winter 2017 our lady of fatima: then and no winter 2017.pdfa pastoral service for persons who are...
TRANSCRIPT
A Pastoral Service for Persons who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
The National Catholic Office for the Deaf
Page 2
Message from NCOD
Page 3-5
Our Lady of Fatima: Then and Now
Page 6
Signs of the Spirit: App Teaches Blessings, How to Pray in ASL
Page 8
How to Pray the Rosary
Page 9
Region II Retreat
Page 10
Introducing New NCOD Board Members: David Cassanova & Nancy Lopez
Page 10
Prayer for Vocations
Page 11
PW 2018 Seattle Seek & You Will Find
Page 13
Airport Announcement
Page 14
Learning Our Faith
Winter 2017
Volume 36/Number 4
Continued—page 3
Three simple shepherd children were open to God working in their lives. We can learn so much from their courageous decision to perse-vere and carry out all of the responsibilities placed upon their little shoulders. The story is well-known to many, but it never fails to amaze. The Queen of Heaven comes down to earth making an appearance out in a remote pasture to give grand instructions to a three-some of basically uneducated children from simple farm families. The same children are entrusted with great missions and are told that they can help stop a war, as well as to prevent sinners from going to hell.
We might ask why anyone should believe what is said to have happened at Fatima, Portugal in 1916 and 1917. After all, we learned these things from three young peasant children. First of all, it’s important to note that the happenings of Fatima have been scrutinized and examined completely by the Catholic Church and have been found to be authentic and completely true.
Yet, even though they are entirely approved by the Church, they are still considered to be private revelations. What does this mean? Because the messages of Fatima are private revelations, they are distinguished from public revelation which is contained in Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition. My former spiritual director and Servant of God Fr. John Hardon, S.J. explained the difference between public revelation and authentic private revelation. He said public revelation means “truths revealed [that] are necessary for the
-Donna-Maria Cooper O’Boyle Catholic World Report
Our Lady of Fatima: Then and Now
Portuguese shepherd children Lucia dos Santos, center, and her cousins, Jacinta and Francisco Marto, are seen in a file photo taken around the time of the 1917 apparitions of Mary at Fatima. (CNS photo/EPA)
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The Official Publication of the National Catholic Office for the Deaf
Published quarterly by
NCOD Home Office 7202 Buchanan Street
Landover Hills, MD 20784
Email: [email protected] www.ncod.org
Please email your articles, pictures, or announcements for consideration in future issues to [email protected]
or mail them to the address below prior to the first of February, May, August, and November.
Joan Macy—editor [email protected]
Episcopal Moderator Most Rev. Steven J. Raica Diocese of Gaylord, Michigan
Region I—The West Nancy Lopez—Orange, CA [email protected] Region II—The South David Casanova—Fort Worth, TX [email protected] Region III—The Midwest Maribeth Lavender—Denver, CO [email protected] Region IV—Great Lakes Minette Sternke—Peoria, IL [email protected] Region V—The Northeast Secretary Fr. Matt Alcombright—Springfield, MA [email protected] Region VI—Southeast Atlantic Frania Franch—Marietta, GA [email protected] Region VII-Mid Atlantic Vice-President Laureen Lynch-Ryan—Landover Hills, MD [email protected] Deaf Pastoral Workers’ Representative President Fr. Shawn Carey—Boston, MA [email protected] ICDA-US Representative Terri Matenaer—Milwaukee, WI [email protected] Members at Large Pat Richey—Olathe, KS [email protected] Msgr. Glenn Nelson—Rockford, IL [email protected] R. Gregory Schott—Naples, FL [email protected]
NCOD Board of Directors
This year marks the 100th Anniversary of Our Lady of Fatima. Are you familiar with the story? Fr. Mike Depcik led a retreat for the Dallas/Fort Worth region about the miraculous appearance. You can see pictures on page 9 of the retreat. Our Blessed Mother appeared to three shepherd children asking them to pray the Rosary and make sacrifices to save souls. It won’t take much research to learn more about the appearances of Mary and the Miracle of the Dancing Sun. There are even clips on YouTube.
Praying the Rosary daily is a great way to build our relationship with Jesus as we meditate on the events from the lives of Mary and Jesus. The cover story “Our Lady of Fatima: Then and Now” explains this is one of the requests of our dear Mother to help the world. If you have fallen out of the habit of praying the Rosary, or never quite memorized how to pray it, there are instructions on Page 8. Devel-oping a habit to pray the Rosary simply requires 15-20 minutes a day that you can dedicate to prayer.
Sr. Kathleen Schipani is on the cutting edge of using technology to help us pray. She developed an app that teaches prayers in American Sign Language. It is available for both iPhone and Android. Since people seem to always have their phones with them, this is a great way to promote prayer in your daily life. You can read more about this great tool on pages 6 and 7. Way to go, Sr. Kathleen!
We would like to introduce you to a couple of new NCOD Board Members on page 10. David Cassanova represents the South (Region II) and Nancy Lopez represents the West (Region I). Thanks to all the Board members who serve the Lord in such a selfless manner. You can meet all the Board members when you come to Pastoral Week 2018!. Make your reservations now! We will be at the beautiful Hotel Renaissance with incredible views of the city, mountains, and ocean. We look forward to seeing you in Seattle in January!
Be courageous in bringing people to Christ. Pray for religious vocations!
NCOD Board of Directors
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Pope Francis prays in the Little Chapel of the Apparitions at the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal, May 12. The pope was making a two-day visit to Fatima to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Marian apparitions and to canon-ize two of the young seers. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)
salvation and sanctification of the human race. All other authentic revelations, although supernatural, are called private because they contain nothing which is not already contained in the Bible and revealed Tradition.”
Fr. Hardon went on to say that there is a purpose for private revelation even though we are not required by faith to believe it. Revelations revealed by some of the great mystics of the Church and apparitions like that of Fatima have a purpose “to recall what had already been revealed up to apostolic times and to reaffirm what needs to be believed and put into practice in times like ours.”
“Surely,” he added, “ours is a period of trial, and some would say it is the most critical age in the history of Christianity.”
Like the children who received visits from the Angel of Peace in 1916 and from the Blessed Mother in 1917, we are given an opportunity to learn and to believe. The Church guides us through its own scrutiny and acceptance of the revelation of the children, but it is up to us to take the words of Our Lady of Fatima into our hearts.
May 13, 1917: One “ordinary” day
One hundred years ago, Fatima, Portugal was dappled with rolling fields and farmers and shepherds who lived simple ordinary lives. But something extraordinary would happen. The Queen of Heaven woke up the sleepy village of Fatima and the world when she appeared to three young peasant children. Our Lord often uses the simple, the humble and weak—many times children, or those with a childlike heart to carry important messages to the world.
We are told that “Fatima is undoubtedly the most prophetic of modern apparitions” by the Congregation For the Doctrine of the Faith (The Message of Fatima). The miraculous events happened at a time when effects of World War I were causing some of the Portuguese people to feel rather defeated because of the terrible war. Others had lost their faith. Still, there were those who were praying fervently for the war to end. Pope Benedict XV called for a novena to be said to Our Lady, the Queen of Peace. May 13, 1917 was the eighth day of the novena.
It appeared to be an ordinary day. But it would turn out to be a momentous occasion—noted in history, when
the Mother of God would depart from her throne in Heaven to come down to earth. Her purpose was to make a visit in the Cova da Iria to three unsuspecting and uneducated shepherd children: Lucia dos Santos and her two younger cousins, brother and sister, Francisco and Jacinta Marto.
Suddenly, what seemed like a bolt of lightening dazzled the clear azure sky. Always careful out in the open fields when storms approached, the startled little shepherds jumped into action to round up their flocks so that they could head for home safely. But, before they could get to their sheep, another brilliant flash summoned their attention.
The three children stopped immediately. Their eyes opened wide at what they saw next. A beautiful Lady dressed in white was positioned above a holmoak tree. Later on, Lucia would describe the scene in her memoirs. She said, “She seemed more brilliant than the sun, and radiated light more clear and intense than a crystal glass filled with sparkling water, when the rays of the burning sun shine through it.”
The innocent visionaries were entrusted with two great heavenly responsibilities from the Blessed Mother on that day. They were to begin offering sufferings and sacrifices for the benefit of sinners. As well, they were to pray the Rosary daily to obtain peace in the world and even to end World War I. Could children really help to end a war? With heaven’s powerful Rosary,
Continued from page 1
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peace could be obtained according to Our Lady of Fatima.
The need to atone for sin
The young visionaries would continue to receive instructions with every visit from the Blessed Mother on the 13th of each of the following five months, culminating with the great miracle of the sun on October 13, 1917. After the untimely, yet predicted deaths of Francisco and Jacinta, Lucia would continue to carry out the Blessed Mother’s instructions until her death at the age of 97.
Through her apparitions, the Blessed Mother asserted that the sins of the world continue to grieve our Lord, and that we are to pray for the souls of sinners. After being shown a vision of hell, Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta immediately came to a crystal clear understanding of the reality of hell as the messages of the Blessed Mother penetrated their hearts with an untold passion which carried through their acts of reparation and penance for sinners. The Blessed Mother impressed upon their tender hearts that she was counting on them and on us. She said, “Pray much and make sacrifices for sinners, for many souls go to hell because there is no one to make sacrifices for them.” She also taught the children a sacrifice prayer. She explained, “Sacrifice yourselves for sinners and say often whenever you make a sacrifice: ‘O Jesus, it is for love of You, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for the offenses committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary’ ”
We must do the same and with generous hearts make reparation for sinners, for as Fr. Hardon says. “There is no real understanding of the essential message of Fatima unless we realize how deeply the modern world is steeped in sin.” Our Lady of Fatima calls the faithful to a concerted effort in prayer and penance for sinners.
St. John Paul II underscored the need to offer prayers and penance for the conversion of sinners. He said at Fatima in 1982:
Today, the successor of Peter…presents himself before the Mother of God at Fatima. In what way does he come? He presents himself reading again with trepidation the motherly call to penance, to conversion, to the ardent appeal of the Heart of Mary that resounded at Fatima, sixty-five years ago. Yes, he reads it again with trepidation in his heart because he sees how many people and societies—how many Christians—have gone in the
opposite direction to the one indicated in the message of Fatima. Sin has made itself firmly at home in this world, and denial of God has become widespread in the ideologies, ideas and plans of human beings
The Angel of Peace instructed Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta to use every opportunity to make reparation. Specifically he told them: “Make of everything you can a sacrifice, and offer it to God, as an act of reparation for the sins by which He is offended, and in supplication for the conversion of sinners. You will draw down peace upon your country. Above all, accept and bear with submission, the suffering which the Lord will send you.” Following the Angel’s instructions and the example of the children, we should do the same. Instead of wasting opportunities to offer valuable sufferings, sicknesses, and inconveniences, we can offer it all up to God for the conversion of sinners as the three young visionaries have done.
Our Lady of Fatima has offered a peace plan through the daily recitation of the Rosary, the practice of the five First Saturday devotion, as well as the consecration of the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary which was carried out by St. John Paul II in 1984. But have we done our part? Fatima expert, Fr. Andrew Apostoli, C.F.R. explained in Fatima for Today: The Urgent Marian Message of Hope the need to step up to the plate to do our part when he wrote:
Many people have unfortunately put such stress on the consecration of Russia by the Holy Father as the condition for the triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and peace in the world, that they have forgotten or neglected the fact that our Lady also asked for the Five First Saturdays devotion. Pope John Paul II has done his part in making the consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart, but are we, as Mary’s children, doing our part by devotion to first Saturdays?
100 years of pilgrims
As the past 100 years have unfolded, we see how Fatima, Portugal has made quite an impression on countless people from all walks of life, many of them making sacrifices in order to travel to Fatima for a myriad of reasons. One reason seems to always be the same—they are seeking something, an answer, a cure, a dose of hope, a time to honor Mary, some direction, an understanding of their path in life, a deeper growth in holiness, peace of heart, and more. The Fatima experience is transformative, whether it was
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experienced in 1917 or any time throughout the one hundred years since then.
Many arrive with swollen feet from the long arduous journey of hiking to get there. Still others, after arriving, bloody their knees making their way slowly-moving one knee after the other upon the hard ground of the penitential path which begins at the entrance to the Cova. They then travel towards the sacred place where the Queen of Heaven appeared to the shepherd children. The pilgrims are willing to sacrifice their comfort to open their hearts to the Blessed Mother’s message and peace plan for the world.
In an interview for my book Our Lady of Fatima: 100 Years of Stories, Prayers, and Devotions, Fr. Apostoli explained his thoughts about why pilgrims continue to flock to Fatima. He said Fatima is “a place made holy—people feel a sense of her presence—there is a reverence there that was made special by her coming,” he said. “And, of course,” he added, “with a message so important to the world. I think it’s increasingly more evident how important it is.” Fr. Apostoli drove his point home. “As Pope John Paul II said when he made the Consecration in 1984, he said, ‘Fatima is more important now than it was in 1917.” Fr. Apostoli added his own insights, “It’s even more important now,” he said, “than when [John Paul II] said that in 1984.”
The Blessed Mother calls to all of us
The message of Fatima is a call from the Mother of God for a renewed fidelity to penance and prayer and continual conversion of heart. She tells us to live the Gospel—to always, “do whatever he tells you” (John 2:5). The Fatima message exemplifies Our Lord’s desire that his Mother be better known, loved, and venerated through the devotion to her Immaculate Heart.
St. John Paul II said “While the message of Our Lady of Fatima is a motherly one, it is also strong and decisive. It sounds severe. It sounds like John the Baptist speaking on the banks of the Jordan. It invites to repentance. It gives a warning. It calls to prayer. It recommends the rosary.”
Three simple shepherd children were open to God working in their lives. They could have run away from Mary’s motherly, yet strong and decisive message, but
they chose to listen and believe. They continued to walk in faith. Their great faith can put most adults to shame. Yet, we can learn so much from their courageous decision to persevere and carry out all of the responsibilities placed upon their little shoulders.
Something rather profound strikes me when gazing upon images of the three shepherd children pictured with the Blessed Mother. For example, the colorful cover of my brand new children’s chapter book, Our Lady’s Message to Three Shepherd Children and the World (Sophia Institute Press, 2017). We see something that appears miraculous, and it truly was, but it also seems very idyllic—as if everything was effortless for the children. But, let us not be deceived by appearances. We must not assume that because the children were chosen by heaven, that they had an easy time of it and that is why they could carry out their missions. That could not be further from the truth. They were called to suffer and to offer that suffering for Heaven’s purposes. We are called to do the same in our own walks of life.
I recall distinctly Mother Teresa’s succinct words, “Holiness is not the luxury of a few, but a simple duty for us all.” We are all called to be saints. It’s important to remember that little Francisco and Jacinta Marto are not being raised to the honors of the altar in canonization by Pope Francis because they were blessed with visits from an Angel and the Blessed Mother. No, that is not why. It is because of their lives of heroic virtue, even being willing to go to their deaths in boiling oil as was threatened to happen to them when they wouldn’t divulge the secrets told to them by Our Lady.
Our Lady of Fatima is counting on us to do our part. We don’t have to pilgrimage to Fatima, Portugal to experience Our Lady of Fatima’s graces and messages. We can do so in our own homes, neighborhoods, and parishes, and we can do our best to, as Pope Benedict XVI has instructed: “LEARN the message of Fatima, LIVE the message of Fatima, and SPREAD the message of Fatima!”
Just as the children walked in faith, we are also required to put one foot in front of the other to walk in faith. God will, without doubt grant us every grace that we need to not only get to heaven one day, but to bring countless souls with us because of leading exemplary lives of heroic faith, hope, and love.
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-Carol Glatz, Catholic News Service
Signs of the Spirit: App Teaches Blessings, How to Pray in ASL
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- When Sister Kathleen Schipani found out she was usually the very first person to teach deaf children to pray, she decided there had to be an app to fix that. Learning to pray usually happens in the family, when a parent or relative recites the words for grace before meals, asks for blessings or requests guidance or protection, the Sister of the Immaculate Heart of Mary told Catholic News Service in Rome. But when a child is born deaf into a hearing family, those kids shouldn't have to miss out on learning Catholic prayers or religious terms as they learn American Sign Language, she said Oct. 20. Sister Schipani, who is director of the office for persons with disabilities and the deaf apostolate at the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, was in Rome as part of a conference sponsored by the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelization. The gathering Oct. 20-22 was dedicated to sharing best practices in engaging and catechizing persons living with disabilities. Lots of apps exist for learning ASL, she said, but there is nothing dedicated to religious terms, daily devotions or prayers of blessing, love, thanks and praise. The app meant to fill that gap is called, "Religious Signs for Families," and was to be available from the iTunes App Store and Google Play in early November. "The locus of learning your faith starts in the family, so this app is really to provide families with the ability" to foster prayer in the home and bond with each other and with God as they pray in ASL, she said. It also will help teachers who want to teach elementary school students how to pray using sign language. "Deaf people have deep experiences of prayer," she said, particularly because it involves praying with "their whole body" with signing and visualization. "Deaf people have never heard the language that we speak so they are not hearing the little voice in their head like we are," she said. Instead some people say
they pray visually with beautiful imagery or with seeing hands signing in their head. While sacred music does not have the same ability to draw deaf individuals to prayer, sacred or beautiful art does, she said. "A lot of deaf people have not been catechized because there was no one to sign to them, and that really is what the sad thing is -- when there is no opportunity for deaf people to know religious language and have an experience of someone teaching them," she said. Sister Schipani said the beautiful thing about sign language is the signs are often "iconic," reflecting what the thing is and, therefore, they can convey the theology behind the concept. For example, she said, the sign for "heaven" in the Jewish faith is moving both hands in a way that suggests a semi-circular dome -- the heavens -- overhead. In the Christian faith, she said, the sign conveys the canopy of heaven, but with the other hand going through and up, "because we believe that Jesus, our savior, has come and we're saved so we can have the possibility of entering heaven."
Editor's Note: The app has captions and voiceover in English and Spanish. More information can be found at http://deafcatholicphilly.org/religious-sign-app/.
C N S / P a u l H a r i n g Sister Kathleen Schipani, director of the Office for Persons with Disabilities and the Deaf Apostolate at the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, is pictured during an interview in Rome Oct. 20. Her office is launching the "Religious Signs for Families" app to help deaf children and
their family members learn prayers in American Sign Language. It will be available in early November in Apple's App Store and Google Play. (CNS photo/Paul Haring) See SIGN-LANGUAGE-APP Oct. 20, 2017.
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Religious Signs For Families
Did you ever want to learn to pray in American Sign Language (ASL)? The Religious Signs For Families app makes learning fun and easy! You and your child learn by watching children and parents sign religious words and prayers. All the ASL parent models are Deaf parents, and all the child models are Deaf children or Children of Deaf Adults (CODAs). Their expert signing is simple to follow and enjoyable to watch.
The Religious Signs for Families app is a delightful and engaging way to learn ASL using religious words that are not often found in other ASL apps. The goal of the app is to help families with young Deaf children and Deaf couples with young children to foster prayer in the home. This app provides a way for families to connect while learning religious signs and to bond to one another and God as they pray in ASL. Users extend beyond the fami-ly unit because this app is perfect for anyone who wants to learn and use ASL to pray. All religious words have been selected from a Christian prayer context; however, there are many words that are used in other religious de-nominations.
From signs for religious words and actions to everyday words and prayers, this app is comprehensive. There are daily devotions requesting guidance from God and the Holy Spirit, and many beautiful prayers of blessing, love, thanks, praise, protection, peace, safety, and so much more. All prayers are ones that children will love and can learn easily. The Religious Signs for Families app is a great way to learn ASL and foster lifelong prayer in the home, classroom and beyond.
This app is perfect for:
• Parents and grandparents of Deaf, hard of hearing and hearing children
• Families who want to pray together
• Parents and teachers who want to foster a love of prayer in children
• Early childhood educators
• Elementary and middle school teachers
• Church groups and religious studies
• Anyone who wishes to pray using American Sign Language
• Those who already know ASL and wish to expand their knowledge
• Those who have no previous signing knowledge
The app’s features include:
• Deaf ASL models and clear video images
• Deaf and CODA peer models who children enjoy copying
• Religious words and prayers in categories
• Captions in English and Spanish that promote reading
• Voicing in English and Spanish for hearing parents and teachers to follow
• An intuitive graphical interface in which literacy is not required
• Continual looping of video for repeated practice
• Simple menu design with swiping and arrows for easy navigation
• iPad/iPhone optimized
• No advertisements or in-app purchases
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A statue of Mary is carried through the crowd in 2013 at the Marian shrine of Fatima in cen-tral Portugal. (CNS photo/Paulo Cunha, EPA)
How to Pray the Rosary The Rosary is a Scripture-based prayer. It begins with the Apostles' Creed, which summarizes the great mysteries of the Catholic faith. The Our Father, which introduces each mystery, is from the Gospels. The first part of the Hail Mary is the angel's words announcing Christ's birth and Elizabeth's greeting to Mary. St. Pius V officially added the second part of the Hail Mary. The Mysteries of the Rosary center on the events of Christ's life. There are four sets of Mysteries: Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious and––added by Pope John Paul II in 2002––the Luminous.
The repetition in the Rosary is meant to lead one into restful and contemplative prayer related to each Mystery. The gentle repetition of the words helps us to enter into the silence of our hearts, where Christ's spirit dwells. The Rosary can be said privately or with a group.
1. Make the Sign of the Cross.
2. Holding the Crucifix, say the Apostles' Creed.
3. On the first bead, say an Our Father.
4. Say one Hail Mary on each of the next three beads.
5. Say the Glory Be
6. For each of the five decades, announce the Mystery (perhaps followed by a brief reading from Scripture) then say the Our Father.
7. While fingering each of the ten beads of the decade, next say ten Hail Marys while meditating on the Mystery. Then say a Glory Be. (After finishing each decade, some say the following prayer requested by the Blessed Virgin Mary at Fatima: O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell; lead all souls to Heaven, especially those who have most need of your mercy.)
8. After saying the five decades, say the Hail, Holy Queen, followed by this dialogue and prayer: V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God. R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Let us pray: O God, whose On-ly Begotten Son, by his life, Death, and Resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life, grant, we beseech thee, that while meditating on these mysteries of the most holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
Joyful Mysteries (Mondays, Saturdays, Sundays of Advent) 1. Annunciation 2. Visitation 3. Nativity 4. Presentation in the Temple 5. Finding in the Temple
Sorrowful Mysteries (Tuesdays, Fridays, Sundays of Lent)
1. Agony in the Garden 2. Scourging at the Pillar 3. Crowning with Thorns 4. Carrying of the Cross 5. Crucifixion and Death
Glorious Mysteries (Wednesdays, Sundays)
1. Resurrection 2. Ascension 3. Descent of the Holy Spirit 4. Assumption 5. Coronation of Mary
Luminous Mysteries (Thursdays)
1. Baptism of Christ in the Jordan 2. Wedding Feast at Cana 3. Jesus’ Proclamation of the Kingdom 4. Transfiguration 5. Institution of the Eucharist
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Last October 13rd thru 15th, 2017 at Nazareth Retreat Center in Grand Prairie, TX with Fr. Michael Depcik. It was wonderful Retreat about "Our Lady of Fatima".
Our Lady of Fatima Retreat Region II
News from Fort Worth Catholic Community for the Deaf (FWCCD) - We missed, our good leader named Kathleen Murphy that she moved to Maryland last June 11, 2017 and she joined the Retreat in October 13nd thru 15th, 2017. This picture was from the farewell for Kathleen Murphy at St Francis Catholic Church in Grapevine, TX. She is in our praying and very humble thoughtful. Wrote by David Cassanova - South Region II.
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Prayer for Vocations
God our Father, we thank you for calling men and women to serve in your Son’s Kingdom as priests, deacons, religious, and consecrated persons. Send your Holy
Spirit to help us respond generously and courageously to your call. May our community of faith support vocations of sacrificial love in our youth. We ask this
through our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
David Cassanova, South Region II A Big Texas hello to everyone! My name is David Cassanova and I have been married for 13 years to my beaut i ful wife Linda Karen. We were sweethearts
many years ago, lost touch, but found each other again! Between us we have three sons and one daughter. I have been involved with Deaf Ministry for 38 years. Right now I am the Vice President of the Fort Worth Catholic Community for the Deaf (FWCCD), I teach Adult Faith Classes several times a year and have attended two Cursillo's. My wife is very supportive and she is on the FWCCD Board as well as our Mass Coordinator. We would love to have a deaf priest come to Fort Worth and lead us. For 30 years I was a Plumbing & Fire Protection Designer here in Fort Worth, and, I am happy to say, I retired in November, 2009. My hobbies include the History of the Civil War/World History, the Bible, Science and Math. I love being outside and working in my backyard - it is what I do for relaxation. My goal is to support NCOD and get more people to join and be
involved. I know that I will learn so much from the current NCOD Officers - and I will help them with whatever they need. The word I would use to describe myself is "Hopeful".
Nancy Lopez, West Region I Nancy López a native of Southern California has served as Director of the Catholic Deaf Community for the Diocese of Orange since 2006. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Spanish Literature with a Minor in Education from the University
of California Irvine and a Master’s of Arts Degree in Pastoral Theology from the University of Loyola Marymount. She is certified as Spanish interpret. She has worked extensively with the Catholic Deaf Community for over 10 years serving as a volunteer interpreter and teaching Religious Education to children and has also worked with parents to bridge the gap especially between Spanish speaking parents with deaf children. She has two younger sisters and they love to travel together and watch movies.
Introducing New
NCOD Board Members:
David Cassanova & Nancy Lopez
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For more information,
check the NCOD website for details.
www.ncod.org
National Catholic Office for the Deaf
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From the Board of Directors:
Airport Transportation Announcement
Shuttle Express Downtown Airporter
Guest service is located on the 3rd floor of the parking garage, inside the wind screens in the
Ground Transportation Plaza.
From baggage claim, follow the red and black signs directing you to ground transportation,
which is located on the 3rd floor of the parking garage.
Once in the parking garage, follow the ground transportation check-in signs to the third floor.
The desk is near the Ground Transportation Information Center. Please check in with coordinators to activate your ticket or use
24-hour check-in-by-phone hotline or touch-screen kiosks.
$18 per person, one way
Click here to book your reservation
Drop off location directly in front of the Renaissance Hotel.
On your smartphone, you may download the following ride-share apps, click on each im-
age:
If you want to take the transit rail "Light Link Rail" from SeaTac Airport to the Renaissance Hotel in
downtown Seattle, the ride will take approximately 40 minutes.
Note this will require 2 blocks walking with hills from the station (Pioneer Square Station) to the Renaissance Hotel at 515 Madison St., Seattle.
Click here to do your Trip Planner (This trip planner will give you directions with a map)
One-way fare costs $3.00 Round-trip fare costs $6.00
Upon your arrival at SeaTac International Airport, follow the "Link Light Rail" signs.
Click here for details on the Light Link Rail
Other Options Available
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Learning Our Faith: The Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church
This edition of Catholicism 101 is pulled from Part One: The Profession of Faith; Section Two—The Profession of the Christian Faith; Chapter Two: I Believe in Jesus Christ the Only Son of God
What is the Good News for humanity? (422-424) It is the proclamation of Jesus Christ, the “Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16), who died and rose from the dead. In the time of King Herod and the Emperor Caesar Augustus, God fulfilled the promises that he made to Abraham and his descendants. He sent “his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:4-5) How is the Good News spread? (425-429) From the very beginning the first disciples burned with the desire to proclaim Jesus Christ in order to lead all to faith in him. Even today, from the loving knowledge of Christ there springs up in the believer the desire to evangelize and catechize, that is, to reveal in the Person of Christ the entire design of God and to put humanity in communion with him.
“And in Jesus Christ, His Only Son Our Lord”
What is the meaning of the name “Jesus”? (430-435, 452) Given by the angel at the time of the Annunciation, the name “Jesus” means, “God saves.” The names expresses his identity and his mission “because he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). Peter proclaimed that “there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Why is Jesus called “Christ”? (436-440, 453) “Christ” in Greek, “Messiah” in Hebrew, means the “anointed one.” Jesus is the Christ because he is consecrated by God and anointed by the Holy Spirit for his redeeming mission. He is the Messiah awaited by Israel, sent into the world by the Father. Jesus accepted the title of Messiah but he made the meaning of the term clear: “come down from heaven” (John 3:13), crucified and then risen, he is the Suffering Servant who gives “his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). From the name Christ comes our name of Christian. In what sense is Jesus the Only Begotten Son of God? (441-445, 454) Jesus is the Son of God in a unique and perfect way. At the time of his Baptism and his Transfiguration, the voice of the Father designated Jesus as his “beloved Son.” In presenting himself as the Son who “knows the Father” (Matthew 11:27), Jesus affirmed his singular and eternal relationship with God his Father. He is “the Only Begotten Son of God” (1 John 4:9), the second Person of the Blessed Trinity. He is the central figure of apostolic preaching. The Apostles saw “his glory as of the Only Begotten of the Father” (John 1:14). What is the meaning of the title “Lord”? (446-451, 455) In the Bible this title regularly designates God as Sovereign. Jesus ascribed this title to himself and revealed his divine sovereignty by his power over nature, over demons, over sin, and over death, above all by his own Resurrection. The first Christian creeds proclaimed that the power, the honor, and the glory that are due to God the Father also belong to Jesus: God “has given him the name which is above every other name” (Philippians 2:9). He is the Lord of the world and of history, the only One to whom we must completely submit our personal freedom.
Christ opened heaven for us in the manhood he assumed. -Saint Irenaeus
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WHAT IS NCOD?
The National Catholic Office for the Deaf is a non-profit membership organization dedicated to Pastoral Ministry with Deaf and Hard of Hearing persons.
NCOD serves 5.7 million Deaf and Hard of Hearing Catholics through its pastoral ministry and through its special advocacy to bishops, pastors and families with Deaf children.
WHAT IS A MINISTRY FOR PERSONS WHO ARE DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING?
A Pastoral Ministry offers Deaf Catholics services and support that fosters spiritual development in their own language. A Pastoral Ministry offers Hard of Hearing Catholics access to the Church’s pastoral care.
NCOD is a Unique Center for this Unique Ministry
WHAT DOES NCOD OFFER?
• Shared opportunities for Religious Education, retreats and renewal programs, among other Deaf and Hard of Hearing Catholics.
• Specially adapted resource materials in Sign language or open/closed captioning that make a Catholic Spiritual life accessible to Catholic children and adults.
• Ongoing professional training for Pastoral Workers. VISION , a magazine that links the community of Deaf and Hard of Hearing and those who serve them.
• Assistance to Catholic parents with Deaf children, especially those who can not access religious education and services for their children.
• Training and opportunities for Catholic Deaf persons to meet the religious and spiritual needs of other Catholic Deaf persons.
• Workshops for professionals who wish to serve the spiritual needs of persons who are Catholic and Deaf.
• Annual conferences where pastoral workers and Deaf Catholics can share their experience, support each other, and enrich their understanding and information about Deaf ministry.
HOW IS NCOD UNIQUE?
In the last several years, Deaf people themselves have increasingly assumed leadership roles and responsibility for their own destiny. This grassroots movement among Deaf persons has had a profound effect on the institutions that serve Deaf and Hard of Hearing persons.
NCOD takes pride in providing continuing opportunities for
deaf and hard of hearing persons to
become spiritual leaders in
the Catholic deaf community Never before has there been more hope for Deaf people to achieve their potential as self-respecting adults. NCOD is grateful for its special unique role, enabling Catholic persons who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing to have rich, full and rewarding spiritual lives.
National Catholic Office for the Deaf Our History
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7202 Buchanan Street Landover Hills, MD 20784 [email protected] www.ncod.org CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED
NCOD Mission Statement:
“Spread God’s message through the support of deaf and hard of hearing pastoral ministry so that we may all be one in Christ”
National Catholic Office for the Deaf Membership Form
□ New Member □ Renewal □ Vision only
Name: _________________________________________________________
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□ Deaf/Hard of Hearing □ Deaf-Blind □ Hearing
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One Year
□ $20 US
□ $30 International
Two Year
□ $35 US
□ $55 International
□ please send paper copies of web issues
Annual Membership Fees
(USA Rate)
□ Individual $70
□ Family $100
□ Student $10
□ Pastoral $70
□ Executive $250 (Diocese, Agencies, & Organizations)
□ Donation: ______________ (Tax Deductible)
Mail Application to: National Catholic Office for the Deaf
7202 Buchanan Street
Landover Hills, MD 20784
ONLINE: www.ncod.org/membership-form OR