That's no longer possible at St. Matthew Catholic School in Newport.

For the past two years, because of the sexual abuse scandals that have rocked the church, Weyl consistently calls on other adults to attend practice.

John Olson (left), a student at Immaculate Conception Seminary at Seton Hall University in South Orange, N.J., alma mater of Bishop Michael A. Saltarelli of the Diocese of Wilmington, chats here with the Rev. Gabriel Costa, an adjunct professor of pastoral theology at the university. The News Journal / Ginger Wall.

"I've been fortunate in that parents have been willing to hang out with me," Weyl said.

Those parents have agreed to criminal background checks, clearing them to work with students. More than 1,200 parent-coaches have been cleared.

The Diocese of Wilmington insists on these measures to protect the 7,600 young people who participate in more than 500 sports teams, said Joe McNesby, the diocesan coordinator for athletics.

Coaches also agree to an ethics policy, saying, among other things, that they will not physically discipline a child or engage in abusive language.

Parent Patty Buckley stands with coach Jim Blunt while he coaches a volleyball practice at St. Matthew School. New policies in the Diocese of Wilmington require that coaches always have other adults present when conducting a practice. The policies are for the protection of children and adults. Special to the News Journal / Thnomas M. Nutter.

If there is a violation, a coach is warned that his or her behavior is inappropriate and given a second chance. Typically, if the behavior continues, coaches are thanked for their efforts and asked to step down, said Sister Suzanne Donovan, diocesan director of human resources, who is responsible for the safe environments program.

Similar policies are now in effect in the vast majority of the 195 Catholic dioceses in the United States. Even critics who fault bishops for not working collaboratively with everyday Catholics have praised the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops for these policies.

"I commend them," said Bill Pare, vice president of the northern Delaware chapter of the Voice of the Faithful. "It's pretty remarkable when you consider that within a couple of years 98 percent of dioceses are reporting this type of positive change."

Bishops, by their own account, want to promote healing and reconciliation, given the wave of scandals that has struck the church in the past 20 years. The bishops have promised quick responses to future allegations and say they want to ensure that abusive priests do not remain in ministry. That's why in 2002 the conference of bishops insisted that dioceses be audited by an outside agency each year to see that safer policies have begun.

But whether the diocese has done all that's needed is still debated.

Bishop Michael A. Saltarelli of the Diocese of Wilmington says so much positive change has occurred that most of the 220,000 Catholics in his 57 Delaware and Maryland parishes are ready to focus on other things. But even he agrees that's not been totally possible since September's release of a grand jury report detailing a cover-up in the adjacent Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

The report found that 63 priests had committed abuse crimes against minors. The grand jury concluded that the archdiocese had hidden the seriousness of the crimes. The grand jury faulted leaders, such as the late Cardinal John Krol and the recently retired archbishop, Cardinal Anthony J. Bevilacqua, for not being more forthright.

Saltarelli has declined requests to speak with The News Journal about the report. But in October, Saltarelli addressed the issue in The Dialog, the diocesan newspaper. He wrote that the grand jury report was "shocking and disturbing."

And he said that it had brought renewed interest in the Wilmington diocese by the press and others with questions. He went on to update readers on progress he felt the Diocese of Wilmington was making and said that he was committed to the safety of God's children.

That's all well and good, say some local Catholics, but there's still a need for greater involvement by ordinary worshippers, if this tragedy is to be prevented from occurring again. And they worry that the bishop has not been bold enough.

These Catholics include about 150 in Delaware and Maryland who are affiliated with Voice of the Faithful, a national organization with 150 chapters.

In general, they've faulted the bishop for not releasing all the names of priests who've had credible charges placed against them. They've also criticized Saltarelli for not living up to one of the goals of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops -- transparency in decision-making, especially when it comes to stating why priests are moved from one parish to another.

And while they credit Saltarelli with being an effective manager of programs, they say he has not sufficiently taken on the healing role of pastor by offering solace and words of apology in each parish. Nor, they say, has he opened enough public dialogue to help people who are hurting and distrustful.

As a result, there is an open wound, said John Sullivan, chairman of the coastal Delmarva chapter of Voice of the Faithful in Bethany Beach.

"Our position is that until information about all abusive priests is released and people have a chance to talk about the issue, the wound only festers," he said. "It doesn't heal when we're left thinking there is always another case to be revealed."

Another critic, Ed Burke of Avondale, Pa., said American bishops have called for the help of the everyday members in their writings. But in practice they erect barriers to this help.

And, like other members of Voice of the Faithful, he would like to see a model of governance embraced by the bishop that is more collaborative. Such a model was used in the early church, he said, when the bishops looked to the pews for moral authority.

In response, Saltarelli says he's far from perfect but he intends for decisions to be transparent, though some personnel matters, such as problems with alcohol, must remain private. In addition, he said, he's done his best to implement all recommendations of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

This includes naming a victims assistance coordinator -- Beth Krieger, a licensed mental health counselor -- to offer therapy and support for victims.

"I respect people's criticisms and I understand their frustrations," Saltarelli said. "But if they want to make changes, they need to join parish councils to have their voice heard."

A parish council is a group of Catholic men and women who advise a pastor on policies that affect a parish.

"People can't just organize and say we want to tell you what to do," the bishop said.

Other Catholics also support what Saltarelli has done to heal.

Michele Mowbray of St. Catherine of Siena said she likes that the topic is covered in The Dialog and hasn't disappeared.

"I feel good about the response," said Mowbray, who serves on her parish council. "It's been painful and it's a chance for the church to grow stronger."

Recommitted to healing

In June, the conference of bishops for the nation's largest Christian denomination recommitted itself to healing the church. Healing and reconciliation are necessary because the sexual abuse crisis is without precedent in modern times, wrote Monsignor William P. Fay, general secretary of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, on behalf of all bishops.

In studying the abuse crisis on behalf of the bishops, the John Jay College of Criminal Justice found that priests sexually abused 10,667 children over 52 years; 4,392 priests were involved. That they violated the trust of a parish and often committed crimes has led to enormous anger and confusion. And it's been painful that bishops did not always relieve these men from ministry, wrote Fay on behalf of the bishops.

Allegations have continued, too. There were 1,092 lodged against American Catholic clergymen in 2004, according to a report from Kathleen McChesney, former director of the bishops' sexual abuse prevention office. Most of the instances occurred decades ago. Still, "the lingering pain and damage continue for many victims of abuse," she wrote.

Nor is the problem of abuse limited to the Catholic Church. In separate research, it now appears that 5 percent of public school teachers have victimized students, said Thomas G. Plante, a California psychologist who has written about the crisis in the Catholic Church. This is a figure close to the 4 percent of American Catholic priests who have had sexual contact with minors.

In general, Plante said, 20 percent of American women and 15 percent of men report that they've been victims of child sexual abuse, with most of it perpetrated by family members.

The Diocese of Wilmington has not escaped this pain. Thirty priests in the diocese have had credible allegations brought against them, though the extent of the problem is not as great as in other places, Saltarelli said.

"We've been blessed in that my forbears were quick to respond," he said. "They handled situations professionally and expertly."

And since 2002, he said, the diocese has complied with requests to add protections for children and adults.

These include a Diocesan Review Board, made up of 11 lay people from various walks of life, who assist the bishop in assessing allegations of abuse against minors. There are people with psychological and ministerial backgrounds, legal and medical backgrounds. They also review diocesan policies and procedures for dealing with abuse.

The diocese works on a "zero-tolerance" policy. A priest with credible claims of having abused a minor -- no matter how long ago -- is removed from ministry. And claims are reported to civil authorities.

"We've also opened our books to Attorney General M. Jane Brady and have a good working relationship with her office," Saltarelli said.

Since 2002, the diocese has implemented other protections by requiring:

•Periodic criminal background checks for anyone with regular contact with children. The bishop says he was one of the first to have this done and the background checks apply to all priests, teachers and religious men and women, as well as staff members.

•Training of staff and volunteers in ethical standards, along with how to recognize the signs of abuse. The diocese has also required those working with youths to sign commitments that they will uphold the highest standards.

•Asking Catholic educators to integrate topics such as good touch-bad touch into the curriculum. That's so youths, when they do not feel safe, can feel better about coming forward to share their feelings with trusted adults. The new curriculum applies to all grade levels.

"Each of these initiatives is important," Donovan said. "Background checks tell you what was. Standards set up expectations. Creating a safe environment sets up a structure. And accountability is a healthy measure of how you're doing."

The question raised by Voice of the Faithful is whether these policies are enough to end the crisis in the church.

Contact Gary Soulsman at 324-2893 or gsoulsman@delawareonline.com.