Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults

Safe Environment

The monks of Glastonbury Abbey are dedicated to providing a safe environment. A process to assure a safe place for all people was begun in the mid-1980’s, when Glastonbury Abbey developed an official policy regarding the Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults.

Since the Church crisis in 2002, Glastonbury Abbey has been affiliated with Praesidium, Inc., an organization whose purpose is the protection of children. Praesidium assists religious communities of men to live this commitment to protecting minors from sexual abuse. Glastonbury Abbey has been accredited by Praesidium since 2004. In October of 2018, Glastonbury Abbey began the process of re-accreditation for the next five years.

Praesidium’s Standards for Accreditation cover three areas:

  • Prevention standards review how new members are screened; develop educational programs for initial and ongoing formation as well as systems of support and accountability; set up processes of how the Institute manages internal reports of potential boundary violations.
  • Responding standards review the Institute’s response to reports of suspected abuse and the role of external review boards.
  • Supervision standards foresee the management and supervision of a member who is known to have abused a minor.

    • Part of the process which Praesidium encourages, and is in keeping with our current procedures and commitment to being a safe and healing place, is transparency. In that spirit of openness, and with the hopes that it can aid in the healing process, we bring to your attention that in 2003, Glastonbury Abbey received news that (Fr.) Andrew (Mark) Quillen, a member of our community, had been credibly accused of sexual abuse of a minor.

    Father Nicholas was the Abbot in 2003 and responded immediately, with transparency as the goal, informing the Archdiocese, the Attorney General’s office of Massachusetts, the Glastonbury Abbey Review Board, local newspapers including the Boston Globe, as well as the extended community who attended services at the Abbey

    This abuse took place in 1977 while Andrew was a member of the Franciscan Brothers of Christ the King in Iowa, several years before he became a priest (for the Diocese of Burlington, VT, in 1990) or entered Glastonbury in 1995. Andrew was accepted into the Glastonbury Abbey community following a Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) check and psychological screening.

    He currently lives at the Abbey under the supervision of the Abbot with a Safety Plan approved by Praesidium and our lay Review Board. He is faithfully living a monastic way of life as prescribed by the Holy Rule of St. Benedict, the Constitution of the Swiss-American Congregation of the Benedictine Confederation and the customary of Glastonbury Abbey.

    Please click here to read Abbot Thomas’ Comments on Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults