ARTICLES

Inclusion Sunday to be observed June 15

By Steve Neill
Of The Catholic Virginian

Sunday, June 15, has been designated “Inclusion Sunday” in the Diocese of Richmond, an event meant to signify that all are welcome in all parishes of the diocese.

In celebration of Inclusion Sunday, the diocesan Office for Persons with Disabilities hopes that parishes will make a special effort to recognize disabled people among them.

“We’re asking for parishes to reach out to people with disabilities, to make them feel welcome and encourage them to share their gifts and talents with their faith communities,” said Nita Grignol, director of the office.

“We are not truly a community unless all are present.”

People with disabilities can serve in a variety of ministries, such as greeters, lectors, extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist and altar servers. Others might be catechists or youth ministers.

The diocesan observance of people with disabilities and effort to include them as full members of their parishes comes on the 30th anniversary of the U.S. Bishops’ 1978 “Pastoral Statement on Persons with Disabilities.”

Bishop Francis X. DiLorenzo has recently approved an addendum to “Called to Faith,” the diocesan guidelines for sacramental preparation which recognizes the need for a policy about the sacraments for persons with disabilities.

He has asked the diocesan Office of Worship and Office of Christian Formation to work with the Office for Persons with Disabilities to establish new guidelines to guide parishes as they prepare people with disabilities for the various church sacraments.

“Working together turned out to be very positive for me and I believe a learning experience for all three offices,” Mrs. Grignol told The Catholic Virginian.

“The Office of Christian Formation shared how they are planning on including disability issues in a future phase of Pathways (diocesan program for parish religious educators),” she added.

“The Office of Worship has so much information on canon law and the sacraments in addition to ways we can welcome and include persons with disabilities into our church communities.”

National guidelines were developed by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in 1995. The diocese followed those guidelines, but there did not seem to be any consistency among the parishes, Mrs. Grignol said.

“In the past there were a lot of parishes giving sacraments to students with disabilities, but it wasn’t consistent throughout the diocese because there were no guidelines,” she explained.

She cited the example of a mother at St. Benedict parish in Richmond who had twin disabled daughters. The mother felt one of the girls was ready to receive first Eucharist because she understood the sacrament, but felt the other twin was not ready.

Father James Kauffmann, pastor, wanted to give Communion to the girls at the same time. The mother agreed even though she had some reservations.

The result was a positive one. When the twin who had very limited ability to speak received the Eucharist, she exclaimed in an excited tone “Yes, yes, yes!”

“All who were there and saw it were so happy,” Mrs. Grignol said, adding they felt the child understood she had experienced the presence of Jesus.

Catherine Combier-Donovan, director of the Office of Worship, suggested that parishes have several questions they should ask themselves on whether they are inclusive of people with disabilities.

“Is your liturgy accessible?” she asked. “Can people see and hear what is happening at the altar?”

Parishes might consider having available large print hymnals for those who are visually impaired, she suggested.

“Is your worship space accessible?” she continued. “Are there ramps or wide aisles in the worship space? Are there adjustable mikes for lectors in wheelchairs?”

But perhaps most important, Ms. Combier-Donovan said, “Are people with disabilities welcomed to serve as liturgical ministers?”

This worthwhile effort should seek to avoid “tokenism” in which those involved in liturgy planning feel they must have a visibly disabled person on the altar. The point, she said, is that people with disabilities should feel welcomed to share their gifts, but not be pressured to do so.

Emily Filippi, associate director of the Office of Christian Formation, said that the office feels catechists need to be aware of how they can help people with disabilities.

“What we (the Office of Christian Formation) plan for all catechists is a module to educate them on the vision of the Church for inclusive religious education for all persons with disabilities,” she said. She will seek to have practical strategies in age-appropriate ways.

“We know it is needed and we’re anxious to develop it and have it available for catechists,” she said.

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