MAY - JUNE View this in your browser

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1 MAY - JUNE 2016 View this in your browser

2 FEATURE Jean Vanier, founder of L'Arche, urges caution on doctor-assisted dying law Please read this compelling interview of Jean Vanier about how we as a society can treat each other in ways that do not include assisting another to end his or her life. Jean Vanier: "My question is always how to put into legislation certain safeguards. Now, there are people who are terribly lonely. They want to die. So what help is getting to people who feel lonely? And how to think about a society where we're more concerned for each other and trying to love each other and help each other. We're putting a lot in the hands of the medical (community) without putting many safeguards in....

3 So the "something" in society that's going wrong when we thinking all the time that people have to be perfectly independent, perfectly strong, where in reality, my God, we need each other, we need help, we need good doctors, we need the old people's homes; where there's caring and where there're not just one or two nurses or helpers looking after too many people and nobody has time to listen to each other. There's a fundamental sickness in our society. And how can we, little by little, discover this? To move from the I to the we we are all fragile, we all need help, and yet at the same time we all have strengths. You see, the extraordinary thing here in L'Arche is that so many people with disabilities they bring forth within us a capacity to love and to be in communion with one another." To read the full article or view video, click button below.

4 Welcome to Esther Garcia-Zapata, Manager of Programs & Outreach NCPD is happy to announce our newest staff member - Esther Garcia-Zapata, who comes to us by way of the Diocese of Dallas. She has a rich history in catechesis, Hispanic ministries and teaching children with disabilities. Esther will work to develop and coordinate effective community outreach, and distribution strategies for reaching Catholic (arch)dioceses, parishes, and the disability community, to support meaningful participation of individuals with disabilities in the Catholic Church and society, and to enrich a varied audience on catechesis and cultural diversity. Esther holds a Bachelor s degree in Communications, Certificate of Bible Studies, Pastoral Formation, Master Catechist and Catechetical Leadership training from the Diocese of Dallas. She has over 27 years of experience as a catechist, community and ecclesial volunteer. She worked as Director of Faith Formation at Sacred Heart Parish in the Catholic Diocese of Dallas and teacher at the Autism Treatment Center of Dallas. She is specialized in leading catechetical programs for children, youth, adults, and families. In addition, she leads programs in special education - autism and others disabilities - and early childhood in multicultural communities. Esther will staff the NCPD Council on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (CIDD) of which she has been a member since She is a member of the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership (NCCL) and the Federación para la Catequesis con Hispanos (FCH). Esther lives in Texas with her husband and their two sons. Her love for persons with disabilities and her desire to serve them arose from having her own child, Eric, with autism. If you wish to contact her she can be reached at egarcia@ncpd.org. Welcome Esther!

5 NCPD NEWS & NOTES Jubilee for the Sick and Persons with Disabilities NCPD board member Elizabeth Schiltz participated in two days of presentations, reflections, discussion, and fellowship at the Vatican on the theme of disability on June 5 6, Following the colloquium, guests may take part in the official events of the Jubilee for the Sick and Persons with Disabilities (June 10 12). This is part of the Jubilee of Mercy events that are occurring all year long at the Vatican. Jubilee events include visits to several churches in Rome, talks on "Mercy, the Source of Joy," and pilgrimage through a Holy Door. The Jubilee celebration will culminate on Sunday with songs and testimonies by people with disabilities, followed by Mass celebrated by Pope Francis. A similar "Jubilee celebration with Mass for the Sick and Persons with Disabilities" will take place on Sunday, June 12 12:00 noon at the Cathedral of St. Francis, hosted by the U.S. Diocese of Metuchen. Included is an opportunity for a pilgrimage through the Cathedral's Door of Mercy, and light refreshments and fellowship following Mass.

6 On June 23-26, a vibrant and transformative symposium and conference, Living Fully 2016: Disability, Culture and Faith A Celebration, will be held in Rome, patroned by the Pontifical Council for Culture, Jean Vanier, and the Kairos Forum. NCPD Board Chair, Sr. Kathleen Schipani and Executive Director, Janice Benton, will present two posters and an exhibit. They look forward to joining several diocesan disability directors - Anne Masters of Newark, Maggie Rousseau of Atlanta, and Mary O'Meara of Washington DC, and U.S. theologians Dr. Mary Beth Walsh and Dr. Miguel Romera for both events. For more information regarding the symposium, conference and registration, visit To contact the US representative, click here. NCPD Sponsors Presentations During the 80th Annual NCCL Conference and Exposition 2016 in Jacksonville FL May

7 The National Catholic Partnership on Disability (NCPD) actively participated in the 80 th National Conference for Catechetical leaders (NCCL), held on May 22-26, 2016, in Jacksonville, FL. NCPD representatives included Jan Benton, our Executive Director; Sr. Kathleen Schipani, Director of the Office for Persons with Disabilities and the Deaf Apostolate of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, and Chair of the Board; Erin Jeffries, Coordinator of Ministry to Persons with Special Needs Archdiocese of Indianapolis and Secretary, NCPD Council on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities; and Esther Garcia, Manager, Programs and Outreach. During the event, the NCPD sponsored two presentations, one in English and one in Spanish. The first conference, Embracing All God s Children: Faith Formation of Youth with Autism and Other Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, was presented by Sister Kathleen Schipani in conjunction with Carrie Freyer of Loyola Press.

8 The second conference, Promoviendo un Encuentro con Cristo para Personas con Discapacidades en la Comunidad Hispana ( Promoting an Encounter with Christ for Persons with Disabilities in the Hispanic Community ), was presented in Spanish, by Esther Garcia. Janice Benton, OFS, NCPD Executive Director; Dione L. Grillo, Coordinator of Advanced Catechetical Ministries and Basic Catechesis Formation in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles; Sr. Kathleen Schipani, IHM, Director of the Office for Persons with Disabilities, and Deaf Apostolate in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, and NCPD Board Chair. NCPD had the opportunity to coordinate a meaningful prayer service, Celebrating the Belonging and Giftedness of All, with the participation of the members of the L'Arche Jacksonville Community and Sr. Rita Baum, SSJ, to reflect about the gifts that our

9 brothers and sisters with disabilities bring in to our Church family. Also, NCPD participated as well in the pre-conference La Familia, Encounters of Hope in Faith, presented by the Federation of Catechesis with Hispanics, (La Federacion para Catequesis con Hispanos) which was a great opportunity to meet with Diocesan and Catechetical leaders to explore the current opportunities and challenges in catechesis revealed through traditions, sacramental moments, popular religiosity, and ecclesial movements in the Hispanic community. The next National Conference for Catechetical Leaders NCCL will be held in Dallas May 22-25, Mental Health Deacon Tom Lambert was a keynote speaker at a recent conference called, "A Gathering on Mental Illness." This event, hosted at Durward's Glen Retreat and Educational Center, was for "People living with mental health challenges, their families and friends, community members, church and agency leaders, mental health workers, and members of nonprofit groups."

10 Deacon Tom is on the Chicago Archdiocese's Commission on Mental Illness and is Co-Chair of the NCPD Council on Mental Illness, When Deacon Tom speaks about his experience parenting a child with mental illness in parishes around the country, people come up to him afterward, crying with stories of their own to share. It s the first time they feel comfortable enough to tell that story, he said. Having an open conversation about mental illness is exactly what the Church needs. Working through the Chicago Archdiocese Mental Illness Program and the NCPD Council on Mental Illness, he and his wife, Rita, have been working on outreach and advocacy on mental health issues for more than 25 years. Information about the conference can be requested through: theglen150@gmail.com Below are resource links that Deacon Lambert provides at Conferences Mental Illness Ministries website for the Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago Commission on Mental Illness, Deacon Tom Lambert: - downloadable material such as Booklet on Faith Community Outreach, justice issues, prayer Each Day and more.

11 National Catholic Partnership on Disability (NCPD) Council on Mental Illness and National Catholic Network on Mental Illness, Jan Benton, NCPD Executive Director: resources: DVD Welcomed and Valued, Manual for Mental Illness Ministry, archived webinars on Mental Illness issues, Mental Health activities for churches and videos. Pathways To Promise, an interdenominational resource website, Robert Skrocki, President: has list of websites for denominations that belong to Pathways and have outreach as well as excellent resource materials Mental Health Ministries Rev. Susan Gregg-Schroeder United Methodist Minister excellent media and resource materials

12 Mental Health Chaplaincy, Rev Craig Rennebohm, highly acclaimed book Souls in the Hands of a Tender God and other resource materials Wrestling with Our Inner Angels: Faith, Mental Illness, and the Journey to Wholeness by Sister Nancy Kehoe who began leading adults with mental illness in discussions on spiritual beliefs and values 28 years ago. Part of the Psychology Department at Harvard Medical School and has been affiliated with the Cambridge Health Alliance since Her area of expertise is religion and spirituality in the clinical context. She has also published six You Tube videos entitled, Conversations on Religion and Mental Illness"which can be viewed by clicking on the following link: NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness: very good resource information on mental illnesses, many excellent programs for people with a mental illness and families. The family-to-family program is a highly recommended program for learning more about mental

13 illness and recovery. Excellent peer-to-peer programs. Book The Family Guide to Mental Health Care by psychiatrist Dr. Lloyd Sederer. Dr Sederer is the medical director of the New York State Mental Health system. Former director of NYC mental health System and Belmont Psychiatric Hospital in Boston, Harvard s teaching hospital. Pastoral Letter by West Virginia Bishop Bransfield Hearts Made Whole A Pastoral Response to Behavioral Health in West Virginia Homily on Suicide Fr Talbot at a Sunday mass speaks about a 21 year old who died by suicide. He beautifully speaks of the Church's teaching, compassion, and hope for families

14 American Psychiatric Association Mental Health A Guide for Faith Leaders and Quick Reference Guide LOSS Program Loving Outreach to survivors of Suicide nondenominational Deacon Jim Decker shares about his faith and beginning his service as a deacon and his daughter who was diagnosed with schizophrenia 22 years ago in an article entitled "Hidden No More", on April 28, 2016, in the Seattle Archdiocesan newspaper, Northwest Catholic.

15 "When Mary first became sick, Jim soon realized how little support there was for family members dealing with a loved one s mental illness. So he became increasingly involved in mental health awareness efforts. He and his wife, Tarry, joined the first National Alliance on Mental Illness Family-to-Family class in Kitsap County. Jim taught NAMI classes for 10 years and serves on the Kitsap NAMI board." Deacon Decker now serves as a member of the NCPD Council on Mental Illness. In the article Deacon Jim states, "The main thing for me really is stigma and, somehow, someway trying to overcome it. DIOCESAN DIRECTOR, PARTNER AND ORGANIZATIONAL NEWS AND NOTES Dr. Joseph White on Catechesis

16 Our colleague Dr. Joseph White, who has offered us his insights on Understanding Autismat Partnership 2013, (the video of which can be seen by clicking here, has an article on methodologies of catechesis in a series being run this year by NCCL. (National Conference for Catechetical Leadership). He proposes the following five aspects: 1. The pedagogy of God is invitational and person-centered. 2. God s pedagogy is incarnational. 3. The pedagogy of God is relational, familial and communal. 4. God s pedagogy is structured, systematic, and comprehensive. 5. The pedagogy of God is perpetual. Read his full article by clicking below. In 2000 NCCL commissioned a series of twelve articles to explore central themes from the General Directory for Catechesis. In 2015, the NCCL Evangelization Committee invited twelve catechetical leaders to revisit the original twelve articles and offer contemporary reflections on the original themes. Dr. White's article is the seventh in this series.

17 Faith Inclusion Network include in CBN Video The Christian Broadcast Network has done a nice video documentary on Karen Jackson and her daughter Samantha, who has severe autism. "In 2008, Karen started the Faith Inclusion Network, or FIN. It helps churches learn to become more inclusive and families to find a welcome place to worship." Click below to view the documentary. Diocese of Cleveland: Monthly Dance

18 Here is a nice idea from the Diocese of Cleveland. The very popular Monthly Dance offers persons with developmental disabilities, ages 16 and over, the opportunity to learn social skills and form friendships. These dances have been taking place for over 30 years! Monthly Dances are held at a parish center which is fully accessible. Dancers enjoy meeting their friends, making new friends, socializing, refreshments, great music and dance contest prizes! Open to the public, participants pay $3 and dance from 7:00 to 9:00 pm. Supervision and transportation is provided by families or caregivers. All are welcome!

19 Here is a helpful video resource from the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN), sharing their views about understanding Autism. This video has standard CC captioning available from YouTube. Bill Gaventa has shared with us information on a valuable resource: an archived webinar from the Association of University Centers on Disabilities. The webinar title is Parents Taking Action: Empowering Latina Mothers of Children with ASD. It is a parent training program for Latina mothers of children with ASD.

20 The webinar description reads; "Latinos represent the fastest growing population in the US, and Latino children are one of the fastest growing ASD populations. Despite this growth, they are one of the most underserved groups with respect to diagnostic services, health care, and specialty autism services. Dr. Sandy Magaña will discuss the development of a culturally-based approach to addressing informational needs of Latino parents, which is essential in order to better support their children with ASD. She will present preliminary findings of a randomized controlled trial that is underway to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed model." The webinar and a corresponding PowerPoint, presented in English, can be found at the link button below. When It's Really Hard Here is an article from Tim Tucker, from his blog "I am an Autism Parent".

21 I missed last week's newsletter. For those of you expecting it, I apologize. It's been a real challenge around here these past many weeks, and some things have had to give. Often for parents like us, things are just really hard. It's not a reflection on our kids. If you're like me, you just can't keep up with everything. Then once you get some sort of a handle on something, it changes and the chaos revs up again. It's the unending piles of paper, the mounds of toys and general debris all over the house, the emotional and physical exhaustion and worry, the fear of the future and the unknown, and the inability to keep up with the demands of daily life. We've told some people everything that has happened in our lives the last few years, and most just stand there dumbstruck. I know many of you can tell similar stories. On top of this, ever since my father died, I haven't wanted to write. Writing is one of the things in this world I have loved to do, but the words just aren't there. I don't know which has to take root first, the deepest grieving or the words. I just know that the words feel like they've disappeared. Our son is getting older. We are afraid we are losing control of things, so we hired an autism consultant and asked for help. She gave us numerous great ideas and information to start to right the ship a little again. So that was something concrete we

22 could do. But it also made us face a lot of harsh realities. He keeps getting older, and so do we. Things are changing rapidly, and we can't keep up. And about all I can say most days lately is, it s hard and I don't know what to do about it all. My health is rotten. I'm not sure I've physically felt this bad from day to day in my life. And this just makes the emotional stuff that much harder. So I just joined a gym. I went, it hurt, I ache all over, but it felt like the teeniest amount of progress. It's something I can control in the midst of everything else. But also I know my motivation is in no small part because I feel like I need to be much stronger for the kids. And there's even a part of me that feels like I have to do everything possible to stay alive forever to take care of them. And today, our younger son received a stuffed animal - a monkey - from a family whose son died of the same cancer he is in remission from. I didn't have the heart to tell our son that boy had died. When he wasn't looking, I held the stuffed monkey, and I cried. But, I thought, here is a family who out of the worst imaginable tragedy came up with one thing they could do out of the paralysis of loss. Surely there are a few things I can do in the midst of the chaos, fear, anger, and just the feeling of being lost. So I asked for help. I joined a gym. I wrote some words. In and of themselves, they are little things. But they are things I can do right now. I don't have to do everything, just what I can. Little steps.

23 The same is true for you. * Reprinted with permission of author. Kennedy Forum: On the Table On May 10, 2016, The Kennedy Forum led an initiative in Illinois to combat stigma against mental health and addiction. The project utilized the On The Table platform of the Chicago Community Trust to register more than 270 hosts - individuals and organizations - to convene informal, small mealtime conversations to break the silence around these important issues. Nearly 3,000 people across the state participated in the honest discussions, including families, business leaders, faith communities, schools, and many other organizations. The Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago hosted conversations at several parishes, highlighted the event in the Catholic New World, and publicized it on Archdiocese Radio. Participants completed an anonymous survey about their experience and results are expected this June. Last year s On the Table Conversations around mental health and addiction showed measurable change in perceptions about mental illness and generated many new ideas about how to improve care and advance policy. Connie Rakitan, former co-chair of the NCPD Council on Mental Illness participated in the process. Link to blog post discussing the On The Table initiative in May There you can find links to the toolkit and other information:

24 Link to sign-up for newsletter The initiative occurs annually each May. Quotes from participants: Participant note to her CEO who hosted one of the conversations: "It s days like today when I feel like I am not alone, when I see people who have gone through this before me and have come out on the other end stronger and braver, the way God intended for them to be. Thank you so much for being the type of boss who is not afraid to speak against the stigma and tell her own stories by welcoming discussions such as the one day, it helps more people than you realize." "It really was a positive conversation finding the similarities of experiences and methods of acknowledging and gaining understanding." IN MEMORY OF...

25 Here is a moving article from the Diocese of St. Augustine website, about the work of Fr. Rene Robert and the Deaf community. Mentioned is Sr. Rita Baum, the first executive director of the National Catholic Partnership on Disability. She and Fr. Rene are pictured in the photo below. "It was Sister of St. Joseph Rita Baum, a longtime advocate for the Deaf community, who hired then-brother Robert to work at the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind in The two had met at national conferences for ministers for the deaf. Sister Baum described Father Rene Robert as faithful, especially in keeping the community together and in touch with one another. That was probably the impetus for the priest s love of Facebook, where he not only posted his whereabouts, but saint of the day postings and prayers. It was an easy way to keep connected with students and the Deaf community, which spanned the entire state. But it also afforded him opportunities to minister to them in a way they could understand.

26 He so loved the Deaf community that he changed his own life for them. He was happy being a Franciscan brother, but he knew the deaf community needed priests, she said. Many times the Deaf are neglected by the Church, and perhaps even lost to the Catholic Church. No matter how hard we both tried to share the faith with the Deaf community, once they left (the school) and went elsewhere, they would go to whatever denomination spoke their language, and that wasn t always the Catholic Church. It was that fact that fueled Father Robert because he began to witness it in his own community. Just this past year, he restarted a monthly Mass for the Deaf at San Sebastian that included a dinner social afterward. With Father Robert s passing, there are no immediate plans to continue the Mass or social afterwards. I would hope that someone else would be inspired by his witness to follow in his footsteps and serve the Deaf community, Sister Baum said. That would be the best way to remember Father Rene. May God grant Fr. Rene eternal rest. VATICAN/ USCCB / FEDERAL NEWS AND UPDATES Conscience Protection Act

27 Five things to do for conscience rights! 1. Watch a short video about Cathy, a nurse who was forced to participate in an abortion against her conscience. 2. Read our latest action alert Visit our action center... to personalize your pre-written in support of the Conscience Protection Act of Invite your friends to stand with Cathy... and you! Ask them to watch the video and send their , too. 5. For more information on the Conscience Protection Act of 2016, read our updated fact sheet. Second State Passes Law Banning Abortion based on Disability

28 "Indiana has become the second state in the nation, following North Dakota, to ban abortions on babies who are diagnosed in the womb as having Down syndrome. Gov. Mike Pence signed the bill today to protect unborn babies from being aborted simply because of a disability, race or sex." A similar bill is pending in the Ohio legislature. More information at button below. The Pain and Surprising Beauty of Hospice Care for Babies

29 Here is a beautiful article by the Catholic News Agency on one woman's story with a poor prenatal diagnosis. "Dianna also wishes that families, and mothers in particular, facing difficult prenatal diagnoses could find more support from their communities. People should not be afraid of not knowing what to say or upsetting the mother by mentioning the baby, Vagianos said. The mother is already upset and the mother is never going to forget that baby. Despite the difficulties she faced with pediatric hospice and in finding community support, Dianna maintains that she found healing through Mary Rose s death and through the blessing it was to come to know her daughter. She is grateful, she says for support she found online and for the healing she s experienced by detailing her experiences in journals,and through an upcoming book on their family s experience." PLEASE HELP US KEEP THE MOMENTUM GOING Click here to Support NCPD Facebook NCPD.org

30 NCPD RESOURCES Clockwise from upper left: 1. NCPD offers large print formats of the Roman Missal, Third Edition to priests and deacons. Available in font sizes 24, 34, and 44 in print or on CD. The Lectionary is also available in three font sizes on CD. 2. NCPD is beginning to roll out its online video course offerings, starting with workshops from the Partnership 13 national conference. Many more in the pipeline and coming soon. 3. See one of NCPD's 14 Webinars on a range of topics related to Faith and Disability available from Amazon. 4. The Welcomed and Valued Resource Manual features 90+ pages of information, perspectives and tools to assist in the ministry with people with mental illness.the Bilingual DVD (English, with English and Spanish captions) features in-depth looks at people with mental illness and how they participate in parish life.

31 EVENTS A Jubilee Celebration with Mass for the Sick & Persons with Disabilities Sunday June 12, noon at the Cathedral of Saint Francis 32 Elm Street * Metuchen, NJ * Light Refreshments & Fellowship after Mass. For more information: or catholicswithdisabilities@gmail.com See flyer here June 23-26, 2016 Vatican, Rome Living Fully 2016 Academic Symposium Living Fully 2016: Disability, Culture, Family and Faith - A Celebration

32 Hope, Help, and Healing: A Catholic Response to Domestic Violence and Abuse Thursday, July 7, 2016, - 8:00 a.m. through Friday, July 8, 2016, - 5:00 p.m. For more information: Click here for flyer. Dr. Sharon O'Brien Register below Prayer devoted to hope and recovery for persons living with depression, anxiety and difficult thoughts. Family and friends welcome. Meet on steps of Cathedral to pray for Pope Francis and walk through the HOLY DOOR: 3:30 pm, Adoration and Rosary: 4-5 pm, Mass: 5:30 pm For more information contact Judy Barr new3heart@gmail.com Click here for flyer.

33 Archbishop Wilton Gregory joins Hosffman Ospino and Sr. Regina Marie Gorman, OCD, as three of the keynote speakers for the 2017 Mid-Atlantic Congress, Feb , Plan to arrive Thursday morning, and take part in an "intensive course" (a dedicated track that focused on one topic for 1 or 2 days, all registrants attend all sessions) or start the day with one of our boot camps. Registration opens Labor Day Registration plus two nights at the hotel plus discounted parking total less than $500 (for an individual)! Click here to Support NCPD Share Tweet

34 +1 Share Please contact us at , (fax). Visit our Website: Our Mission Rooted in Gospel values that affirm the dignity of every person, the National Catholic Partnership on Disability (NCPD) works collaboratively to ensure meaningful participation of people with disabilities in all aspects of the life of the Church and society. Copyright 2016 National Catholic Partnership on Disability, All rights reserved.