The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference (ACBC) will this week launch a new website, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Catholic Ministry, via video conference.
The launch will begin at 2pm on Thursday, 22 October with a short liturgy in AUSLAN (Australian sign language).
The 30-minute launch will also include live captioning and can be watched from any location in Australia with a computer or tablet and an internet connection.
To register to join the launch, go to deafministry.catholic.org.au.
In a statement released this week, the ACBC said the new website will encourage and challenge all to celebrate the beauty and strength of the Body of Christ by promoting participation and inclusion of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Catholic community.
The statement went on to say that the new website will be a call to create opportunities for participation and inclusion where everyone is valued, gifted and acknowledged.
The launch coincides with National Week of Deaf People, which runs from 18 to 24 October.
The ACBC statement said the question for all of us is how do we welcome and encourage the full participation of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community in the life of the Catholic Church in Australia?
“It is a major challenge for the Church to ensure that all people are included,” a spokesperson commented.
The statement then went on to reflect on the comments from hearing-impaired Catholics, who said they are grateful for added technology that can assist their hearing aid through induction coils and infrared systems to hear the Word of God and homilies in other churches.
Perth Event
The Emmanuel Centre has co-ordinated a Perth launch of the new website, which will take place at 25 Windsor Street, EAST PERTH.
Interested participants must assemble by 10.50am with the session commencing at 11am. For more information, contact 08 9328 8113.
For more information, or to register, go to the sign up page at catholic.org.au.
You will be able to participate from anywhere in the world as long as you have a computer and good internet connection.
To visit the official webpage, go to deafministry.catholic.org.au.