During Mass last week, when we visited a new church while staying with friends in Wisconsin, my kids couldn’t take their eyes off the deacon during the Eucharistic Prayer.
“What’s he doing, Mommy?” one whispered.
I looked over and realized that, while the priest spoke, the deacon next to him was communicating his words in American Sign Language (ASL). I quietly explained that to my kids, and they watched him, fascinated, for the rest of Mass.
After Mass, my friend explained, “This town has a residential school for hearing impaired people, so Mass here often includes ASL.”
Her comment made me curious about what Catholic services are available for people who are hearing impaired. I began to do some research, and it led me on a fascinating deep dive into a history I never knew.
A little known Catholic history
Most people don’t know that one of the major developers of sign language was a French Catholic priest, Father Charles-Michel de l’Épée, who founded the world’s first free school for deaf people in 1760. Catholic News Agency reports:
The priest was inspired to develop a system of sign language after meeting two deaf twins. He would go on to launch a small school on the rue des Moulins in Paris that would in time become the national institution… Though sign languages had existed in various forms for centuries, l’Épée’s contribution to Deaf history is notable for his development of what he called a “universal language” by “constructing natural signs into a method.”
Many other Catholic priests and nuns founded or ran several of the earliest schools for deaf students. For example, the Sisters of St. Joseph came from France to St. Louis, Missouri, in response to a call to teach deaf children, which the order shared on social media in honor of the 375th anniversary of their founding.
And earlier this year, the National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Maryland hosted the first-ever Eucharistic Congress for the Catholic Deaf community. The congress brought together about 230 Catholics. Its organizer, Father Mike Depcik, is one of just a few deaf priests in the world.
There are also several broad efforts to unite the deaf Catholic community, such as The National Catholic Office for the Deaf.
Churches that offer Mass in ASL
When I began writing this article, I intended to offer a comprehensive list of churches in the U.S. that offer Mass in ASL. But I was pleasantly surprised to find that there are far too many to include here.
Looking at just one of the 196 dioceses, the Archdiocese of Chicago has had a deaf ministry since 1884 and offers ASL-interpreted Mass at 19 different churches! Many other dioceses around the country, such as Dallas and Houston in Texas and St. Louis in Missouri, offer ASL Masses at several parishes.
It’s also worth knowing about Catholic schools for children who are hard of hearing. St. Rita School for the Deaf in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Children of Peace School in Chicago, Illinois, are well known. (If you know of others, please comment so we can add them to this list.)
Certainly there is still a lot of work to be done in creating an inclusive and accessible environment for people of all abilities in our Catholic Church. But it is heartening to know that so many parishes do offer these resources.
The Vatican, also, has ASL translation on its livestreams.
And now when we see ASL at Mass, my kids will be aware and ready. I hope we can learn a few signs ourselves so as to participate more fully next time!
