzo in the Religious Education Office at (302) 322-6430, ext. 101.

For more information, please visit the For the Sake of God's Children page on the Diocese of Wilmington website.



Last Updated 7/22/2026