Catechesis with People with Disabilities

Resources

Opening Doors of Welcome and Justice to Parishioners with Disabilities: A Parish Resource Guide

Create welcoming and accessible parishes using the information and suggestions in this resource from the experts at the National Catholic Partnership on Disability. The guide contains resources to help a parish evaluate its efforts to welcome parishioners with disabilities and gather better information about disabled parishioners.

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Guidelines for the Celebration of the Sacraments with Persons with Disabilities

The Body of Christ is called to be a faithful witness to the Gospel, with each member having a crucial personal mission.

To this end, the Catholic bishops have revised and expanded their Guidelines for the Celebration of the Sacraments with Persons with Disabilities to help assure that people with disabilities are able to participate in the sacramental life of the Church and share their own gifts as missionary disciples.

Use these guidelines to:

• Review how parish and diocesan policies and practices affect persons with physical or intellectual disabilities, especially regarding the reception of the sacraments.
• Identify material accommodations that can help parishioners with disabilities be fully engaged in parish sacramental life.
• Implement good pastoral policies to form a parish community that supports all its members.

Pastors, parish pastoral staff, and lay volunteers who work in evangelization, catechesis, and sacramental preparation, as well as diocesan staff, will find these guidelines helpful as they continue to work to strengthen their communities.

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Teaching Prayer to Persons with Disabilities

In this webinar, Sr. Kathleen Schipani,  will discuss the theological, pastoral and practical perspectives of praying with children and youth with disabilities. Father William Gillum will present on a way of praying with persons with profound disabilities. He will demonstrate a symbolic catechesis which awakens an intuitive awareness of God and leads to prayer.

Part 1: Praying with Children with Disabilities by Sr. Kathleen Schipani, IHM

Part 2: Awakening Spiritual Dimensions by Fr. William Gillum, OFM Cap