Visiting Clergy, Religious and Lay People

Clergy, religious and lay people wishing to visit this Archdiocese to carry out a Ministry or Apostolate must advise the Institute for Professional Standards and Safeguarding (IPSS) of their impending visit.

The advice to be provided is as follows:

For Australian and overseas based clergy, religious and lay people without an Australian Catholic Ministry Register Number (ACMR) or a Greater Sydney Ministry Card.

  1. Download and complete the following forms:
  2. Forward completed Declaration forms and details of your Working with Children and/or Vulnerable People check as outlined in the table below to IPSS at ipss@cg.org.au. 
  3. For clergy from overseas, please note there are limitations on the number of days that Ministry can be undertaken without an appropriate clearance.
    • For those visiting the ACT, you cannot undertake public Ministry and/or work or volunteer with vulnerable people (including children) for more than 3 days in 4 weeks and 7 days in 12 months.
    • For those visiting NSW, you can work or volunteer at a one-off event such as a religious event or tour, for up to 30 days providing the event is the only child-related work you carry out in NSW that calendar year.

For clergy and religious with an ACMR or a Greater Sydney Ministry Card.
For those with both cards – the ACMR is to be provided in preference to the Greater Sydney Ministry Card.

  1. Forward your ACMR number and details of your Working with Children and/or Vulnerable People check as outlined in Table 1 to IPSS at ipss@cg.org.au or
  2. Forward details of your Greater Sydney Ministry Card and your Working with Children and/or Vulnerable People check as outlined in Table 1 to IPSS at ipss@cg.org.au.

Table 1. Details to be provided to enable verification of Working with Children and or Vulnerable Person Clearance:

State/TerritoryDetails Required

New South Wales

(WWC clearance)

Surname (exactly as appears on WWC Clearance)
WWCC Number
Date of Birth

Northern Territory

(Ochre card)

Provide photo of Ochre Card ensuring the following is visible:
Name
Clearance Notice Number or Date of Birth

Queensland

(Blue card)

Provide photo of Blue Card ensuring the following is visible:
Name
Card Number
Expiry date

South Australia

(Working with Children Check)

First, Middle and Last Name exactly as appears on check (including initials where appropriate)
Unique ID Number

Tasmania

(Registration to work with Vulnerable People)

Provide photo of WWVP Card ensuring the following is visible:
Family Name
Card Number

Victoria

(Working with Children Check)

Provide photo of WWC Card ensuring the following is visible:
Surname
Card Number

Western Australia

(Working with Children Check)

Provide photo of WWC Card ensuring the following is visible:
Surname
Card Number

 

OUR ARCHDIOCESE

On receipt of the documentation and prior to the planned visit, IPSS will review the documentation provided and once the relevant verifications are completed, IPSS will issue a confirmation email to:

  1. The Parish Priest (and his parish secretary) where the visit will take place; and to
  2. The visiting Clergy and/or Religious

to advise of your clearance to perform ministry in a parish/with a religious movement/group at a certain date and time.

IPSS will keep a record of all clearances for visiting Clergy and Religious within the Archdiocese.

OUR PARISHES

Parishes (as well as IPSS) will save and permanently archive all confirmation emails for visiting Clergy and Religious for compliance and auditing purposes.

FACULTIES

Visiting clergy with faculties for this Archdiocese whose clearance/registration to work with children and/or vulnerable people is not held in NSW and/or the ACT, are required to inform IPSS every time they visit the Archdiocese to perform Ministry.

Each visit is recorded to ensure that the number of exemptions to perform Ministry without the relevant ACT/NSW screening registration/clearance does not exceed the maximum allowed under the relevant NSW and/or ACT legislation. Please refer to the following links on exemptions or call IPSS if you have any questions.

Exemptions:
NSW: Exemptions from the Working with Children Check
ACT: Working with Vulnerable People (WWVP) Registration

Need more information:

Please contact the Institute for Professional Standards and Safeguarding:
Maria Hicks     IPSS Manager                           (02) 6239 9806
or email to ipss@cg.org.au