Disability and Deaf Ministries

Who are the People with disabilities? We are your brother...your sister... the man or woman across the street...or... the person next to you in the pew... We are one people with one call to service, one goal to come to the Father and we do it best together!

Sponsored Activities:  The ministry provides activities to enhance spirituality.

• Days or evenings of prayer and liturgy which take place all around the diocese in the fall and spring.
• Overnight/weekend retreats are planned each summer.
• A Retreat for Caregivers is sponsored twice annually.

The ministry also works collaboratively to plan activities with spiritual support groups including Victorious Missionaries, Faith and Light, and Adult Religious Education.

We embrace all individuals

The person with a disability needs the able person no less and no more than the able person needs the person with a disability. We are one people with one call to service and one goal to come to the Father. We do it best together. The parish advocate acts as a catalyst to bring about inclusion.

Parish Advocates welcome and include people with disabilities into the parishes. They address attitudinal and architectural barriers and provide the needed supports to bring about true inclusion and integration. They educate the parishioners as to the needs and gifts of people with disabilities. Advocates are volunteer parishioners many of whom have some type of a disability or have a family member with a disability. They receive training and ongoing support from the ministry office. There are presently 40 advocates in 30 parishes in the diocese.

The Deaf and Hard of Hearing Ministry
Weekly Sign Interpreted Mass for the Deaf in Erie

will be held Sundays at 9 a.m. at Our Lady of Peace Church, 2401 W. 38th St. For more information,
call 824-1257 or email jjohnson@eriercd.org.

Sign Interpreted Mass for the Deaf is held on the 2nd Sunday of the month at 11:30 a.m., St. Agatha Church, 353 Pine St., Meadville. For more information, call 800-374-3723 ext. 257 or email jjohnson@eriercd.org.

Sign Interpreted Mass for the Deaf is held on various Sundays at 8:30 a.m., St. Mary Church, Crown, PA. For more information, call 724-588-1703.

Sign Interpreted Mass for the Deaf in Sharon is held on the 2nd & 4th Sundays of the month at 10:00 a.m., St. Joseph Church, 79 Case Ave., Sharon. For more information, call 800-374-3723 ext. 257 or email jjohnson@eriercd.org.

"Opening Doors to Faith"

A faith inclusion initiative made possible through a grant from the Pennsylvania Developmental Disabilities Council.

Pennsylvania Developmental Disabilities Council

Where can I learn more?

If you want to become involved in your parish, participate in spiritual enrichment activities, become a parish advocate or learn more about Spiritual Ministry with Persons with Disabilities please contact :