Dear C.,
I wish we could help a little more, but I did receive the following feedback from a good friend and helper to our web site and apostolate.
He said:
Dear C.,
I'm not surprised to hear that the local parish seems to have no organized catechesis or ministry for deaf Catholics. Most dioceses seem to offer ministry for the deaf in only one or a few places, if at all. Certainly, Brooklyn is a big enough place that I do expect a deaf ministry to exist.
And maybe it does exist, though not at your local parish. According to these parish websites, there are interpreted Masses at two locations in Brooklyn and one in Queens.
There is also a congregation of deaf Catholics across the river in Manhattan:
I hope at least one of these is potentially useful for you.
Yours in Christ,
Andrew |
I would add only a couple things.
You mentioned nothing about what your local parish pastors have had to say about your situation.
Bureaucracies like Catholic dioceses can have a lot of people who, for some reason, may not be able to address your problem.
Instead of just having your son go to Communion at Sunday Mass, I would first make an appointment with the bishop and insist that you meet with the bishop. Know ahead of time, the first thing he is going to ask you is what your local pastors have said to you. This is why it is important to first meet and discuss the issues with your local parish pastors.
This way you will get the proper guidance for your specific situation.
If my colleagues have anything else to add, I'm sure you will hear from them.
I hope this helps,
Mike and Andrew
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