Christian Formation for Persons with Disabilities
Celebrating the Sacraments with Persons with Disabilities, an addendum to Called to Faith, Diocesan Guidelines for Sacramental Preparation was approved by Bishop Di Lorenzo on April 30, 2008.
Read Celebrating the Sacraments with Persons with Disabilities (PDF; 412 KB)
Revised
Appendix A - Disability Listing (Page 16)
Alternate
Religious Education Plan (Page 25)
The Diocese has approved three options of Christian Formation for Persons with Disabilities (listed in no order of priority):
1) Full inclusion into an existing class and/or partial inclusion into an existing class. Contact your church.
2) Separate program -- there are currently four separate programs in the diocese:
Outreach In Love -- St. Edward the Confessor in Richmond hosts the program and welcomes students from churches in the surrounding area. Outreach In Love is over 30 years old and has a class for younger students, which meets on Sunday morning, and a class for individuals who are out of school, ages 22 and up.
Contact Joan Congable, Coordinator, St. Edward the Confessor, Richmond (804) 272-2948 or congable@yahoo.com.
Shepherd's Flock -- St. Jerome's, Newport News, Va. Shepherd's Flock was started in 2006 as a separate class for students with autism. They meet on Sunday mornings during the time that Christian Formation classes meet. Contact Margie Curtis; Director of Religious Education, (757) 877-5021 or margie@stjeromeva.org
Children of Light -- St. John the Apostle, Virginia Beach, Va. This religious education program welcomes all students to join in learning and living our faith. We believe that students with disabilities have the right to be included in all aspects of parish life, beginning with education. We are aware of our responsibility as members of the faith community to share our time and talents to welcome, teach and include all children and their families. Contact Margo Perry, (757) 468-5234 or msfixal@cox.net.
The S.P.R.E.D (Special Religious Education Development) ministry at Our Lady of Mount Carmel (OLMC) is a one on one small faith community for individuals with significant disabilities. It is held at OLMC, Newport News. Contact Dave Dwyer, 757-817-5960 or Christa Blomstrom 757-595-0385 ext. 119.
3) Family Faith Formation (home schooling). Contact the Christian Formation Director or appropriate person at the church where the individual with a disability and their family worship.
The Disability Office has five initiatives as its current goals, one
of which is:
Christian Formation Support Initiative
– Special Education Committee that will work with the Office of
Catholic Education to help ensure that Catholics with disabilities
are nourished in their faith and are able to receive the sacraments.
The committee will find resources for the parishes, e.g. special ed
materials, professionals or parents that can educate the catechists
on disabilities, aides and/or student mentors to help in the
classroom. This committee will meet quarterly by conference call
and/or Skype. If you are interested in being part of this,
please contact Nita at
ngrignol@richmonddiocese.org or 804 622-5260.
Special Education Resources
Curriculum materials, including Sacramental preparation materials, are available to review to assist parishes in bringing the faith to students with disabilities. For a list of the resources, click here.