By MARY KAYE FALCONY
A PLACE FOR ALL
"The mission of the church is strengthened when persons with disabilities and those who do not have them stand side by side, committed to bringing each other closer to God." – Salt and Light
It is hard to believe that three years have passed since the work surrounding disability ministry in the diocese began. Even though this is the case, many in our parishes may not be familiar with this ministry, its goals and the strides made in three short years. I would like to take this opportunity to share that information with you.
As our committee and parish liaison meetings begin for the 2022-2023 year, I would like to share some information that may be helpful for parishes and parishioners to know.
- A diocesan committee, known as the Committee for the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities, was formed in 2019.
- This committee assists parish leadership in serving parishioners with special needs and their families. The Committee for the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities functions through the Office of Catechesis.
- Each parish is encouraged to select a parishioner/s to act as a parish liaison who can help create a partnership between parish leadership and the committee to assist with individual parish needs. Here is the link with a listing of all current Parish Liaisons and parishes they serve: https://www.evdio.org/uploads/2/6/3/0/26308718/parish_liaisons_april_2021.pdf
Note – new parish liaisons may be added at any time; just contact the Office of Catechesis.
- Parish liaisons meet four times a year to share ideas and information, and develop strategies to accomplish their goals.
- Disability Ministry website:
https://www.evdio.org/ministry-with-persons-with-disabilities.html
This site includes resources that are updated monthly, best practices, books, adaptive faith formation curriculum, documents, training, organizations, registration forms and parish assessments.
- There is a yearly educational opportunity offered in the spring. All in-parish ministries are invited to attend.
- The first Mass for All (a sensory-friendly Mass) was celebrated June 12 at St. Francis Xavier Parish’s St. John the Apostle Church in Vincennes. We are working toward offering a Mass for All quarterly in different deaneries.
- This monthly column, “A Place for All,” in The Message provides information on a plethora of topics that may aid in parish-disability ministry or bring awareness to parish communities.
- Currently, research is being done by the Committee for the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities to create a proposal for training of teams at parishes for Mental Health Ministry. Projected date for proposal is November 2022.
If you have any questions or we can be of assistance, please do not hesitate to contact the Office of Catechesis (mkfalcony @evdio.org), individuals on the Committee for the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities (https://www.evdio.org/about.html) or your parish liaison.
We ask for your continued prayers as we work to meet the needs of those in our parishes with differing needs and their families.