More on Catholics with Disabilities

Mother Church earnestly desires that all the faithful should be led to that fully conscious, and active participation in liturgical celebrations which is demanded by the very nature of the liturgy. Such participation by the Christian people as "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a redeemed people" (1 Pet. 2:9; cf. 2:4-5), is their right and duty by reason of their baptism.

In the restoration and promotion of the sacred liturgy, this full and active participation by all the people is the aim to be considered before all else; for it is the primary and indispensable source from which the faithful are to derive the true Christian spirit... (C0nstitution on the Sacred Liturgy, 14; emphasis added)

Over the years I have spent a great deal of time reflecting on this particular paragraph of the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy. "Participation" is a loaded word, and we learn more about it as time marches on. We have come to recognize that our participation has both external and internal components. The external both shapes and expresses the participation of the spirit. This can be done through singing, listening, kneeling, or even sitting in silence.

The baptismal rights and duties of Catholics with Disabilities often are not a parish priority, even though the participation by all the people is called for by the very nature of the liturgy itself! There are many practical issues surrounding making worship accessible, but the vast majority of the parishes tend to quietly set these aside rather than taking time to work with people with disabilities to come up with solutions. We are fortunate in this country to have the National Catholic Partnership on Disability. Their knowledgeable staff and useful website provide resources for all Catholics. The Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions also has published an excellent resource, Guiding Principles & Strategies for Inclusion in the Liturgy of Catholics with Disabilities, which can be downloaded from their website.

Today the Holy See announced that it will host a conference, Effata! Deaf people in the life of the Church, in the Vatican's new synod hall November 19-21. A press release from the Vatican News Service said that this conference "arises from the need to promote and improve commitment in this field of disability in order to achieve true integration for deaf people."

We have done some work with deaf ministry in this diocese. This has been accomplished because of some very dedicated lay people and their unwavering support of deaf people. St. Joseph Parish in Madison has become a home of sorts for this ministry. St. Joseph and St. Dennis Parishes in Madison each have a signed Mass each week. A priest who is fluent in American Sign Language occasionally comes from the Green Bay diocese and meets with the deaf community and celebrates the Sacrament of Penance, counsels people as needed, and celebrates the Mass.

While this small band of dedicated ministers do so much, there is much more to be done. The first step always is to ask! Consult those with disabilities in your parish and get input on how we can make our parishes and the Sacraments accessible so that all of the baptized may exercise their right and duty of participation!