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Wordless Wonder: Deaf Ministry Formation
Almost forty years ago, Sister Rita Ann Wigginton, OSU, discovered her life's mission while visiting the home of a fellow Ursuline nun. The family's unique situation captivated her. Of six girls, five had been sent to Catholic schools, but a deaf daughter had not. The Catholic schools couldn't afford services for the Deaf, so the family enrolled her in a hearing public school, where she was laboriously taught English through a complex process that did not include sign language. Adept at lip-reading, the young girl was able to cope at school and at home, but she felt marginalized in both environments.
The family, meanwhile, had regrets. They had failed her, they said, and wished they had all learned American Sign Language (ASL) in order to be closer and to more fully share the faith with her.
"Ten percent of deaf people are raised by deaf parents," says Sister. "Those children are much more likely to receive proper faith formation. But for the 90 percent of deaf people who have hearing parents, there's a real communication gap. Hearing parents want their kids to be just like them, to succeed, to speak their language. I'm very sympathetic to their feelings, but what they don't understand is that their children are not like them."
With her order's encouragement, the young Sister Rita Ann sought post-graduate training in Deaf Ministry. She earned a master's degree in Deaf Education from Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C., and later went on to Boston College, where she earned a Certificate of Advanced Educational Specialization in Religious Education.
In the early years of working with the Deaf, Sister made some friends who changed the course of her life yet again. "A group of us met at a National Catholic Office for the Deaf conference, and then met regularly each fall to discuss what we could do to better serve the Deaf. At that time, we were adapting retreats, marriage preparation programs, and educational methods that worked with the hearing and using them with the Deaf," she says, "but we very much wanted to understand if deaf spirituality was different from hearing spirituality; so three of us wrote a proposal to the NCOD for a grant to do a study." The result was a book entitled, Eye Centered: A Study on the Spirituality of Deaf People, with Implications for Pastoral Ministry.
One of the most urgent recommendations arising from their work was that the Church should create programs for training deaf leaders. In 1993, their deaf colleague, Sister Maureen Langton, SSJ, developed the Ministry Formation Program for deaf and hard-of-hearing adults, which still operates in the Chicago area. Sister Rita Ann has taught in the program for years and is now its administrator. Its students come from dioceses all over the country.
When asked why the Deaf can't be trained as well in their own diocesan programs, Sister Rita Ann explains: "There are lay ministry formation programs in all dioceses, but the Deaf have problems when they try to participate, because of the process of interpreting. The interpreter doesn't know what the speaker is about to say, so he has to listen and process it before signing. By the time the Deaf receive the information, the speaker has moved on, so it's too late for their questions. Even closed-captioning can create delays, since many Deaf adults struggle with reading. They may feel hesitant to ask a question," Sister Rita explains, "because it looks like they're not keeping up." The resulting confusion creates social barriers and inhibits learning.
"It's actually cheaper to send them to Chicago than to pay for interpreters, and the MFP benefits the Deaf so much more," Sister Rita Ann states enthusiastically. "Right now we have two students from the Joliet, IL diocese, three from Topeka, KS, one from Fort Worth, TX, one from Toledo, OH, and one from Covington, KY."
The four-year curriculum at the MFP is demanding, but rich in opportunities for development in many disciplines, including: Adult Education, Family Ministry, RCIDA, Social Service Ministry, and Youth Ministry. "Each student attends classes in Chicago six weekends a year; three in the fall, and three in spring. They arrive Friday afternoon and the session ends at about noon on Sunday."
Prayer is woven throughout the program, including an ASL Mass and several opportunities for prayer and scripture reading. "We try to get them to lead the prayers. The initial challenge with new students is that all their previous training has been based on a hearing model. We tell them, 'Think Deaf. Make it deaf-friendly.' They finally get it and do very creative visual presentations, like using Jack-o'-lanterns lit from within to show God's light shining through us. One of our students is devoted to the Rosary. She made a beautiful PowerPoint presentation using pictures, so it's not just beads and words."
Sister shared some of the differences between hearing and Deaf prayer services:
"One example would be lighting. Hearing people may set the mood by using candle lights and no regular lighting. Nice for ambiance, but if it's too dark, the Deaf can't see—therefore they can't 'hear.' In a Deaf prayer service there would be light shining on the person leading the prayer.
"Hearing people tend to sit in rows. The Deaf prefer circles or semi-circles, depending on the kind of prayer, so they see the faces of everyone, not the backs of heads.
"The prayers themselves are more to the point; they don't include a lot of wonderful adjectives. When praying the Psalms many of the repetitions are left out. For example: 'rejoice and be glad.' Both expressions have the same meaning, therefore it would only be signed once—'rejoice.'
"
Deaf prayer services do not use much, if any, music. For an entrance rite, processing down the aisle waving streamers may be used instead of singing."
But what of those with partial hearing, like recipients of cochlear implants? "The hard-of-hearing are welcome at the MFP, but some want a broader experience. Working one-on-one with a hearing instructor can work well for them. The hard-of-hearing are really in the middle and don't fit neatly in either world. They want to be a part of both," she explains, "and they should be."
The connectedness that develops between MFP students is very special. "The faith-sharing of the Deaf is intense. They speak so often of their isolation and loneliness, even within loving families. For example, around the dinner table the conversation may be going too fast for them and if they ask questions they are often told, 'I'll tell you later.' Even if someone does follow up, it tends to be an abbreviated version of what was talked about, so they miss a lot of what goes on even in their own homes.
"One of our courses concentrates on forgiveness, which can be very hard for them. But by Sunday there is a total transformation, and I pray, 'Oh, thank you, God!' That ability to reflect and forgive makes them better ministers when they go home. They draw from their own understanding of how they experience healing to help others."
The MFP answers their questions about scripture, liturgy, Church history, and more, integrating knowledge into an active, mission-oriented life of faith. "Many deaf people have not had their 'factual' needs met. They have a thirst for facts. In this program, they are getting both the factual and the spiritual. Some come in at the beginning feeling very 'iffy' and insecure. But it's wonderful watching them mature and grow. We encourage them to seek spiritual direction and help them find the right person. Video phones make this a lot more possible."
The Church needs many more deaf and ASL-proficient Catholics to enter the priesthood and lay ministry. "We have an ongoing crisis in the Church. Ninety-five percent of the Deaf in the U.S. are un-churched. We are not doing the evangelization that is needed," says Sister.
The annual tuition for the MFP is $800, a number well below the actual cost. "It's heavily subsidized," she admits. "The tuition almost covers their room and board. We still have to pay travel expenses for our teachers, plus a minimal stipend—it's practically volunteer work. But we rent space and have administrative costs. Part of my job is raising funds."
Asked what she needs right now, she says, "We really need a website and a vlog (videolog*)—but we don't know how and we don't have the resources!" she declares good-naturedly.
For information on the Ministry Formation Program or to make a donation, contact Sister Rita Ann Wigginton, USO, at: rawigginton@insightbb.com or call her at: (502) 640-4957 (502) 640-4957.
For a superb example of a videolog, see Father MD, a wonderful deaf Catholic priest who videotapes catechetical lessons in ASL and posts them online.
Almost forty years ago, Sister Rita Ann Wigginton, OSU, discovered her life's mission while visiting the home of a fellow Ursuline nun. The family's unique situation captivated her. Of six girls, five had been sent to Catholic schools, but a deaf daughter had not. The Catholic schools couldn't afford services for the Deaf, so the family enrolled her in a hearing public school, where she was laboriously taught English through a complex process that did not include sign language. Adept at lip-reading, the young girl was able to cope at school and at home, but she felt marginalized in both environments.
The family, meanwhile, had regrets. They had failed her, they said, and wished they had all learned American Sign Language (ASL) in order to be closer and to more fully share the faith with her.
"Ten percent of deaf people are raised by deaf parents," says Sister. "Those children are much more likely to receive proper faith formation. But for the 90 percent of deaf people who have hearing parents, there's a real communication gap. Hearing parents want their kids to be just like them, to succeed, to speak their language. I'm very sympathetic to their feelings, but what they don't understand is that their children are not like them."
With her order's encouragement, the young Sister Rita Ann sought post-graduate training in Deaf Ministry. She earned a master's degree in Deaf Education from Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C., and later went on to Boston College, where she earned a Certificate of Advanced Educational Specialization in Religious Education.
In the early years of working with the Deaf, Sister made some friends who changed the course of her life yet again. "A group of us met at a National Catholic Office for the Deaf conference, and then met regularly each fall to discuss what we could do to better serve the Deaf. At that time, we were adapting retreats, marriage preparation programs, and educational methods that worked with the hearing and using them with the Deaf," she says, "but we very much wanted to understand if deaf spirituality was different from hearing spirituality; so three of us wrote a proposal to the NCOD for a grant to do a study." The result was a book entitled, Eye Centered: A Study on the Spirituality of Deaf People, with Implications for Pastoral Ministry.
One of the most urgent recommendations arising from their work was that the Church should create programs for training deaf leaders. In 1993, their deaf colleague, Sister Maureen Langton, SSJ, developed the Ministry Formation Program for deaf and hard-of-hearing adults, which still operates in the Chicago area. Sister Rita Ann has taught in the program for years and is now its administrator. Its students come from dioceses all over the country.
When asked why the Deaf can't be trained as well in their own diocesan programs, Sister Rita Ann explains: "There are lay ministry formation programs in all dioceses, but the Deaf have problems when they try to participate, because of the process of interpreting. The interpreter doesn't know what the speaker is about to say, so he has to listen and process it before signing. By the time the Deaf receive the information, the speaker has moved on, so it's too late for their questions. Even closed-captioning can create delays, since many Deaf adults struggle with reading. They may feel hesitant to ask a question," Sister Rita explains, "because it looks like they're not keeping up." The resulting confusion creates social barriers and inhibits learning.
"It's actually cheaper to send them to Chicago than to pay for interpreters, and the MFP benefits the Deaf so much more," Sister Rita Ann states enthusiastically. "Right now we have two students from the Joliet, IL diocese, three from Topeka, KS, one from Fort Worth, TX, one from Toledo, OH, and one from Covington, KY."
The four-year curriculum at the MFP is demanding, but rich in opportunities for development in many disciplines, including: Adult Education, Family Ministry, RCIDA, Social Service Ministry, and Youth Ministry. "Each student attends classes in Chicago six weekends a year; three in the fall, and three in spring. They arrive Friday afternoon and the session ends at about noon on Sunday."
Prayer is woven throughout the program, including an ASL Mass and several opportunities for prayer and scripture reading. "We try to get them to lead the prayers. The initial challenge with new students is that all their previous training has been based on a hearing model. We tell them, 'Think Deaf. Make it deaf-friendly.' They finally get it and do very creative visual presentations, like using Jack-o'-lanterns lit from within to show God's light shining through us. One of our students is devoted to the Rosary. She made a beautiful PowerPoint presentation using pictures, so it's not just beads and words."
Sister shared some of the differences between hearing and Deaf prayer services:
"One example would be lighting. Hearing people may set the mood by using candle lights and no regular lighting. Nice for ambiance, but if it's too dark, the Deaf can't see—therefore they can't 'hear.' In a Deaf prayer service there would be light shining on the person leading the prayer.
"Hearing people tend to sit in rows. The Deaf prefer circles or semi-circles, depending on the kind of prayer, so they see the faces of everyone, not the backs of heads.
"The prayers themselves are more to the point; they don't include a lot of wonderful adjectives. When praying the Psalms many of the repetitions are left out. For example: 'rejoice and be glad.' Both expressions have the same meaning, therefore it would only be signed once—'rejoice.'
"
Deaf prayer services do not use much, if any, music. For an entrance rite, processing down the aisle waving streamers may be used instead of singing."
But what of those with partial hearing, like recipients of cochlear implants? "The hard-of-hearing are welcome at the MFP, but some want a broader experience. Working one-on-one with a hearing instructor can work well for them. The hard-of-hearing are really in the middle and don't fit neatly in either world. They want to be a part of both," she explains, "and they should be."
The connectedness that develops between MFP students is very special. "The faith-sharing of the Deaf is intense. They speak so often of their isolation and loneliness, even within loving families. For example, around the dinner table the conversation may be going too fast for them and if they ask questions they are often told, 'I'll tell you later.' Even if someone does follow up, it tends to be an abbreviated version of what was talked about, so they miss a lot of what goes on even in their own homes.
"One of our courses concentrates on forgiveness, which can be very hard for them. But by Sunday there is a total transformation, and I pray, 'Oh, thank you, God!' That ability to reflect and forgive makes them better ministers when they go home. They draw from their own understanding of how they experience healing to help others."
The MFP answers their questions about scripture, liturgy, Church history, and more, integrating knowledge into an active, mission-oriented life of faith. "Many deaf people have not had their 'factual' needs met. They have a thirst for facts. In this program, they are getting both the factual and the spiritual. Some come in at the beginning feeling very 'iffy' and insecure. But it's wonderful watching them mature and grow. We encourage them to seek spiritual direction and help them find the right person. Video phones make this a lot more possible."
The Church needs many more deaf and ASL-proficient Catholics to enter the priesthood and lay ministry. "We have an ongoing crisis in the Church. Ninety-five percent of the Deaf in the U.S. are un-churched. We are not doing the evangelization that is needed," says Sister.
The annual tuition for the MFP is $800, a number well below the actual cost. "It's heavily subsidized," she admits. "The tuition almost covers their room and board. We still have to pay travel expenses for our teachers, plus a minimal stipend—it's practically volunteer work. But we rent space and have administrative costs. Part of my job is raising funds."
Asked what she needs right now, she says, "We really need a website and a vlog (videolog*)—but we don't know how and we don't have the resources!" she declares good-naturedly.
For information on the Ministry Formation Program or to make a donation, contact Sister Rita Ann Wigginton, USO, at: rawigginton@insightbb.com or call her at: (502) 640-4957 (502) 640-4957.
For a superb example of a videolog, see Father MD, a wonderful deaf Catholic priest who videotapes catechetical lessons in ASL and posts them online.