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The Cape Breton Post: News | Sign of the season
Two hands moved with every spoken word as one congregation member watched intently on the day’s service.
Bradley Price, a deaf member of St. Bartholomew’s Church in Louisbourg, is a regular fixture at the church’s Sunday services. One day each month, Price is able to watch the hands of interpreter Wendy MacDonald of Sydney, as she signs the entire service including its choir songs.
“It was beautiful — seeing it in sign — the music was just beautiful, it made everything come to life for me and made me feel part of the service,” said Price as interpreted through MacDonald.
Price was born without hearing and at age five attended a school for the deaf in Amherst where he learned sign language.
He is the now the only member of the St. Bartholomew Church service who is deaf and says the presence of an interpreter is important for many reasons.
“I have a son who we bring to church. I want him to be involved in the church and I want to be involved in his life. I want to have an interpreter so that I can be a part of the service . . . (so) that I’m included with everybody else.”
Growing up in nearby Little Lorraine and now living in Louisbourg, Price is embraced by the community and though people don’t always understand him, they try.
“I’m part of the community here, there’s a lot of love. I’m friendly so I get along with everybody. Handshakes all the time and even though they don’t understand me, I mean we smile and make gestures.”
Price attends the regular weekly service even when MacDonald is not present. He understands the atmosphere of the service, but struggles to understand the words as he doesn’t read lips.
A favourite interpreter of Price’s, MacDonald doesn’t interpret in the community anymore due to other commitments. However, she does plan to attend the Louisbourg church service on the third Sunday of each month.
“I’ve been interpreter for 21 years, so I’ve been interpreting all my life,” she said. “I’ve interpreted church services, weddings, funerals, baby births, deaths, doctor’s appointments, dental appointments.”
Price is hopeful having that MacDonald’s presence once a month might encourage more deaf people to attend church. He remembers almost a decade ago, a strong presence of deaf people in the church community, but that doesn’t exist anymore.
“Years ago there was (a reverend) who would come every month who could sign at St. Marks Church in Coxheath. There was a large community of deaf people at church, a lot have since passed away, people have moved away from Cape Breton as well for work, so there’s not a lot left here,” said Price.
Two hands moved with every spoken word as one congregation member watched intently on the day’s service.
Bradley Price, a deaf member of St. Bartholomew’s Church in Louisbourg, is a regular fixture at the church’s Sunday services. One day each month, Price is able to watch the hands of interpreter Wendy MacDonald of Sydney, as she signs the entire service including its choir songs.
“It was beautiful — seeing it in sign — the music was just beautiful, it made everything come to life for me and made me feel part of the service,” said Price as interpreted through MacDonald.
Price was born without hearing and at age five attended a school for the deaf in Amherst where he learned sign language.
He is the now the only member of the St. Bartholomew Church service who is deaf and says the presence of an interpreter is important for many reasons.
“I have a son who we bring to church. I want him to be involved in the church and I want to be involved in his life. I want to have an interpreter so that I can be a part of the service . . . (so) that I’m included with everybody else.”
Growing up in nearby Little Lorraine and now living in Louisbourg, Price is embraced by the community and though people don’t always understand him, they try.
“I’m part of the community here, there’s a lot of love. I’m friendly so I get along with everybody. Handshakes all the time and even though they don’t understand me, I mean we smile and make gestures.”
Price attends the regular weekly service even when MacDonald is not present. He understands the atmosphere of the service, but struggles to understand the words as he doesn’t read lips.
A favourite interpreter of Price’s, MacDonald doesn’t interpret in the community anymore due to other commitments. However, she does plan to attend the Louisbourg church service on the third Sunday of each month.
“I’ve been interpreter for 21 years, so I’ve been interpreting all my life,” she said. “I’ve interpreted church services, weddings, funerals, baby births, deaths, doctor’s appointments, dental appointments.”
Price is hopeful having that MacDonald’s presence once a month might encourage more deaf people to attend church. He remembers almost a decade ago, a strong presence of deaf people in the church community, but that doesn’t exist anymore.
“Years ago there was (a reverend) who would come every month who could sign at St. Marks Church in Coxheath. There was a large community of deaf people at church, a lot have since passed away, people have moved away from Cape Breton as well for work, so there’s not a lot left here,” said Price.