During 2010, several seminarians from St Charles’ Seminary have visited the Emmanuel Centre in Windsor Street, Perth. These pastoral visits helped the future priests to understand, support and learn from people with disability.
Each week, Barbara Harris and Fr Paul Pitzen engaged seminarians in
various learning sessions that give them a variety of opportunities.
Meeting people with disabilities is a priority experience for all
seminarians.
They also meet people who support the person with a disability such as
parents and professional support workers. The seminarians have the
opportunity to engage with facilitators from other agencies, many of
which are Catholic-based. Every week, the seminarians participated in
several programmes on offer alongside the person with a disability,
giving assistance, encouragement and friendship. A wonderful new
experience for each seminarian has been learning some sign language with
Geoff Scott. This has enabled them to communicate in a special way with
people who are deaf. Such simple experiences demonstrate consideration
and respect for people with disabilities.
Barbara Harris said that the relationship between the Seminary and the
Emmanuel Centre is very important. The programme provides “an
opportunity and experience for seminarians to know people with
disabilities and their families as part of the parish. The priest is a
role model and sets the example to the parish.
His acknowledgment and inclusion of people with disabilities in the life
of the parish begins in seminary formation … enabling him to reflect
and understand how disability fits into society.”
St Charles’ Seminary looks forward to sending seminarians to the
Emmanuel Centre in the future so they can also meet and know people with
a disability. The process is a two-way experience. It involves learning
how people with disability can assist seminarians in their future
ministry as priests.