The Pharr Oratory of St. Philip Neri continues in its long-standing positive and proactive approach to this sensitive issue. Sexual abuse of children is not tolerated and timely responses are made to all allegations of violations of sexual boundaries. The Oratory Schools are fully implementing the nationally recognized "Protecting God’s Children" program of sex abuse education/prevention.

How to Report Suspected Misconduct

Suspected misconduct with minors by lay church personnel should be reported to the pastor of the parish, the principal of the school, or the head of the Catholic institution in question.

Suspected misconduct with minors by a priest, deacon, or religious should be reported directly to the Bishop or Vicar General at (956) 784-5067 or (956) 542-2501; to Walter Lukaszek, Assistance Coordinator, (956) 784-5066; or to Sr. Norma Pimentel, Director of Social Services, (956) 402-4088.

Letters to the Vicar General or Bishop should be sent to P.O. Box 2279, Brownsville, TX 78522-2279. Upon request, a form for a Confidential Notice of Concern may be obtained from the local pastor, school principal, institution head, or diocese, or it may be downloaded from the diocese's website www.cdob.org.

By state law, anyone who suspects abuse or neglect of a minor must report it to local law enforcement officials or to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services at 1-800-252-5400.

Protecting God’s People

As the Catholic faithful of the Valley, we share responsibility for the life and mission of the Church. Each of us is called to celebrate, promote, and when necessary to defend the life and dignity of every person. This awesome responsibility demands that we treat everyone with respect, do what we can to see that harm is never brought to others, especially minors and vulnerable adults, and seek to bring healing for those who have been harmed. 

To help achieve these ends, the Diocese of Brownsville has taken the following steps:

• Appointed an Assistance Coordinator to offer immediate assistance To victims.
• Adopted new Policies, Procedures, and Guidelines for Ethical and Responsible Conduct in Ministry.
• Introduced a nationally recognized safe environment program of education and prevention of child sexual abuse called Protecting God’s Children.
• Established a policy requiring criminal background checks of all clergy and religious, of all church employees and of all volunteers who have regular contact with minors or vulnerable adults.