Creating Access and Inclusion in Worship

Bulletin Articles Before Inclusion Awareness Day

How can we make parishioners of all abilities feel at home in our parish community?

When I was ordained my first assignment was St. Christina Church in the Mount Greenwood community. There was a family who had three sons. One of the sons was deaf. His mother and father and the two boys would communicate with Nicholas through sign language. One day I only had one of the brothers as my altar server, so I decided to ask the mom to ask Nicholas if he would like to serve with his brother. He said "No". He was too scared to serve at mass and didn't want to mess up. Even after talking to him for several minutes the answer was "No." I told the mom to maybe later talk with him at home about being an altar server.

Several weeks went by and I again approached Nicholas and asked him to serve. I told him that he comes to church every Sunday and knows what his brothers and the other altar servers do at Mass and that his two brothers would serve with him. After some encouragement from mom, his brothers and me, Nicholas was willing to give it a try. He did an excellent job and continues to serve mass at St. Christina's to this day.

By inviting Nicholas to serve at Mass he was made to feel more a part of the community. It made his parents and family very proud of him. His mom even shed a tear as she saw her son serve the Lord. And yes, even I cried. To see Nicholas at his best, doing what was scary, doing something that he thought he could not do because of his disability. But he did it.

We need to encourage people to try and do their best, whether with a disability or not. We need to encourage people to serve the Lord and to come back to the Lord. For this is part of the healing Jesus can do by using us to heal others.

Please join us on __ (insert date) __ as we celebrate Inclusion Awareness Day. Through prayer and preaching we will reflect on how well our parish welcomes parishioners of all abilities into active participation every day of the year.

Contributor: Father Wayne Svida, Pastor, Our Lady of the Ridge, Chicago Ridge, IL, 2001 Open Hearts Award winning parish

Inclusion Awareness Day is (insert date)

Amazing Grace

A parent form Virginia shared the following story with me:

November 8, 1988 started as an ordinary day. As usual, our family went to church on Sunday morning. I don't remember much about the service except that a visiting musician was present. We sat in the third row so that eight year old Grace (who has Down syndrome) and six year old Jacob could see better. For some reason, Gracie wanted to sit in the first row, so she did, all by herself. When the musician began playing Amazing Grace on his zither, Gracie, recognized "her song" and stood up. I am grateful that I did not act on my parental instinct and ask my daughter to sit down, for what transpired was awe-inspiring. Gracie began to dance.

My daughter has been known to "ham it up," but that was not the case on this day. Gracie was totally lost in her dance. I can only describe it as Gracie being filled with the Holy Spirit. It was only when the song ended and the congregation took to its feet in applause that Grace realized there were others in the room. A few days later Grace received the following note from a member of the congregation:

Dear Grace,
Thank you for your wonderful dance last Sunday. You lifted my heart with joy. Thank you for being an Amazing Grace in all of our lives. Thank you, and keep dancing your dances of joy.
Mary

Much of what occurs in our churches, schools, businesses and homes is routine: we engage in habitual activities and rituals without thinking. Grace's church did not become inclusive by accident. Intentional and conscious efforts by individual members and the congregation as a whole are making the hope of inclusion a reality.

What might happen if each of us became more intentional and conscious in our efforts to include and welcome everyone in our homes, schools, churches, workplaces and communities' What miracles may occur?