Faiths join in disabled workshop

Five faith traditions will band together Dec. 3 to sponsor "Opening Hearts, Minds and Doors So That All May Worship," an interfaith conference on making faith communities accessible to persons with disabilities.

But David Amico of the Albany diocesan Office of Evangelization and Catechesis, one of the event's sponsors, noted that opening people's hearts and minds is even more crucial than making houses of worship accessible.

"If we can change our attitudes, we can change everything else that needs to be changed to welcome people with disabilities more fully," he told The Evangelist.

Interfaith event

The conference, sponsored by the Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, Buddhist and Hindu communities of the Capital District, came about because of a convergence of interests. Mr. Amico said that the Catholic bishops of New York are about to publish a statement on ministry to people with disabilities. In addition, Pope John Paul II announced that a Jubilee day for people with disabilities would be held Dec. 3.

At the same time Mr. Amico was discussing how to celebrate the Jubilee day in the Diocese, he learned of an interfaith group interested in having a conference on removing barriers that keep people with disabilities from worship.

Rev. Dr. Dennis Meyer, pastor of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Scotia, was the force behind the final result, said Mr. Amico, noting: "This is a common concern to every faith community."

Full slate

The day-long conference will include:

* remarks by Bishop Howard J. Hubbard of the Albany Diocese and Lorraine Thal, coordinator of the accessible congregations campaign of the National Organization on Disability;

* a panel session on how attitudes have kept panelists from being included in faith communities and how they overcame negative attitudes; and

* two workshops: one on examples of faith communities that have changed, including St. Mary's parish in Amsterdam; and another on removing architectural and communication barriers.

Strides

Mr. Amico said that some parishes in the Diocese have already accomplished a lot in ministry with people with disabilities. St. Mary's Church in Amsterdam, for instance, has paired youth with parishioners with developmental disabilities to prepare them for Confirmation and hold joint events, such as hosting last year's traveling Stations of the Cross in the Company of Clowns.

"This ministry has taken on a life of its own," he stated. Rev. James Gulley, the pastor, "has been a leader in helping to change people's attitudes and open their hearts. There's a real sharing between the youth in the parish and folks largely from community residences in the area."

Other parishes that work diligently at ministering to persons with disabilities, he said, include Ss. Anthony and Joseph in Herkimer, St. Mary of Mt. Carmel in Gloversville, the "North Country parishes," St. Henry's in Averill Park and Immaculate Conception in Glenville.

More to do

However, said Mr. Amico, even these parishes understand that improvement is always possible. He noted that a parishioner from St. Henry's, on hearing about the conference, told him, "we really need to keep going to these things. We can always learn from each other."

"We need to keep meeting new challenges, because this ministry keeps changing," Mr. Amico said. "This conference can be a way of going out to call our Catholic people with disabilities to a fuller life of discipleship. For our other faith groups, it's the same way."

(Opening Hearts, Minds and Doors So That All May Worship" will be held Dec. 3, 1-5 p.m., at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Clifton Park, which is accessible for those with disabilities. Cost is $10; scholarships are available. For information, call Rev. Dr. Dennis Meyer at 393-5031.)