Catholic Charities Disability Services and Ministries collaborated with the National Catholic Partnership on Disability earlier this month to present a two-day disability training workshop for clergy, parish and diocesan staff and ministry volunteers at St. Ambrose Parish in Brunswick.
Although Bishop Edward Malesic was unable to greet attendees in person, he shared a recorded welcome expressing his gratitude for those involved with what he called “an extremely important ministry within our faith community.”
Auxiliary Bishop Michael Woost welcomed workshop attendees on the second day, offering a personal perspective into his first encounter with disability ministry.
Bishop Woost, a priest of the diocese for nearly 42 years, said his first parish assignment after ordination introduced him to disability ministry, where he encountered “dedicated and trained catechists in the Parish School of Religion who prepared young people and adults with disabilities to receive the sacraments of First Eucharist and confirmation.” Some were on the autism spectrum, some had Down syndrome and others had physical or neurological conditions that left them wheelchair bound.
“All exhibited a joy and desire to be connected with our parish community,” he said. “Our community recognized, welcomed and loved these individuals, not because of their disabilities, but because they were members of our parish family.”
He said he learned that they were first and foremost “God’s children, our sisters and brothers and that they have much to teach us by their love, joy, wisdom … and challenges; and that they can also draw a great deal of good out of us if we allow them to touch our hearts, minds and souls. I am grateful to the persons with disabilities from my first assignment who impacted my life and ministry. Theirs has been a lasting influence,” he added.
The workshop’s first day focused on parish accessibility, adaptive catechesis, resource utilization, language guidelines and conducting parish assessments. Day two addressed mental health topics, including accompaniment, stigma, trauma-informed care and suicide.
The diocese has had a long relationship with NCPD, a nonprofit organization that works with dioceses, parishes, ministers and the laity to advance the full and meaningful participation of persons with disabilities in the life of the Church and society.
Jean Nanos, a presenter for the second day, stressed the importance of accompaniment, comparing it to the Road to Emmaus in terms of walking with those who have mental health challenges. “We are called to listen, advocate, believe, include and most importantly, to pray,” she said, noting involvement in a faith-based community has been linked to positive impacts on mental health.
Attendees learned about being open-minded and adopting “person-first” language to create a stigma-free zone. Making a space for a person to talk about concerns and express their story – meeting a person where they are – and exhibiting empathetic listening are important skills to cultivate, Nanos said.
“To accompany, we must first acknowledge. To acknowledge, we must first see,” she said.
Attendees spent time in small discussion groups and practiced some of the coping skills that could help people they encounter who are dealing with mental health challenges. Nanos reminded them they play an important role by being present and accompanying the vulnerable.
“As Bishop Malesic indicated to you, ‘our parishes must be places where our brothers and sisters with disabilities feel welcomed … inclusion is not optional. It is essential to who we are as the body of Christ,’” Bishop Woost said.
Click here for more information on NCPD. Learn more about Catholic Charities Disability Services and Ministries here.