Deaf Apostolate 2010 Spring NewsletterFrom the Desk of Fr. St. MartinDirector of the Office of the Deaf Apostolate

For over a year now we have been having Adult Religious Education meetings at the Sacred Heart Convent onMonday nights. I did it for those who were interested. The group has grown and we recently saw Justin receiveBaptism, and Rachel, Mary, Ken, and Kristen brought into full communion as well. This has all resulted in a mealtogether with food different people prepared as a time of rejoicing and congratulating for the upcoming wedding ofMary and Justin.

Fr. Shawn and Iwere also able totravel to meet thegood people of St.Bridget's inFramingham. Therewas a good group ofpeople there whowere Deaf and someof the Deaf CatholicCommunity that wehave never metbefore. What asurprise. We arrivedto help with accessthrough interpretingand direct accessthroughconcelebration forthe parents of one ofthe children

receiving First Communion and were greeted with a grandmother from Florida, and two other siblings of theparents there were also Deaf.. There was also a child of another couple,unrelated to said family, who was Deaf and she was a joy to serve as well.The son of the Deaf parents offered one of the prayers of the faithful inASL. That was an inspiration. There was wonderful enthusiasm in the entirecommunity and the Deaf were not only able to access it they were indeedpart of the reason for it. God is good. Sometimes people ask me how manyparishes have Deaf ministry. I am inclined now after doing events like this atSt. Bridget's for three years to say that all parishes have Deaf Ministry.Sometimes we say that we don't see any Deaf people in this or that parish ortown. Deaf people are invisible. You could be standing right next to a Deafperson and not know it. I remember that I often thought I had never metDeaf people before I was asked to do this work but it wasn't true. My cousinis deaf and blind and I have a second cousin who is deaf too. The family thatI met at St. Bridget's were all relatives of Fr. Matt Williams as well. Somost of us do have a relationship and contact with people who are Deaf butwe might not recognize it for some reason or other. The event revolvingaround the reception after the First Communion also served to show thelevel to which it is true that there is Deaf Ministry going on, for and by the Deaf.. ex: There were these wonderfulFirst Communion ILY hand shape party favors with little crosses sown into the palm that were handed out. What apowerful and beautiful evangelization for the family that was. There was a whole bucket full of them.

Fr. Shawn, Fr. Joe Bruce, Fr. Mike Depcik and I werepresent for the ordination of the now Rev. Mr.Christopher Klusman. This was a great day to remember.One of the great moments for me was to meet some of thesisters who have been successful ministers of God's lovefor many years. They gave me a beautiful blessing inwhich they prayed that I would have a share in the Spiritthat they had as servant/coworkers for people who areDeaf.

There have been so many blessings it would beimpossible to describe them all. Marge and her husbandDom at the Wednesday, NewEngland Homes for the Deafmass and seniors from Bishop Fenwick in Peabody whowere able to meet Ida, Mario, and all the good residencethere for Mass:

1st Communion at St. Mary's in Foxboro,

There was the wonderful 1stCommunion for the Costello Family:

The Osborn's have been brought into full communion:

It was great to have Fr. Michael Depcik visit us. He is a great support to us all and his advice remains with us. Hepreached at Sacred Heart and a few times at St. John's. He celebrated mass and helped us to better express the ourselves in prayer as only he can do from his unique position as a man who is Deaf and born of a Deaf family. God isgood to send us such a friend.

The Lord is good and we are grateful. We look forward to the surprises of grace that the Lord has planned for thosewho love him.

We look forward to a NFP (Natural Family Planning) class for the Deaf couples and a few marriages.

In Christ,

Fr. St. Martin

Congratulations to our Milwaukee Brother, The Newly Ordained Deacon ChristopherKlusmanBy Fr. Shawn Carey

On April 23, Fr. Jeremy St. Martin, Kathy Carey, and I traveled to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to attend the DiaconateOrdination of Christopher Klusman. It is hard to believe that time has flown so quickly since he last worked as ourintern here in Boston! During our travel, we flew with MidWest Airlines, well-known for their scrumptious in-flightbaked chocolate chip cookies. Funny, how God has always loved to give His people surprises! As we informed theflight attendant of Christopher's diaconate ordination , she gave us a bag full of (about 40) cookies that we gave himas one of his ordination gifts from us. To make this bag gift look "decorated" in honor of the newly ordained deacon,Fr. Jeremy drew a sketch of portrait of myself on one side of the bag. On each other sides of the bag, we threw inseveral words of wisdom including all the promises; life-long of chastity and celibacy, daily prayers of the Liturgyof the Hours, and obedience to the bishops and his successors, professed at the transitional diaconate ordination. Assoon as we arrived in Milwaukee, we delivered the fully-sketched bag of delicious MidWest's chocolate chipcookies to Christopher! We actually wondered if he had eaten the entire bag overnight to ease his anxiety andnervousness as his diaconate ordination was just around the corner on the next day!

Then on the next day, April 24, Saturday, we all drove to St. Matthias Parish in the western suburbs of Milwaukeewhere the Deaf Catholics regularly attend for Sunday Mass.With praise and thanksgiving, this day was really a greatday for the Catholic Church as our Deaf brother, Christopher Klusman was ordained to the Order of TransitionalDiaconate through the imposition of hands and the invocation of hands and the invocation of the Holy Spirit by theMost Reverend Jerome E. Listecki, Archbishop of Milwaukee. The most important moment of the ordination rite wewitnessed was when Christopher, with his glowing smile showing his happiness as a powerful revealing sign of hissaying a firm "Yes" to God's call. At that moment, he made three promises to the Church; a promise of celibacy inhis life as a deacon, and God willing as a priest, will imitate Christ's life to be of full service to the people of God,and witness to us that our true lives come from us being sons and daughters of God. The second promise he madewas a promise of prayer in his entire life with and for us. At last, he made a promise of obedience to ArchbishopListecki and all his successors, witnessing to his call to serve the people of Milwaukee.

These signs of commitment brings Christopher's life to the church. The service had a deep intensity as one mightexpect from the type of commitment being made. In Archbishop Listecki's homily, he emphasized the freedom thatthose ordained to the transitional diaconate exercised in making this decision. Although the world may view theircommitment as a restraint on their freedom, their freedom, as well as all true freedom, comes from following thewill of God.

As I recalled Fr. Jeremy asking me, "What was myfavorite part of the ceremony?", I immediatelyresponded that it was during the time of the Litany ofthe Saints, which occurred after making the promises.Why was this my favorite part? I was watching SueGudenkauf, one of the professional Catholicinterpreters in Wisconsin, signing the sung words, "St.Christopher" which came no surprise to me as I wasexpecting this renowned saint to be sung. At thatmoment, I grinned. What interested me about thissaint name was that it means Christ-bearer. Accordingto legend, when Christopher put the child on hisshoulder to cross the river, he found the child to beunbelievably heavy as the child was Christ carryingthe weight of the whole world. This made Christopher

a patron saint of travelers. He died a martyr during the reign of a tryant emperor Decius who oppressed Christianityin the third century. When I further reflected on this saint name, I gazed at God for a moment as I realized thejourney to the priesthood has never been really an easy one and knew that how much Deacon Christopher has since

persevered in his journey. Indeed, he is the Christ-bearer! Suddenly, I rejoiced with God at this moment when I ,along with the assembly of the great faithful, prayed the saint name, "St. Christopher" while Deacon Christopherprostrated. It truly was a divine moment!

Christopher becoming a transitional deacon marks animportant milestone in the journey to becoming aCatholic priest. Priestly ordination generally takesplace six months to a year after diaconate ordination.Christopher and his three classmates will, God-willing, be ordained priests for the Archdiocese ofMilwaukee in the spring of 2011. Let us all now prayfor Deacon Christopher to continue on his journeywith the grace of God as his guidance.Congratulations to Deacon Christopher!

From the Desk of Fr. Shawn CareyAssistant Director of the Office of the Deaf Apostolate

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Now, the first year of my priesthood has come to completion on Sunday, May 23, 2010. Can you all believe all thattime this year flew by since Ordination Day?! As I recall to the first year experience, I really want to thank you fromthe bottom of my heart for all your generosity, kindness, love, and support in my transition from being a seminarianto being your priest. I am so grateful to both Fathers Paul Clifford of St. John the Evangelist Hopkinton and JeremySt. Martin of Deaf Apostolate for their outstanding and respectable mentorship as I learn all the aspects of priestlyministry with the hearing and Deaf communities. Also, I want to offer my gratitude to our God, who is so good forbeing a great companion guiding me through the trials and tribulations of my first year as His servant working tolead our flock.

Indeed, you are now wondering what my recollection of first-year priesthood are?

When I celebrated my First Christmas Vigil Mass at St. John the Evangelist, the church was packed. As I began todeliver my homily from the ambo, I noticed on my left that to my surprise, the doors to the chapel were opened.There were another crowd packed in that chapel. I waved at them and then they waved back.

After completing the challenging Christmas liturgyschedule, I joined Fr. Paul Clifford and Fr. Jeremy St.Martin for breakfast and I noticed that I was so quiet.Then I realized something and told Fr. Paul and Fr.Jeremy that "I am overwhelmed with joy!" At first,they thought I was really overwhelmed withsomething. But it was not burdensome. Instead it wasfull of joy! Celebrating 3 Christmas Masses and con-celebrating the Midnight Mass at St. John, andcelebrating 1 Mass each at Sacred Heart Newton andthe New England Homes for the Deaf seemed like afull and packed schedule. However, with the grace ofGod, I discovered that all the hard work duringAdvent really prepared all of us the faithful for such ajoyous feast of God's gift, sending His Son to us. Allthe preparation can really be exhausting anddemanding. When I celebrated all the ChristmasMasses, I recognized how all the work during Adventreally led us to appreciate the gift of God, Hisbegotten Son so much more than we can imagine.What an awesome joy that was!

During Lent season, I had the opportunity to leadretreats back in my old stomping ground, Californiain Orange County and San Francisco. The topic of

these retreats was "I Will Choose Christ" which focused on the exegesis of the famous biblical passage from theGospel of Luke about how Jesus resisted Satan's temptations during his 40 day exile in the desert. Participants weregiven an opportunity to do a mini-performance on this passage, then to discern themselves on the meaning and theimpact of Satan's temptations in their lives and to attend Daily Masses on both Friday and Saturday, PenanceService on Saturday evening, and Sunday Mass. They felt that the retreat really challenged them in an inspiring wayto better appreciate how to be Christ's disciples by being able to identify and resist temptations that can easilydeceive them.

On the weekend of April 9-11, 2009, I led a successful Spring Retreat for the Deaf Catholic Community in Ottawa,Canada. The theme of the retreat focused on encountering the Risen Christ with scripture analysis and meditationstarting with the account of The Empty Tomb and ending with the Road to Emmaus from the Gospel of Luke.Several members of the community traveled from various parts of Canada to attend the retreat. They all reallyenjoyed it! At the closing, one member remarked that when he arrived at the retreat on Friday, he felt like hiscycling skills were not on the "straight" path and that he kept falling off his bike. However, at the end of the retreaton Sunday, he enthusiastically exclaimed that he was able to ride his bike efficiently without having to fall. This washow he described his experience in spiritual renewal with the Risen Lord at the retreat.

Another divine moment of God's grace occurred on a beautiful sunny Patriots Day, April 19, 2010 when I celebratedASL Mass for the runners of the Boston Marathon at St. John the Evangelist Parish in Hopkinton, the famous townfor the starting line of the Marathon. I also had the opportunity to greet, meet, and give God's Blessings to therunners as they eagerly warmed up for the good 26-mile journey.

I also want to take the opportunity now to thank you all for your great efforts in making delicious soups as we wereinvited to join the community of St John the Evangelist for Soup & Stations of the Cross as one of our Lentenpractices.

The community at St John really were delighted andgrateful to have you being part of their community.They have shared with me how much they enjoyedinteracting with the Deaf. They also felt inspired andmoved when they joined us in praying the Stations ofthe Cross with me leading in ASL. They have neverseen a sign-language prayer service and theycommented that it was a very prayerful event theyexperienced. This event really showed me that notonly ASL benefit us the Deaf, it does benefit both theDeaf and the hearing in many ways than we can evenimagine. ASL provides a two-way street opportunityto help break down the communication barrier.Without ASL, how are we ever going to be able tocommunicate and reach out to others. No wonderthere is always the Spirit of the Pentecost as our

model for bridging the gap between the Deaf and the hearing. Indeed, we all are one body of Christ as brothers andsisters that make any barriers impossible to break. Praise to be God!

Let us all continue our daily prayers to the Good God for enabling us to remain as one family in Christ.

In Christ,Fr. Shawn Carey

ALLELUIA! FIRST ASL EASTER VIGIL EVER IN HISTORY OF BOSTON DEAF CATHOLIC!Fr. Jeremy St. Martin

The ASL Easter Vigil at St. John the Evangelist in Hopkinton celebrated by Fr. Shawn Carey was momentous. Fr.Shawn, still the baby priest, lit the night on fire. No one was hurt. In fact the very opposite was worked through hispriestly service. Christ, Our Light, was worshiped, rising from the dead. After the world had become really dark inHopkinton, Fr. Shawn, lit the fire in the back of the Church. The Deaf Catholic Community was there with all thefaithful of the area, to see the moment of the remembering Christ's death change to the moment of the darkness ofdeath being overcome by the power of His resurrected new life.

Deaf people of all ages, from many parts of the Archdiocese of Boston, gathered around so that they could havedirect access to the Easter mystery. It may be the best and maybe the first Easter Vigil with direct access for theDeaf ever. The Alleluias of Easter were "heard" with the eyes of the Deaf and the gift of seeing the Alleluiasproclaimed was given to the hearing.

Fr. Shawn loved it when there was a song being sung and suddenly a figure appeared near a column like a ghost. Itwas Fr. Paul. He knew the song being sung well and he noticed that the interpreter needed some "feeding." Fr. Paulhas experienced "new life" a "new gift" living with Fr. Shawn. The Deaf noticed that Fr. Paul was really, full out,interpreting.

There was an interesting role for an altar server. At the beginning when all was in darkness, they were in charge of aflashlight so that Fr. Shawn's proclamation could be "heard." He was illuminated in the darkness as he proclaimedwith clear sings.

For me, the night felt like the culmination of a great deal of work. I was genuinely rejoicing. For a few years now ithas been a challenge to see access for this sacred time of prayer not be as accessible to the Deaf as it should.However, Fr. Shawn and I, did have the access to that over the years through interpreting. I remember one year theother interpreter got sick and I tried my best to do the whole thing. The Church was big and dark. It was good butrequired perseverance and patience. It was the best we could do.

The blessing of Fr. Shawn's priesthood is a great work that we saw bear natural and genuine fruit at the vigil. It wastruly a time to sing Alleluia!

Fr. Shawn also loved the moment of the renewal of Baptismal promises. The entire crowd of hearing and Deafseemed to wait for the response of "I do" as it was delivered in ASL and not as it came through the voice interpreter,which is never %100 in sink. It felt like a united community responding as one to the questions as they weredelivered so clearly by Fr. Shawn in ASL.

Fr. Paul Clifford and all involved were very happy and we thank God for them all. Deacon Michael Mott did forgetto actually share the light of Christ with the faithful, but fortunately no one noticed. This huge mistake is better leftunmentioned. I am sure he did it on purpose just in case anyone else made a mistake just so they wouldn't feel badconsidering his advanced spiritual state.

Senior Deaf Wellness ProgramMrs. Mary Brooks, Assistant Coordinator of the Deaf Senior Wellness Program

is hard to believe that this is the beginning of Holy Week! There are manywonderful opportunities for participating in services and reflecting on Christ'sPassion and what He suffered for us. The depth of His great love boggles my mind.Last Friday evening there was a large number of deaf and hearing families whogathered at St. John the Evangelist Parish Hall in Hopkinton, MA for "Soup andStations". Deacon Michael Mott had extended the invitation for the deaf communityto celebrate in ASL this Lenten tradition. It was an amazing experience. After adelicious dinner of different varieties of soup, bread and beverages, we all gatheredin the upper church, for the service which was led by Fr. Shawn Carey and Fr.Jeremy St. Martin. Several children from St. John's assisted, with guidance fromDeacon Mike. The evening was very powerful on many levels.

One of the strong themes of the night that I noticed was "Family": Individualfamilies with small children, families with older children in their middle school or high school years, families thatconsisted of married couples perhaps experiencing the "empty nest", families which comprised grandparents andtheir grandchildren, "families" of friends, who, while not blood related, were there worshiping together. There was

the St. John the Evangelist "Family", there was the Deaf Community "Family", there was the forging of the deaf andhearing communities together as members of God's Family, worshiping as brothers and sisters in Christ. Yes,indeed, it was a beautiful night. I think maybe a new family tradition was born in the parish hall and upper church ofSt. John's. How beautiful.

Our Senior Deaf Wellness Program has had some great meetings the last couple of months. In February we wereblessed with the students from the MGH nursing program who came to visit and hear stories from the deafcommunity about their experiences in medical situations without an interpreter. The students came with theirprogram coordinator, Mr. Tom Dolon. The students were eager to participate and learn from all of the folks whoshared their experiences; and they made the effort to communicate by asking for the interpreters to helpcommunicate, using paper and pen to write back and forth when an interpreter was not available and also dependingon our seniors' ability to lip read, during the individual conversations they carried on. Fr. Shawn Carey shared anaccount of his recent hospital experience with everyone, as well, which then led to a great discussion about howinterpreters are made available to, and paid for through not only individual hospitals in the Boston area, but throughMCDHH. Cher Allen, one of our beloved, interpreters, who works for MCDHH, was able to address many of thequestions that were raised. The students asked some additional poignant and in-depth questions and receivedanswers that will hopefully guide them in the future if they encounter deaf patients.

Also present at our February meeting, was Linda Ballard, a Catholic Worker, in Boston, who has a shared history inthe deaf community from past years. She regaled us with stories of people in the deaf community that she knew andworked with. She also described her current work for the Catholic Church at a homeless shelter in Boston, where sheworks with her son. They serve the homeless community and have invited us to go sometime to the shelter to helpprepare a meal for the residents. We may be able to do that sometime during the summer. Please stay tuned for moredetails.

We are so grateful to Tom Dolon and his wonderful nursing students and to Linda Ballard for sharing her lovingpresence with us. It was an amazing morning of sharing!

The March meeting was fabulous as well. Lori Gonzalez and Bethany Bertrand, from D.E.A.F. Inc., gave twowonderful informative presentations. Lori focused on the different services that are available through their office,including individual home visits by a D.E.A.F. Inc. staff member to members of the deaf community, if it is difficultfor them to make it into the offices. She had a wonderful power point presentation which was colorful, clear andconcise. She also gave everyone handouts that described the different services, with her contact information. Lorileft several copies with me and I have them in my office if anyone needs an additional copy.

Bethany Bertrand continued the morning's presentation with a description of Project HOPE, which is a new programthat focuses on senior physical health, through nutrition education, cooking instruction and light exercise. Theprogram is funded through Tufts University and requires a commitment of one full year from any group who wishesto participate. The seniors who attended and saw the presentation were unanimously supportive of the concept; sowe are actively trying to figure out the particulars to see if we can participate. We will be letting you all know verysoon.

There are so many volunteers who help make our program such a success throughout the year, and one of them weonly see once a year. The volunteer that I am going to tell you about is Sharon Hughes. For the past several yearsshe has come to us in March with her laptop and her knowledge of all the intricacies of the (YUCK) Tax Codes! Sheunfailingly greets anyone who wants help preparing their taxes with her gentle smile and quiet voice. She has beencoming for the last three (or is it four now?) years, and we are so grateful for her unfailing willingness to providethis service through the AARP program. This year she met us at the convent and promptly went about weaving herannual magic of making the stress of the tax season disappear for several of our lucky senior citizens. Sharon, wesalute you and say you are a blessing to us! Thank you for your wonderful gifts of time and expertise!

Speaking of volunteers, we would be hard pressed to have such a successful meeting every month, if it weren't forthe unfailing and loving service of our nurses, Joanie Siriac, Lorriane Kilty and their wonderful assistant, AngelaLentoni, who have been coming since the beginning of our program. And our new volunteer, Kerry Normandin, who

not only volunteers with the blood pressure readings but who is an amazing interpreter, as well! Ladies, Thank You,from the bottom of our hearts! You are all shining examples of Christ's love in action every month and we are thebenefactors of His loving embrace through you. Bless you.We had a great deal of information presented to us at ourlast meeting. Maureen Hennessey, of Medicare gave a presentation that was very informative (and quite honestly,overwhelming). It seemed very convoluted and intimidating; but she answered many questions and is available to usvia e-mail or phone if any of us have more questions in the future.

As many of you know, we lost two dear members of thedeaf community in the last month. Clara Scancarello andYolanda ("Yoyo") Chambers both went to their rest.It was an honor to know both of these women. They hadboth been an integral part of the Deaf Community Centerfor many years while it was housed at Bethany Hill, inFramingham. They will be missed and we can continueto pray that they will greeted in Heaven by our lovingFather.

Just a couple of months ago, Fr. Carey celebrated Mass atSt. Patrick Parish in Stoneham. A fairly large group ofthe Deaf community showed up to support him as hedelivered an "educational" visit to St. Patrick's. After theservice, several parishioners from St. Patick's came up tome and commented about how much they had enjoyed theservice and hoped that Fr. Shawn would return. A few ofthe comments stood out..."When Fr. Shawn indicated thegifts on the altar and said 'This is the body that shall begiven up for you', I experienced the eucharist in a newway today. I saw Christ's body through Fr.Shawn'shands, differently, than when I only hear the words.","When Fr. Shawn held the host and the cup and showedthem slowly to every part of the congregation, I was somoved! It was so beautiful and so PERSONAL! I'm soglad my family was able to experience the mass todaywith him."

We are so very blessed to have Fr. Shawn with us, and inthe larger Catholic community! His impact in not onlythe deaf community, but the world at large is impactingpeople's understanding and desire to breach thelimitations of "communion" between the deaf and hearingcommunities. Thank you, Fr. Shawn!

Next month we will be visiting Patriot Place in Foxboro.I will have more specific details about times, busscheduling, etc., by next week. I think we are going to

have a great day! Check the website early next week to get final details. Happy Spring!

The Seminarians

My name is Scott Carpentier. I am the oldest of seven children. My family is from Woonsocket,Rhode Island. When I was five, my family moved to Southern California, more inland near thedesert. We lived there for nine years before the family moved back to RI. After High School, I wasvery blessed to spend the majority of my college years at Franciscan University of Steubenville inOhio. After receiving a BA in Philosophy, Theology and Catechetics and a MA in Theology, theLord confirmed to follow Him to His priesthood which led me to enter the seminary with my homeDiocese of Providence. This past September (2009), I began studies at St. John's Seminary. My

first pastoral assignment (aka: field education) with the seminary in Boston is with the Deaf Apostolate.

I was first introduced to American Sign Language and Deaf culture when I was in High School. It wasn't untilcollege where I was able to take a class in ASL and learn more about the Deaf culture, the people and theirlanguage. At that time I did not think that I would be interacting with a Deaf community as I have been with mypastoral assignment at the Seminary. It is a great gift to meet Fr. Medas, Fr. Jeremy St. Martin, Fr. Shawn Careywho have directed, guided and encouraged Nelson and I as we learn from the Deaf community and God to becomebetter men who are following God's call to His priesthood.

Over the past five months I have been blessed to experience the Deaf community up close. Their enthusiasm,encouragement, patience, openness, worship and hospitality witnessed to the presence of God among them. TheLord calls us each by name to serve each other ultimately in love. Visiting the Deaf community in Newton onSundays has been an example to me of how each Catholic community should welcome all visitors with Christianfraternity. I thank God, not only for the experience, but for the people I have met serving the Deaf Apostolate. Weall are continuing to grow closer with our Heavenly Father who sent His Son and sets our hearts on fire with theHoly Spirit. I am blessed by God for the fellowship of the community in Newton. They have witnessed to me theirfaith by their perseverance and fraternal bond in the Lord.

My name is Nelson Rivera. I'm from Colombia. In Colombia I studied at Medellin's seminary. ThereI worked in many kinds of pastoral experiences. Out of the many places I served, I cherished theapostolic ministry with the deaf community. At that time this kind of pastoral experience didn't exist,so my classmates and I were the first group of religious to work with Deaf people. We and the DeafCatholic community started to define signs for the interpretation of the Mass and some of the wordsfor the Sacraments. It was an historical moment for the deaf community because they were working

in the unification of sign language throughout the country. It was a fantastic year!Now I'm here trying to learn a new language (English), but also still with this work that I really love, I work withdeaf community. For me, it is a double effort, but it is nothing in comparison with the happiness that I feel when I'msharing my faith in Jesus our Lord with you . In the future, I hope to work with deaf people in my diocese ofWorcester. I don't know yet if there is a deaf community there. However, I'll be prepared for them and for otherswho need the message of the Gospel.

After one semester working with the Catholic Deaf community of Boston I am very thankful to be with thembecause I have found a deep experience of Christian Love, and all of them have been so kind, patient and helpful tome in this process to learn English and ASL at the same time. This is the best experience in my pastoral work. Everyweekend I go to my pastoral assignment and they bring me that kind of vitality and love for God and for oneanother. It is just fantastic to share your life and faith with such wonderful people.

Good News about the MediaMrs. Michelle Solomon, Dir. Of Rel. Ed., Sacred Heart Parish, Newton

Fr. Shawn recently spoke to the Confirmation classes of Sacred Heart Parish on “God and the Media”. He was veryanimated and spoke openly about what it was like to grow up deaf. He pointed out how the development oftechnology in the media has greatly enhanced his ability to communicate and interact more intimately with thosearound him. Fr. Shawn has particularly appreciated how technology has given him access to literature come to life inmovies. Fr. Shawn explained his love of movies and deep spiritual life led him to look for God in any movie, nomatter how dark or despairing. He showed the students how Catholic themes of good vs. evil, redemption, selfsacrifice and the destruction and despair that comes from a sinful life are showed vividly in movies and are good forteaching the gospel of Christ. We have the ability to learn from the characters in movies, what the consequences ofsin are and decide to turn away and make different and better choices. Fr. Shawn showed us in the most effectiveway how God’s presence is calling us to Him, even in the most violent or hate-filled movies! We are most gratefulto Fr. Shawn for such a relevant and insightful presentation!

Hello dear members and friends of the Deaf Catholic Community!Mrs. Margaret Miller, Administrative Associate

My name is Peg Miller and I work in the office at Sacred Heart Church.Although I do not sign, I try to keep in regular communication with Fr. St.Martin and Father Carey. I try to help them as much as I can with thepaperwork necessary for activities to take place with members of the deafcommunity. When new members need to register, I send out the forms.When people volunteer to chaperone events or work at the senior deafwellness program, I am responsible for sending in the requests forbackground checks.Part of my job is to keep records of the sacraments that take place at SacredHeart Church which includes those celebrated at the ASL Mass. This means

that every time you celebrate one of these special occasions, I know about it and can celebrate with you in spiriteven when I am not there. It is such a joy for me to see so many new things happening.Occasionally I am able to drop in at the Senior Wellness program and I delight in some of the crafts that are donewith Mary Brooks. On Sundays as I leave our 9 AM Mass, I often greet those who are arriving for the ASL Mass. Ihave come to know many of the “regulars” at Mass.It is a special treat for me when our communities participate together in the same services. Good Friday celebrationof the Passion has a greater meaning for me when I watch it being signed. It is truly “passionate” when done sobeautifully by your talented lectors. Keep up the good work! And keep spreading the Good News. And keeppraying for Fr. St. Martin and Fr. Carey. They need lots of support for the work they do.If you have any questions about Sacred Heart or about what is happening here, you can email meat peg.miller@sacredheart.ws. I try to help out whenever I can.

Saving a SeatFr. Paul Clifford, Pastor of St John the Evangelist Parish, www.stjohnshopkinton.com

One of my favorite magazine cartoons isone that I saw in a Catholic magazine. Theperspective is looking down from the choirloft of a huge cathedral-type church. It’sobviously before Mass: there are about 4people kneeling or sitting here and there in thepews, the altar server is lighting the candles,and this one old woman has shuffled 2/3 ofthe way down the aisle to a pew where a manis sitting. And in this cavernous church that

can seat 1,000 people or more she taps him on the shoulder and speaks:“Excuse me, sir, but you’re in my seat!”

Ever since we began offering ASL interpretation at Mass at St. John’s in 2008 one of the things we have to keepremembering as staff is to make sure we reserve appropriate seating for members of the congregation who are deaf,so that there is good visual access to the interpreter. At St. John’s, that means the first few pews of the middle aisle,right in front of the pulpit. Sometimes we’ve forgotten to do so, or we haven’t saved quite enough seats. In thosemoments it falls to me or Fr. Shawn or one of our staff or interpreters to ask a few folks to move to a different seat.

Just like the old lady in the cartoon, we can all become creatures of habit; we get used to “my seat,” “my kind ofbeer,” “my brand of coffee.” Change is difficult for everyone. So I was always nervous when I would have to asksomeone to change their seat. No more. One of the most encouraging things for me as pastor is that I’ve never hada single complaint when asking someone to move back a bench (or 2 or 3). It shows that St. John’s is a welcomingplace. People who will make room in the pews will also “make room” in their hearts, so that all of us can worshipGod in the best way possible.

So, know that you are always welcome at St. John’s. The Triduum and Fr. Shawn’s 1st Anniversary Massshowed us how well even special occasions can work. But even on ordinary Sunday or Weekday Masses, know thatwe’re always happy to save a seat for members of the Deaf Catholic Community.

As we transition into Summer we will drop back a little bit on providing ASL interpretation at Mass. Basically,it will be available only at the Masses celebrated by Fr. Shawn. (That schedule is always up at deafcatholic.org)But if a special need comes up for you and you feel the need to attend Mass at St. John’s (for example, when Fr.Shawn is away) e-mail me and we’ll make every effort to provide the access you need—to “save a seat” for you.We are always happy to do so for anyone who seeks to worship God in our midst. Summer Blessings to all!

In His service and yours,Fr. Paul Cliffordpcliff22@verizon.net

Mary Leads our Children to the their 1st EucharistFr. St. Martin

We left from Sacred Heart parking lot in Newton at 12:30p.m. ate together and arrived at the Basilica of the OurLady of Perpetual Help, The Mission Church, at 2:00p.m. We had tour that began with a teaching on theconcept tabernacle. This church has many beautifultabernacles but only one of them is in use at the moment.Jesus, present in the Eucharist is present in one of thetabernacles. After the teaching it was the children's task tofigure out which one. We used a worksheet developed byBruce Bucci with different vocabulary words they neededto find in the Church. They were led on a tour of theStations of the Cross by the Seminariarians who joined usand they filled out the worksheets with diligence.

We had a little teaching on the Icon of Our Lady ofPerpetual Help. Isabella noticed that the shandle of Jesuswas falling off and we told the story of the Icon. We gavethe children a general tour where they are encouraged toask questions.

After that at about 3:00 p.m. we went to the garden for abreak.

Then at about 4:00 p.m. we went to a beautiful littlechapel and did Eucharistic Adoration with the children.

After that at about 4:30 p.m. we went back in the van anddrove back to Sacred Heart parking lot in Newton andmet parents for a little pizza in the convent.

Special thanks to one of the dads, Mr. Osborn, for coming along as a chaperon. It was great to have our twoseminarians with us and thanks for the great work of Celia as interpreter.

Fr. Shawn, Bruce Bucci and I were very happy with the whole day. God is good.

“Evangelization in Sign”Mrs. Janet Benestad , Secretary for Faith Formation and Evangelization

On Sunday, January 17, I had the privilege of attending Mass at Sacred Heart parish in Newton celebrated by HisEminence, Sean Cardinal O’Malley, OFM, Cap., Archbishop of Boston. Almost all of the people in the congregationwere deaf. In fact, the Mass was a local celebration of National Catholic Deaf Pastoral week, a time set aside by thebishops of the United States to foster awareness of the gifts and challenges that exist within the community ofhearing-impaired individuals. I noticed that, while an interpreter on the altar was signing the Mass, there wasanother interpreter sitting in the main aisle directly in front of a little girl. When I asked later why there was a specialinterpreter for the child, I was told that she was not only deaf but losing her sight as well; having an interpreterdirectly in front and very close to her was the only way that she could fully participate in the Mass.

A few weeks later I attended Sunday Mass at St. John the Evangelist parish in Hopkinton, where Fr. Shawn Carey isparochial vicar. Fr. Carey works with me in the archdiocesan Pastoral Center in Braintree in the Office for the DeafApostolate. While I had attended Mass celebrated by Fr. Carey before in the chapel at the Pastoral Center, I had

never had the opportunity to attend Mass with him as celebrant in a parish. As Fr. Shawn signed the Gospel andbegan his homily, I noticed something—people in the pews were paying very close attention. They were lookingintently at Fr. Shawn and listening carefully to the voice interpreter; it seemed to me that they were hearing theGospel proclaimed in a way they had not done before.

In Redemptor Hominis, Pope John Paul II says, “The Church’s fundamental function in every age and particularly inours is to direct man’s gaze, to point the awareness and experience of the whole of humanity toward the mystery ofChrist. . .” My two experiences, the one at Sacred Heart and the other at St. John’s, started me thinking about thenature of evangelization. By gazing intently at the hands of her interpreter, the little girl at Sacred Heartdemonstrated beyond what any words never could her profound desire to know and love Jesus Christ. By gazing inrapt attention at Fr. Shawn as he preached, the people in the congregation at St. John’s showed the depth of desirethat exists in the human heart to experience God’s Word in all its expressions. Both show the profound need thathuman beings have to be evangelized; and that evangelization does not require spoken words.

I have attended Mass with the deaf many times and I am always struck by the beauty of the silence. Where largenumbers of deaf people gather to participate at Masses said for the hearing, the deaf often sign the hymns in unisonwith the choir and the congregation. At the Mass at Sacred Heart in January, many deaf people rose to participate inthe Prayer of the Faithful offering touching stories of spiritual and material need among their families and friends,fervently asking for prayers for them. In November of 2009, Pope Benedict spoke about the “hearing-impairedperson in the life of the Church” at the 24th International Conference organized

by the Pontifical Council for Health Care Workers at the Vatican. “Dear hearing-impaired brothers and sisters,” hesaid, “you are not only recipients of the announcement of the Gospel but, by virtue of your Baptism, also itsannouncers. Live every day, then, as witnesses of the Lord in the environments in which you live, making Christ andHis Gospel known.”

It has been my privilege this past year to be a recipient of that great witness to which the Pope refers and toexperience the grace of an evangelization that is spoken in sign and that evokes intense listening and deep faith. I amgrateful to Fr. Jeremy, Director of the Archdiocesan Office for the Deaf Apostolate, and Fr. Shawn, AssistantDirector, for helping me to share in the profound faith that belongs to the people in the deaf community. I amgrateful to Cardinal Seán for the opportunity to serve, along with them, Christ, His Church, and the faithful of theArchdiocese of Boston.

SOME THOUGHTS ON THE LORD’S ASCENSION INTO GLORYRev. John J. Connelly, Pastor at Sacred Heart Church, Newton Center

On Easter Sunday, it was the Lord’sresurrection that was the cause of our joy.In this column, our rejoicing is focused onthe Lord Jesus’ glorious ascension intoheaven. Just think for a moment what thismeans for our humanity: the Son of Godand the son of Mary, victorious over death,has chosen to remain his human self for alleternity. In other words, Jesus, from alleternity equal to the Father and Son indivinity, takes our human nature into thevery glory of God the Father, the risenChrist’s final goal in his humanity, and ourfinal goal as well.

It is not easy for us to discuss divinemysteries. Our everyday language seemstoo clumsy for such a purpose. We use such

expressions as – He came down from heaven, He rose from the dead, He ascended into heaven – as though we couldexpress these truths of faith with spatial or geographical imagery. This can leave us with some puzzledunderstandings. For example, did the Lord Jesus, in his ascension, take off on some well-deserved vacation with thepromise that he would return some day; and when we say “He ascended into heaven”, what do we have in mindwhen we think about heaven? As one writer puts it: Do we think of heaven as some old folks home somewhere offin the cosmos? And when Jesus rose on Easter Sunday, he did not begin to live again the life he lived before he died.Jesus entered into what the Scriptures call “newness of life”, something eye has not seen, something beyond whatwe could imagine. The risen Christ – body and soul existence – lives with God the Father. That brings up thequestion – Where is God? The Catechism tells us God is everywhere. Here and now, we do not have the capacity tosee him. To believe in him we need the grace of faith, the light of faith. To see him effectively when we get toheaven, we need the light of glory. Baptism brings us a share in God’s life through faith, hope and charity. However,we will not and cannot see God until faith gives way to vision and hope gives way to possession.

How are we to grasp something of the mystery of the Ascension? A good way is to look prayerfully at the twoPreface Prayers which the Church uses at the Liturgy between now and Pentecost Sunday.

Christ, the mediator between God and man, judge of the world and Lord of all, has passed beyond our sight, not toabandon us but to be our hope. Christ is the beginning, the head of the Church; where he has gone, we hope tofollow.

In his risen body he plainly showed himself to his disciples and was taken up to heaven in their sight to claim for usa share in his divine life.

Where is the risen, ascended Christ this very moment? We can answer this question by thinking about the prayerthat opened the Sunday Liturgy on the 7th Sunday of Easter. We say to God our Father: “Help us to keep in mind,that Christ our Savior lives with you in glory and has promised to remain with us, in the Church and in the world,until the end of time”. There are so many different ways the risen Lord remains present with us. First and mostimportantly, he is with us in the great gift of the Eucharist which means his real, true, sacramental presence insacrifice and in sacrament. But the Lord is with us in other ways also: in our hearts through faith, in his Church as hegoverns the Church through the ministry of his apostles and their successors, in his scriptural words which are readin the Church, in promoting among believers the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. All this, of course, meansthe risen Christ’s presence in his Holy Spirit given to the Church.

St. Augustine has a wonderful way of speaking about the Ascension. He writes – “He who ascended into heaven iswith us now, and we who are here are also with him by faith. He did not leave heaven when he first came among us,and he did not leave us when he ascended into heaven. That is why he could promise his apostle-friends and us also– ‘I will be with you always’.”

Rev. John J. Connelly, Pastor at Sacred Heart Church, Newton Center

“The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy.” Psalm 111:7Susan Horne

(The following article is a reflection paper submitted by Susan Horne for her Master of Arts in Ministry FieldEducation with Marriage Ministries Office in the Archdiocese of Boston. With her permission, she wants to sharewith us her experience attending Fr. Shawn Carey's ASL Daily Mass at the Pastoral Center in Braintree, MA.)

It has been a blessing to do my field education for the Master of Arts in Ministry forthe Laity program at the Marriage Ministries Office in the Archdiocese of Boston. Ihave the privilege of working at the new Pastoral Center that is now the centrallocation for the various offices that comprise the many ministries of the Archdiocese.Previously these offices had been spread throughout many buildings and cities in theArchdiocese. With the sale of the Chancery property to Boston College and thegenerous donation of Dan Flatley and the Flatley family of an office building inBraintree, the decision was made to bring the majority of the Archdiocesan officesunder one roof.

Since my first visit in October to the Pastoral Center I have continually beenimpressed by the professional atmosphere and genuine spirit of good will among the people who staff the manyoffices and ministries. The staff includes cardinal, bishops, priests, religious brothers and sisters and laity of all ages,backgrounds and experience. It has been humbling to see just how hard these people work in serving the needs ofthe Archdiocese of Boston and beyond. These employees and volunteers work with limited financial and humanresources to accomplish their mission “to continue the saving ministry of Jesus Christ in serving and guiding theCatholic parishes, schools, hospitals and agencies within the 144 cities and towns of the Archdiocese of Boston.”1 Imarvel at the enthusiasm, energy and expertise of these “compassionate professionals who are valued for their faith,service and integrity.”2

There have been many moments that have inspired me in seeing how the Pastoral Center’s Vision of “giving Gloryand Honor to God, serving Christ and His Church, and honoring and respecting those whom I serve and those withwhom I serve”3 is lived out. One particular event had a profound impact on me. I like to attend the daily Mass atnoon on the two days that I volunteer at the Pastoral Center. It is a beautiful chapel that is accessible to staff, visitorsand neighbors. During the season of Lent every seat in the chapel is filled and there is a wonderful sense ofcommunity. One Wednesday I had an early morning phone call at work from someone I’ve come to know in the pasttwo years. She was distraught and looking for support from someone who is working in Marriage Ministries (me)and might know how to help her in her troubled marriage. I felt totally inadequate in responding to her needs. I gaveher what I did have…a listening ear as well as some contact information for someone who might be able to helpprofessionally.

As I came to Mass I had a heavy heart thinking of all those people struggling in difficult and challenging marriages,those I know and love as well as those numbering half the population of my country. I was wondering what I coulddo with my limited experience and knowledge in the field of marriage ministries. I have a happy marriage and oftenhave difficulty putting myself in another’s shoes. I prayed for understanding and guidance on what God might beasking of me despite my limitations and weaknesses.

There is a priest in the Archdiocese of Boston who is deaf. I have seen him at the Pastoral Center and I am looking

forward to meeting him when he comes to the next Transformed in Love Marriage Preparation week-end at the endof March. There are two deaf couples who have registered and Fr. Shawn Carey will be there to support them. Fr.Shawn had a translator at this Wednesday Mass who was signing the prayers, readings and homily for him. Duringthe Eucharistic Prayer when the priests who are present at Mass move around the altar, Fr. Shawn’s translatormoved so he would be able see her. She ended up standing directly in front of me. Since I was no longer able to seethe consecration of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ, I closed my eyes and concentrated onlistening.

A few minutes later I was a bit startled to hear a woman’s voice praying part of the Eucharistic Prayer that I haveonly ever heard spoken by a priest. Surprised, I opened my eyes and saw that the translator had moved to themicrophone at the lectern and Fr. Sean was signing these last words of the Eucharistic Prayer. It was an amazing andmoving experience. I couldn’t take my eyes off of Fr. Shawn’s hands and I felt an overwhelming movement of theHoly Spirit in my heart. Even though I wasn’t able to wrap my brain around why what was happening before mewas touching me so profoundly, I savored how uplifted my spirit felt. I focused on how this woman became Fr.Shawn’s voice for us, the congregation, and yet it was through Fr. Shawn’s hands that the words were given to her. Ireflected on how God is continually calling us to be His voice and His hands in the world. He often shows us howHe wants us to fulfill this in the most unexpected of ways.

As I prayed throughout the next few days I asked God to help me to understand how He wants me to be His voiceand His hands in my life. I know how inadequate I often feel in serving Him and yet it is in this very weakness that Ican recognize His strength. I thought back to a talk I gave a few years ago to a Wings group entitled “Being theheart, hands and voice of Jesus in the Community.” The call is continuous and I must be open to go wherever HisSpirit leads.

The day before this experience at Mass I had a conversation with one of my former classmates who began in theMAM program with me and who had recently been accepted into the Diaconate Program. We were surprised to findthat each of us was taking a course on New Testament taught by Celia Sirois and we both had a paper on gospelparallels that we were trying to write. I told John that I was planning to write about the Parable of the Mustard Seedand how something so tiny can grow into something so great. John shared with me some ideas that he had and whenhe mentioned the Baptism of the Lord, I was stirred to tell him that another classmate of ours had just presented atalk on the Baptism of the Lord to Harvard students on a retreat as part of her MAM Field Education. Johnproceeded to show me something he noticed in Luke’s gospel. After baptism by John, “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit,returned from the Jordan, and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by thedevil (Lk 4:1).” After forty days in the desert, “Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and areport about him spread through all the surrounding country. He began to teach in their synagogues and was praisedby everyone (Lk 4:14).” My classmate John pointed out that after Baptism, Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit, but itwasn’t until after the forty days of temptation, that Jesus was full of the power of the Holy Spirit. I was struck bythat insight and thought about these forty days of Lent being very different from what I had originally planned onAsh Wednesday. It has been a real struggle and a test of faith in many areas of my life. I’m beginning to see howGod is calling me to listen in a new way and to trust in His power. Whatever He calls me to, whatever He asks ofme, it will be through His power that the work is accomplished. I need not be afraid of my own inadequaciesbecause “‘He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you,’ and ‘on their hands they will bear you up, sothat you will not dash your foot against a stone. (Psalm 91)’”

Having the opportunity to see the power of God’s good work in action through the people called to work in thecentral organization for the Archdiocese at the Pastoral Center has been so inspiring. I am grateful for thesededicated and generous people who give their time, treasure and talent in fulfilling the work of being God’s heart,hands and voice in the Archdiocese of Boston and beyond.

Message from Fr. Michael Depcik, a Deaf priest from the Oblates of St. Francis DeSales:

Christian Youth Leadership WeekAugust 1 - 6, 2010

This program focuses on Deaf teens, ages 13 - 18, who want to deepentheir Catholic faith while having a good time at the beautiful Holley FamilyVillage. Directed by Fr. Michael Depcik and Kid Black Fedio, and staffed byqualified counselors who are fluent in sign language, teens will have manyrole models to help them appreciate their faith and their unique gifts fromGod. Daily schedule includes morning talks on spirtuality, activities thatpromote teamwork, various fun activities in the afternoons and evenings,liturgy, and prayer services. Teens of other faiths are welcome as well.Please let either Fr. Shawn Carey or Fr. Jeremy St. Martin know if you areinterested in signing up for this adventurous program! Registration isavailable now, please sign up fast as space is limited. We stronglyencourage Deaf Youth to attend - ask Fr. Shawn as he had alreadyexperienced this incredible program!

ATTENTION DEAF CATHOLIC YOUTH:Youth EventsWe have had Extreme East and WYD in Australia

We have attended Extreme East in R.I. 2009

NCYC is happened in the fall. Fr. Shawn was a speaker at that. That was in Kansas City, 2009.

This is all to prepare for:

WORLD YOUTH DAY 2011

August 2011

If you are interested in joining the pilgrimage to World Youth Day in Madrid, Spain, please see Fr. Shawn Carey orcontact him. He is in the process of planning this exciting spiritual trip which may include a visit in a diocese wherethe Deaf Catholics in Spain live. The dates, August 15-21 are for the actual events going on in Madrid. We may begoing earlier than August 15th for a few days with the Deaf Catholics of Europe. It will be a blast! If you have anyquestions about World Youth Day experiences, please see Dominick Boyd and his mother, Teri to share with youtheir experience in World Youth Day 2009 Sydney, Australia. Youth in ages over 18 to 40 are welcome to join. Forthose who are 16 or 17, an accompanying parent is required. For further information, let Fr. Shawn know.

Here are some pictures from last WYD 2008:

WWW.DEAFCATHOLIC.ORG

Office of the Deaf Apostolate of the Archdiocese of Boston66 Brooks DriveBraintree, Massachusetts 02184