Michael D. Connelly to head Diocese of Wilmington Safe Environments Office
Michael D. Connelly, retired commander of the Delaware State Police Criminal Investigation Division, will become the coordinator of the Diocese of Wilmington's Office of Safe Environments as of Monday, April 24. Connelly spent 20 years as a Delaware State Police trooper, and managed 35 detectives at the time of his retirement in 1998. He has also served as director of security for a retail center, and has performed investigative and security services for government, business, and residential customers.
The Office of Safe Environments for the Diocese of Wilmington is responsible for the continuing implementation of the For the Sake of God's Children program that focuses on developing and maintaining safe environments for children and young people in Catholic parishes, schools and youth ministries in Delaware and Maryland's Eastern Shore. The office processes over 2,000 criminal background checks annually. Currently, there are over 20,000 individuals - mostly volunteers in parish schools and youth athletic programs - who are cleared for service in diocesan and parish ministries. The program includes the Keeping Our Promises curriculum designed to teach children and youth about sexual abuse and its prevention.
"We are fortunate to have someone with Mike Connelly's vast experience to head up our Office of Safe Environments," said the Rev. Msgr. Steven P. Hurley, vicar general for the Diocese of Wilmington. "I am looking forward to working with him to continue to assure that the children and youth in our care are as safe as possible, and that all Catholic school and parish programs in Delaware and on Maryland's Eastern Shore remain a safe, health and happy environment."
"My career and volunteer efforts have been devoted to developing programs for the safety of our youth," said Connelly. "It is an honor for me to continue this service for the Diocese of Wilmington as the Safe Environments Office coordinator."
Connelly replaces Sister Carroll Juliano, who is leaving to become the leader of the American province of her religious order, the Society of the Holy Child Jesus. The Catholic Diocese of Wilmington was established in 1868 and comprises 56 parishes, 18 missions and 36 schools serving the State of Delaware and the nine counties of Maryland's Eastern Shore. There are over 244,000 Catholics in the diocese.
