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Reflection for Disability Awareness Sunday by Rt Rev Paul Hendricks, Auxiliary Bishop of Southwark

During last year’s Jubilee in Rome, in a conference on the theology of disability, I heard the following testimony from a deaf lady who is an active volunteer in her parish in England.

Although her Parish Priest couldn’t sign himself, he was keen to help her, so he would give her an advanced copy of his homily every week. This was despite the fact that up until then he hadn’t written out his homilies at all. He became more interested and encouraged the choir to learn how to do the signs for the Alleluia. This caught the interest of the children, and they wanted to learn more. It ended with the lady going into the primary school and gradually introducing the children to sign language. The results of this, over time, were quite extraordinary. The children became much more engaged with the Mass and with the Bible. Their understanding increased dramatically, through discussion of the meaning behind many of the signs, and the reason why those signs took the form that they did.

We often talk about making churches more accessible, as though we’re doing deaf people and those with disabilities a favour. What we don’t realise is how much they can contribute to the life and spirituality of the community.

This is one reason why Pope Francis said, years ago, that the Church must be for everyone, or else it’s for no one.

Bishop Paul wrote his reflection, marking Disability Awareness Sunday, for the Catholic Union. To become a member, find out more about their work, or to support them, please visit catholicunion.org.uk