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http://www.gazette.net/stories/112305/urbanew200619_31900.shtml
The congregation at St. Ignatius of Loyola Church was virtually silent on Sunday as the Rev. Mike Depcik delivered his sermon on strengthening faith.
As Catholics at the Sunday afternoon Mass recited prayers and responses, a single orator who interpreted the priest’s American Sign Language into spoken words made the only sounds.
The Ijamsville church has hosted a Mass specifically for the growing deaf community in Frederick County about once each month, since September.
‘‘This is my world,” said Mass attendee Sue Smith of Monrovia. Smith said she is more comfortable worshipping at a signed service rather than a larger spoken Mass with a sign language interpreter.
Cat Goldberg, a member of the church who heads the deaf ministry, said that it can be difficult for deaf or hard of hearing Catholics to participate in regular Masses.
‘‘It's like going to a foreign country where a language unknown to you is spoken,” she wrote in an e-mail. ‘‘Even though there are booklets we could read from, it's just not the same [as] having the direct communication.”
Eileen Colarusso, coordinator of pastoral care for the deaf with the Baltimore Archdiocese, said a voice-interpreter translates the sign language for hearing attendees.
‘‘Some are hearing parents of a deaf child, hearing children of a deaf parent,” she said. ‘‘We even had four deaf and blind people today who needed tactile interpreters.”
The deaf and blind Catholics had special interpreters sign letters and words onto their hands in order to participate in the Mass.
The Baltimore Archdiocese targeted Frederick County for increased deaf ministry because of the established deaf community here.
Goldberg said St. Ignatius is a popular location because of its proximity to the Maryland School for the Deaf locations in Frederick and Columbia as well as Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C., and McDaniel College in Westminster.
‘‘Many deaf adults with deaf children move near Frederick to be near the Maryland School for the Deaf, one of the best in the country,” she wrote.
Eighteen parishes in the archdiocese offer sign language interpreters at Sunday Masses, however, St. Ignatius is the only Catholic Church where the priest gives the Mass in sign language.
Colarusso said the idea for the services started when Depcik led a retreat at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in downtown Frederick.
He was impressed with the amount of young people on the retreat and volunteered to come up from Gallaudet University in Washington D.C., where he is pursuing a master’s degree, to deliver Mass in sign language.
Three parishes were interested in having the special masses, but only St. Ignatius had an available hall before and after the mass. Colarusso said that parishioners and participants gather before mass for catechism lessons and after mass for a social hour.
‘‘St. John’s has been wonderfully supportive over the years,” she said. ‘‘But logistically, St. Ignatius just worked out better.”
The Masses have grown steadily since the first 50 people came to the September Mass. Close to 75 were at the most recent Mass.
Smith said she loved having a smaller Mass for deaf Catholics.
‘‘I’m more comfortable,” she said. ‘‘It’s like a family.”
Deaf Masses
Masses for the deaf and hard of hearing are held at 1:30 p.m. on select Sundays at St. Ignatius of Loyola Catholic Church, 4103 Prices Distillery Road, Ijamsville. Masses will be celebrated on Dec. 11; Jan. 22; Feb. 5 and 19; March 5 and 26; April 2 and 23; May 7.
The congregation at St. Ignatius of Loyola Church was virtually silent on Sunday as the Rev. Mike Depcik delivered his sermon on strengthening faith.
As Catholics at the Sunday afternoon Mass recited prayers and responses, a single orator who interpreted the priest’s American Sign Language into spoken words made the only sounds.
The Ijamsville church has hosted a Mass specifically for the growing deaf community in Frederick County about once each month, since September.
‘‘This is my world,” said Mass attendee Sue Smith of Monrovia. Smith said she is more comfortable worshipping at a signed service rather than a larger spoken Mass with a sign language interpreter.
Cat Goldberg, a member of the church who heads the deaf ministry, said that it can be difficult for deaf or hard of hearing Catholics to participate in regular Masses.
‘‘It's like going to a foreign country where a language unknown to you is spoken,” she wrote in an e-mail. ‘‘Even though there are booklets we could read from, it's just not the same [as] having the direct communication.”
Eileen Colarusso, coordinator of pastoral care for the deaf with the Baltimore Archdiocese, said a voice-interpreter translates the sign language for hearing attendees.
‘‘Some are hearing parents of a deaf child, hearing children of a deaf parent,” she said. ‘‘We even had four deaf and blind people today who needed tactile interpreters.”
The deaf and blind Catholics had special interpreters sign letters and words onto their hands in order to participate in the Mass.
The Baltimore Archdiocese targeted Frederick County for increased deaf ministry because of the established deaf community here.
Goldberg said St. Ignatius is a popular location because of its proximity to the Maryland School for the Deaf locations in Frederick and Columbia as well as Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C., and McDaniel College in Westminster.
‘‘Many deaf adults with deaf children move near Frederick to be near the Maryland School for the Deaf, one of the best in the country,” she wrote.
Eighteen parishes in the archdiocese offer sign language interpreters at Sunday Masses, however, St. Ignatius is the only Catholic Church where the priest gives the Mass in sign language.
Colarusso said the idea for the services started when Depcik led a retreat at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in downtown Frederick.
He was impressed with the amount of young people on the retreat and volunteered to come up from Gallaudet University in Washington D.C., where he is pursuing a master’s degree, to deliver Mass in sign language.
Three parishes were interested in having the special masses, but only St. Ignatius had an available hall before and after the mass. Colarusso said that parishioners and participants gather before mass for catechism lessons and after mass for a social hour.
‘‘St. John’s has been wonderfully supportive over the years,” she said. ‘‘But logistically, St. Ignatius just worked out better.”
The Masses have grown steadily since the first 50 people came to the September Mass. Close to 75 were at the most recent Mass.
Smith said she loved having a smaller Mass for deaf Catholics.
‘‘I’m more comfortable,” she said. ‘‘It’s like a family.”
Deaf Masses
Masses for the deaf and hard of hearing are held at 1:30 p.m. on select Sundays at St. Ignatius of Loyola Catholic Church, 4103 Prices Distillery Road, Ijamsville. Masses will be celebrated on Dec. 11; Jan. 22; Feb. 5 and 19; March 5 and 26; April 2 and 23; May 7.