Priest strives to affirm deaf ministry

"There's no road map of how to establish an office," Rev. James Clark says about his role as chaplain for Catholic Deaf Ministry in the Albany Diocese. "But there's a segment of the Diocese that's been marginalized, and we want to say, `Come on in.'"

Nationwide, four percent of the population is hearing-impaired. Within the Albany Diocese, about 500 families have a member who is deaf. While that figure is small compared to the more than 400,000 Catholics who live in the Diocese, Father Clark said that providing a ministry geared toward the deaf makes a statement that the Diocese cares.

"It says something about who we are if we're willing to make the effort," he declared. "We have to be about what we preach."

So far, Father Clark has reached out to parishes where deaf people are living to plan workshops on liturgical sign language. All the dioceses in New York State meet periodically to discuss mutual problems and plan strategies to serve the deaf, so the signing workshops will be a joint effort with the Archdiocese of New York.

Eventually, Father Clark hopes to offer interpreted Masses in parishes all over the Diocese. (St. Brigid's parish in Watervliet and St. Vincent de Paul in Albany presently offer such Masses.)

He also hopes to add religious education services taught by family members of deaf children, group sacramental preparation and even a statewide Formation for Ministry Program for the deaf that could lead to a diaconate program as well.

"Table of the Lord," the Diocese's monthly televised Mass, and a video to be released by the Diocese in the fall on physician-assisted suicide may possibly be closed-captioned, thanks to Father Clark's efforts.

The priest has sent a survey to all known families in the Diocese with a hearing-impaired member, and the results are now being compiled. People's statements of their needs will give the Diocese more direction in what services to offer, and Father Clark plans to make the rounds of parishes at some point to "do my pitch on deaf ministry."

(The Catholic Deaf Ministry can be contacted at Fax/V/TTY: 518-827-7873 or by e-mail: [email protected].)

(09-25-97)