Children Protection

Volunteer Opportunities

Thank you for accepting the opportunity to volunteer here at ST. MARK Catholic Church. Our parish takes seriously the Lord’s mandate to “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven” in Matthew 19:12. We are committed to creating a safe environment which begins by ensuring that those volunteers with substantial contact with minors are compliant with the child protection policies of the Diocese of Arlington. 

Your volunteer service is subject to completing:

  • The online Office for the Protection of Children and Young People (OPCYP) application.
  • Background check.
  • Virtus: Protecting God’s Children safe environment training within 45 days of submitting the online application.

Additionally, all volunteers are prohibited from performing, teaching, or advocating any practices or doctrines that are inconsistent with religious tenets of the Catholic faith. For Catholic volunteers, conformance with religious tenets of the Catholic faith is a condition of service.

Instructions for Volunteering:

Prior to your first day of service, the OPCYP background check online application must be completed. Instructions on how to complete the application process in the most efficient manner are provided in the links below. In order to complete the application, you will need the following information: 

Instructions to complete OPCYP Application Process

Step 1: Volunteer Background Check Instruction Guide

Step 2: VIRTUS Registration Instructions

For more information or if you are unsure of your status, contact Stacey Ashman in the parish office, 703-281-9100 or sashman@stmark.org.