The recent school shooting tragedy at Annunciation Parish in Minneapolis, Minnesota, served as a painful reminder of the importance of preparation and training to ensure the safety of children, parishioners, and communities.
In response to these ongoing concerns, the Diocese of Raleigh established an Office of Safety and Security several years ago to serve as a resource for parishes and schools. The office provides assistance with training, site assessments, emergency planning, and general consulting on safety and security issues.
Among its initiatives, the office has helped implement programs such as the Say Something Anonymous Reporting System, which allows students, staff, and parents to submit anonymous safety concerns, and Standard Response Protocols (SRPs) from the I Love You Guys Foundation, which standardize how emergencies are addressed across diocesan schools.
The diocese has also developed a Safety & Security Ministry at Mass Workshop, which equips parishes to establish ministries dedicated to safety during worship. On September 11, the diocese presented the workshop for the Cape Fear Deanery, hosted by Immaculate Conception Parish. Cape Fear is the fifth deanery to host the training, with two more scheduled for October.
“Establishing a dedicated Office of Safety and Security allows us to better serve our families, schools, and parishes,” said Bill Logallo, director of Safety and Security at the Diocese of Raleigh. “This is about more than responding to emergencies—it’s about creating a culture of preparedness, care, and community so that people can come together in prayer and learning, knowing that we are taking care of each other.”
Parish-based safety ministries focus on providing safe environments for families at Mass, while also preparing to respond to situations such as medical events, severe weather, or disruptions of worship.
Earlier this summer, St. Peter Catholic School in Greenville was selected to partner with local law enforcement for active shooter training. Over the course of 15 evenings, police officers and emergency personnel will conduct exercises on school grounds using inert training rounds. While these sessions give officers the opportunity to train in a school environment, the parish partnership with law enforcement also helps first responders gain familiarity with the facilities in the event of a future emergency.
Father Jim Magee, pastor of St. Peter and a former paramedic, said the effort combines practical preparation with a call to community.
“For our parish safety and security team in their ‘first responder’ role on behalf of the parish, training and preparedness are essential,” Father Magee said. “This is an excellent opportunity, because it allows emergency services to become familiar with our buildings in case there is ever an emergency of any kind. But equally important, this ministry is a way to strengthen our bonds as a community that protects and serves one another.”