SEC LISTSERV QUESTION
SHOULD DREs SEND OUT TEXT MSGS ABOUT EVENTS?
September 15, 2009
Gracious Colleagues;
I wish this was a hypothetical.
Here it is:
Parish pastor has instructed the DREs to send text messages to all of the students regarding
upcoming events.
The DREs say this might be dangerous because texting from their personal phones to an
individual student may be misperceived. They have stated that they would text students only
with parental consent.
Pastor is irritable about this and says that it's his call.
Aside from this being not a good use of personal cell phone expenses I am unsure how to
respond. Sending out piles of text messages doesn't sound like fun to me. The particular DREs
involved are fully trusted by me for their professionalism and discretion regarding the text, but
something about the whole thing feels a little uncomfortable. Would the DREs get a lot of
personal texts back? Do the DREs have any right to privacy? Is this sort of thing just asking for
trouble?
Any wisdom would be appreciated.
Wayne Pribble
Diocese of Las Cruces
575-523-7577
wpribble@dioceseoflascruces.org
 That is a disaster waiting to happen having DRE's text students crosses boundaries, and is
inappropriate on many different levels. I hope you can persuade this pastor to change his
mind.
Good Luck
Annette Klimka
Archdiocese of Santa Fe
 I fully get your concern about inappropriate use of cell phones/text messages, etc. I am
particularly mindful of the fact that many parents may not have joined the 'unlimited texting'
brigade and so pay dearly for any text over the limit. (So speaks a mother who paid $140.00
extra on her cell phone bill because her daughter was having 1-2 word texts with her friends at
.10 cents a text! 'Hey', "hey", "what's up?" "nothing" 'what are you doing?" "nothing")
But I will also say that texting is probably the primary way teens communicate anymore!
Nobody actually seems to talk on the phone, they just text! If this is the new technology
wave, we need to get on board and find a way to make it work for us. Making it off limits
closes off a vital communication tool. So I think things need to be spelled out 1) does the
DRE want students to know their personal cell phone number? 2) Is it okay with the parents
that the DRE communicates with their child via text? Once those things (and any other issues
that others may come up with) are resolved, I don't see the problem. My parish has a
youngish Youth Minister, and he communicates with the Youth Group via text message.
They all get the message and respond (as opposed to email that some don't read, and phone
calls home that some never hear).
Just my thoughts....
Julie Sparacio
Diocese of Santa Rosa
 We encourage our volunteers and staff to use the same SE practices for communication
technologies as they use in face to face contacts – avoid isolation, maintain clear boundaries,
avoid dual relationships, etc. So we would recommend avoiding individual texts and use of
personal phones.
My son's grade school sends text alerts to parents re: school closings due to weather etc. They
send some sort of bulk text, perhaps from a central computer, and it seems that this sort of text
notification would be relatively safe and would maintain clear boundaries - you would still
want to have consent from parents for a number of reasons (the least of which being the fact
that not everyone has a plan that includes unlimited texting).
Beth Heidt Kozisek
Diocese of Grand Island
Child Protection Office
 I had a Parish Youth Minister recently ask me about using a new program that would send
"mass" texts to students about upcoming events. Here was my advice.
* Ensure that the program will not allow the students to scavenge cell phones and return
emails.
* That there is a form of consent signed by parents regarding their student receiving the text
message reminders. This form should submit both the student & parent's cell phone numbers.
This form allows parents to submit their numbers to receive the messages AND the
opportunity to 'opt out' their child.
* AND that every text message that is sent to the students is also sent to the parent,
therefore full disclosure is maintained.
I also think that that the SEC or CCE/ YOUTH MINISTRY Diocesan Director should have a
conversation with the Pastor in this case to explain the ramifications of texting students. KA
Karen Ann Martin
Associate Director of Safe Environment
Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston
Ph: 713-652-4401
Fax: 713-654-5763
 We are still struggling with this, but we really oppose the use of personal blogs or accounts
for communication between adults and the minors in their ministry. It is so easy to go "off
message" with those communications, and they couldn't be monitored. This is such a hard
issue.
Terry
Terry Edelmann
Director, Safe Environment Program
Archdiocese of St. Louis
314.792.7271
 I would have to state that if the pastor wants information disseminated in this means, the
pastor should provide the tools to accomplish this task. The DRE's can not be made to use
their personal devices.
Patrick C. McCusker
Director of Personnel
The Catholic Diocese of Alexandria, LA 71301
Phone: (318) 445-6424, ext. 206
Toll Free: 1-866-447-7088
Fax:
(318) 445-2493
 iNCREDIBLE... I think we need help from teresa on thses issues. I wonder about policies that
could serve us all.
Sister Pat Hudson
Director
RC Diocese of Brooklyn
 Dear Colleagues;
I am amazed and delighted at the thoughtful and pertinent responses I received to my query
regarding text-messaging students. I knew that this List serve was good, but WOW!!
The responses came quickly, were on target, and stimulated a good think.
The result was that I approached the priest in question and asked if we could use his parish as
a test-case for developing diocesan guidelines. We agreed to have diocesan personnel work
with his DREs to create a draft of guidelines, then he and I will meet to review the product
"from the priest's perspective". No, I am not a priest.
He was a little defensive at first, but when he came to understand that I have real trust in the
professionalism and high standards of his parish, and that this is the appropriate venue for
creating guidelines that will apply to parishes that may not be as advanced in their thinking...
Gratitude and More Gratitude,
Wayne Pribble
Chancellor
Diocese of Las Cruces