What is a Circle of Grace?
The Catholic Church teaches that God has created each of us as unique and special. Genesis 1:27 tells us that we are created "male and female in God's image" and that God saw this as "very good." In that goodness, we are meant to respect ourselves and everyone else as persons created and loved by God.
Adults assist children/young people to recognize God's love by helping them to understand that each of us lives and moves in a Circle of Grace. You can imagine your own Circle of Grace by putting your arms above your head then circle down in front of your body including side to side. This circle, front to back, holds who you are in your body and through your senses. It holds your very essence in mind, heart, soul, and sexuality.
Why is it important to help our children/young people understand the Circle of Grace?
God intends our relationships in life to be experiences of divine love. Respectful, nurturing, loving relationships increase our understanding of our own value and help us to love others. It is never too early to help children/young people understand how very special they are and how relationships in life are called to be sacred. Understanding this can help them to protect the special person they are and to be respectful of others.
Adults, as they strive to provide a safe and protective environment, hold the responsibility to help children/young people understand and respect their own dignity and that of others. A truly safe and protective environment is one where children/young people recognize when they are safe or unsafe and know how to bring their concerns, fears, and uncertainties to the trusted adults in their lives.
How is the Circle of Grace Program different from other protection programs?
According to research, one in four girls and one in seven boys will be sexually abused by age eighteen.1 Many protection programs focus on "stranger danger," however, up to ninety percent of the time the perpetrator is a relative, family friend or other person known to the child/young person. Circle of Grace goes beyond just protection by helping children/young people understand the sacredness of who they are and how to seek help through their relationships with trusted adults.
Goal of the Circle of Grace Program – Grades K- 12
The goal of the Circle of Grace program is to educate and empower children and young people to actively participate in a safe environment for themselves and others.
Objectives of the Circle of Grace Program – Grades K – 12
• Children/Young People will understand they are created by God and live in the love of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
• Children/Young People will be able to describe the Circle of Grace which God gives each of us.
• Children/Young People will be able to identify and maintain appropriate physical, emotional, spiritual, and sexual boundaries.
• Children/Young People will be able to identify all types of boundary violations.
• Children/Young People will demonstrate how to take action if any boundary is threatened or violated.
1 www.usccb.org, or http://nccanch.acf.hhs.gov
Background
The United States Catholic Conference of Bishops developed the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People during a three-day meeting in June 2002 in Dallas Texas. This document was the first united response by the bishops to the revelation by the secular media that priests had physically and sexually abused minors over a period of many years. The stories of abuse would appear in dioceses across the United States implicating an increasing number of priests and even bishops.
The Bishops gathered in Washington, D.C. in November 2002 to confirm a revised Charter, to develop a set of canonical norms for Vatican approval as particular law in the dioceses of the United States, to organize procedures for a compliance audit of dioceses, to commission a data gathering project on abuse of minors by priests over the previous 50 years, and to set in motion studies that would discover the causes, trace the patterns, and offer strategies for preventing future abuse and protecting minors effectively.
Diocese/eparchies will establish "safe environment" programs. They will cooperate with parents, civil authorities, educators, and community organizations to provide education and training for children, youth, parents, ministers, educators, and others about ways to make and maintain a safe environment for children. Dioceses/eparchies will make clear to clergy and members of the community the standards of conduct for clergy and other persons in positions of trust with regard to sexual abuse.
Article 12 - Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People
The Archdiocese of Omaha, out of concern for all God's people and in response to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, has developed a safe environment education program for children and young people. This program is called Circle of Grace. There are many Catholic Dioceses and Protestant churches across the United States using the Circle of Grace Curriculum. Go to www.cograce.org to read their testimonies.