CMSM is committed to supporting safeguarding ministry through ongoing education for male religious institutes. Our primary programs:

Safeguarding Ministry Member Content

Available to CMSM members at no cost, CMSM has a significant series of archived webinars and resources available dedicated to safeguarding ministry in male religious communities. Topics covered include:

• A series of videos on the primary responsibilities envisioned by the Praesidium Accreditation Standards, or the “Core Competencies” of safeguarding ministry
• Videos on new frontiers in safeguarding, such as adult misconduct
• Archived webinars on a variety of safeguarding ministry areas and other resources developed for CMSM members

These videos are available to help CMSM members in their ongoing safeguarding formation and can fulfill Praesidium requirements for continuing education.

All are available to CMSM members in member content; if you do not have a login, please email us.

Consultation and Technical Assistance

CMSM’s Director of Safeguarding Initiatives is available to provide consultation and technical assistance to major superiors and/or their designated safeguarding ministry team members. Do not hesitate to contact him for a consultation about your safeguarding matter.

Annual Safeguarding Ministry Conference

This three day workshop, held annually in October, provides in-depth dialogue, practical content from experts engaged in safeguarding ministry, and an opportunity to connect and network with others engaged in safeguarding for religious institutes. The Conference covers topics for:

• Major Superiors and Councilors
• Safety plan supervisors
• Survivor/Victim Assistance Coordinators
• Review Board leaders, members, and administrators

The Conference also engages with new frontiers in safeguarding ministry, such as adult misconduct, changes to canon law, policy and procedure, and best practices in responding to these allegations.

Visit CMSM’s event calendar for upcoming workshop information.

Conversations that Matter

For several years, the Jesuit Conference produced case studies focusing on safeguarding/behavioral health issues, which are available to male religious institutes through a partnership with CMSM. Each case study includes a facilitator’s guide, narrative/video (to download or watch online), discussion questions and other resources for three groups: men in formation, men in active apostolic ministry, and men in retirement.

Learn more and preview the materials for 2019 and 2020. For materials after those years, the Jesuit Conference will provide the materials directly online at no cost for CMSM members. As of 2024, the Jesuit Conference has stopped producing Conversations that Matter.

CMSM members can contact the Jesuit Conference directly or Chris Pierno at CMSM, for login details.