Mary Kaye Falcony
A Place for All
On the evening of May 6, parish liaisons and the Committee for Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities gathered for the first time. Parish liaisons serve their parishes as points of contact with the inclusion committee. They have graciously accepted this role for a period of three years.
The meeting began with prayer, light refreshments and time for informal introductions. Committee members served as discussion leaders at their tables. It was helpful to get to know the liaisons, listening to what led them to this ministry and what excited them about their role.
The content of the meeting included the history of how the committee came to be, goals of the committee, models of parish liaisons in place at parishes across the country and sharing what is currently happening within our parishes to provide for the needs of those with disabilities. Time was spent walking through the diocesan website looking at resources that may be used to aid parishes in determining the needs of those parishioners with disabilities, as well as resources to bring awareness to our parish communities. In closing, conversation focused on the next steps as liaisons go back to their parish teams to share information and all that was discussed.
The next gathering will be from 5:30 p.m. CDT to 7:30 p.m. CDT Aug. 5 at the Catholic Center in Celebration Hall. Future plans include an educational opportunity in the fall for parish teams, liaisons and committee members. If your parish does not currently have a parish liaison, please know that you are welcome to designate someone at any time. Just call the Office of Catechesis so they can be included in the current list.