Pastoral Ministry with Persons with Disabilities

04/21/2025

Remembering Pope Francis, who challenged all that to not feel a sense of responsibility for all, is to fail to take the Gospel and the work of God serious. May your work be continued. Amen.

Following the announcement his passing away on Easter Monday, we offer an overview of the highlights of Pope Francis' pontificate, his journeys, reforms, wri...

12/25/2024

Wishing all a blessed Christmas filled with the possible transformations of the season. The artist of this version of the Madonna and Child offers
a beautiful vision of life and possibilities.

Jonathan Evens views the current exhibition in Peterborough

07/26/2024

"Symbol speakers" positively identifies capacity of non-speaking individuals who communicate through AAC devices. A good introduction by Chris Klein National Catholic Partnership on Disability - NCPD AAIDD Religion and Spirituality Interest Network Institute on Theology and Disability

This is a quick test to see how the equipment and software works! Yes there will be longer ones to come!

07/02/2024

This article captures the essence of the conference - the best proactive strategies for safety of persons with disabilities (PwD) is to promote meaningful participation and visibility within communities of belonging in which all people are safer, interacting, supporting, and growing together!
Archdiocese of Newark AAIDD Religion and Spirituality Interest Network National Catholic Partnership on Disability - NCPD Faith Inclusion Network-FIN Born Fabulous Podcast The Arc of Bergen and Passaic Counties AAIDD Religion and Spirituality Interest Network

Experts who participated in a recent conference on Safeguarding and Disability have said that a broader inclusion of disabled individuals in church life would make abuse prevention easier and is something all faithful must work towards.

07/02/2024

It was a privilege to participate in ISC Safeguarding and Disability 2024 with many old and new friends.

03/28/2024

Insights from Becky, the mother a girl with Down Syndrome, “… there are far more harmful perceptions [but it does] carry a certain sort of ickiness that implies individuals with an extra chromosome are angelic … they live their lives blissfully unaware … without having real feelings. I’ve never heard anything so well-intended that makes me grimace as much, and yet I hear it often.” Don't miss the full story shared. Amy Julia Becker Greta Galvez Harrison National Catholic Partnership on Disability - NCPD Butterflies for Change

"I’ve never heard anything so well-intended that makes me grimace as much."

02/17/2024

NOTE: Day/Date for Assumption Church is Wednesday 2/21. https://conta.cc/3I23rSg

One Body in Christ Together Pastoral Leaders Newsletter Building Community  One Body In Christ Together Visit Our Website Click to Contact by Email Anne Masters, Ph.D., FAAIDD Director Anne.Masters@r

01/25/2024

Attention pastors of the Archdiocese of Newark: check out pilot for Accompanying Persons with Disabilities in a Synodal Church in current issue of One Body in Christ Together newsletter and also read about braille literacy and connections between poverty and disability. https://conta.cc/499xCSY National Catholic Partnership on Disability - NCPD Archdiocese of Newark Xavier Society for the Blind Synod.va

12/15/2023

Parishes should know Xavier Society for the Blind will provide the resources you need to support parishioners who are blind. The Mass for St. Lucy was a wonderful celebration and I met many wonderful people, including Archdiocese of Newark parishioners, the Spano family. Antonio did a great job serving as lector! Church of The Assumption.

12/15/2023

Thank you to the good work of BNA! At the Archdiocese of Newark we are grateful for your training to support families in New Jersey who have received a prenatal diagnosis. Check out our page at https://rcan.org/my-beautiful-one/ National Catholic Partnership on Disability - NCPD Catholic Archdiocese of Washington Deaf and Disabilities Ministry

Recent news stories have generated a lot of confusion - and misconceptions - about carrying babies with a Trisomy diagnosis. At BNA, we have had the honor of supporting many families whose babies have Trisomy 18 or 13 and those babies were deeply loved by their families and by us. ❤️

Parents deserve parent-centered, baby-centered care that is flexible and treats their baby just as any other child.

To clear up just a few misconceptions:

- Babies with Trisomy 13 or 18 are not "incompatible with life" - lethal language is used to dehumanize them.
- There is no inherent additional risk to a mom who is carrying a baby with a diagnosis of Trisomy 13 or 18.
- Studies have found that infants with Trisomy 13 or 18 who receive appropriate medical treatments for their specific needs can dramatically outlive expectations.

Learn more on the research page of our website: https://benotafraid.net/research/

12/15/2023

Amy Julia shares her excitement and trepidations exploring College options with Penny. Happily the options keep growing for students with intellectual disabilities. Think College National Catholic Partnership on Disability - NCPD Institute on Theology and Disability

There was a day when I realized that no doctor would ever emerge to say about Penny having Down syndrome, “It was touch and go for a while there, but now you’re out of the woods.” No, the woods were home. And we began to explore them, and make pathways through the tall trees, and find the open meadows, and revel in the richness of life under those branches.

Now, to stretch the analogy to its breaking point—as Penny turns 18 and finishes high school and looks toward the future—this little cottage tucked in between two giant oaks has become too small for us. It’s time to move, and no one knows exactly how to direct us or what kind of home we need next. We need to learn procedures and ask questions and read books. I’m taking a class to try to learn how to navigate this transition process. I’ve attended webinars about college placement. I’ve met with a lawyer and a financial planner.

It all feels overwhelming and big and easy to screw up and hard. Like it did nearly eighteen years ago, when she was born.

Except it is nothing like eighteen years ago.

Because now we want to live in the woods. This is home, and it is beautiful and more expansive and real and true than anywhere else I have ever lived. That love that used to only be palpable in Penny’s presence has become far more steady, like the ground beneath our feet.
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12/06/2023

Amy Julia Becker and Niro Feliciano talking about Disability, Kids, and Friendship on NBC News NOW! Two short video clips packed with important insights! National Catholic Partnership on Disability - NCPD Faith Inclusion Network-FIN Born Fabulous Podcast Institute on Theology and Disability AAIDD Religion and Spirituality Interest Network

I loved being able to talk about friendship and disability with my friend Niro Feliciano, The Good Enough Life on NBC News NOW! One thing I talked about was how we want to neutralize the language around disability so that we aren’t having a posture of pity, but actually one of mutuality.

With all of our kids we talk about the challenges they face and the gifts they can offer. And those are different between our different kids. So we're not trying to say there are no differences or that disability isn't real. But we are trying to say that we can appreciate each other and build relationships of mutuality, so we try to use the language of challenges and gifts rather than talking about weaknesses or problems.

You can watch the interview...link in comments.
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