EVANGELIZING ABOUT THE NECESSITY FOR UNCONDITIONAL DISABILITY MINISTRY IN THE U.S. CATHOLIC CHURCH PART THREE..............

Here is the is the third of three Thursday blog columns (June 19th, 26th, and today July 3rd,) on addressing the necessity for a greater implementation of Ministry to Persons with Disabilities and Special Needs in the Catholic Church throughout the United States.  Having in the first two blog columns spoken about the 1978 U.S. Bishops' Pastoral Statement and the National Catholic Partnership for Disability (NCPD) that emerged out of that Statement - Today I will focus on my personal experiences in and with the Disability Community and how the New Evangelization and U.S. Bishops National Plan and Strategy for Catholic Evangelization, "Go And Make Disciples", (1992 to the present) are reflected in my proposal that there is a much greater need for American Catholics and our Church to develop and embrace a wholistic commitment to carrying out Disability Ministry.  These three blog columns are part of my final examination project in the Doctor of Ministry program at the Catholic University of America and the class on the New Evangelization. with Dr. Richard DeLillio.  Please respond to them as an evaluative component of  my project.  Thank you.

Catholic Evangelization, the sharing of the Good News of Jesus as the Christ of Salvation is rooted in reaching out to all peoples.  Following the Second Vatican Council 1962-1965, and the Synod of Bishops gathering on Evangelization in 1974, Pope Paul VI issued an encylcial (papal teaching document, "Evangelization In The Modern World" (1975) , in which he enunciated that the Catholic Church must not be, "defensive or rigid", but "better equipped to carry out Christ's mission of bringing the Good News", a message that we are 'saved and healed' to everyone.  For over more than 40 years the Catholic Church has reiterated this message in placing a greater awareness and practice of a renewed love of reading, studying, and praying, with the Sacred Scriptures; that places a much greater focus on our relationship with Jesus as His disciples who are intentionally seeking to love and follow Him and invite others to do so also; with an attentiveness and heightened focus on the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives; and through sacramental renewal and our mutual faith journeys in dynamically witnessing to our Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist, as disciples and evangelists who inspire and encourage others to join the Catholic-Christian Church.

The foremost attribute of Catholic Evangelization is that it must be Welcoming to those seeking to enter and be present and participating members of the Community of Believers.  Extending an openness and warmth to visitors, inquirers, and newcomers, as well as parishioners that  is selfless and sincere in reaching out and  inviting them into spiritual and social interaction.  The three central Goals  of the U.S. Bishops' "Go And  Make Disciples", (GMD) underscores the pivotal need for evangelizing and being re-evangelized, in an all inclusive way.  Their 1st Goal is to - "Bring about in all Catholics such  an enthusiasm for their faith that in living their faith in Jesus, they freely share it with others."   The 2nd Goal of GMD, IS - "To invite all people in the United States whatever their social or cultural background, to hear the message of salvation in Jesus Christ so that they may come to  join us in the fullness of the Catholic faith".  And the U.S. Bishops 3rd Goal is - "To foster gospel values within our society, promoting the dignity of the human person, the importance of the family, and the common good of our society, so that our nation may continue to be transformed by the saving power of Jesus Christ."  All 3 Goals  shape and define our call to action as American Catholics.  For purposes of applying their intent into the focus on greater Catholic Disability Ministry I will concentrate on Goal 3

"Promoting the dignity of the human person", as stated in Goal 3 of GMD, is a core teaching of the Respect For Life the Catholic Church believes in and teaches.  Therefore, in order to affirm the God given right to every person to, "live, dwell, and have our being", requires an openness and acceptance of all people regardless of their state or condition, as equal co-heirs to God's Kingdom and thus to "full, active, and conscious",  participation in the sacramental, liturgical, spiritual, catechetical, and social, life of the Catholic Church founded by Jesus Christ.  This pertains as much to Persons with Disabilities and Special Needs, as it does to everyone else.  Inaccessibility, the lack of Inclusion, and the failure to  Empower, the Disabled by the Church is a violation of their dignity and human rights along with discrimination and the disqualification of our baptismal right to the priestly, prophetic, and kingly, Mission and Ministry of our Lord and Savior Jesus The Christ.  How can we authenticate the, "importance of family", and the common good of our society", while we exclude or obstruct the presence and participation of the 14 million Catholics in the United States with Special Needs.  We will not be truly transformed or transformative in the, "saving power of Jesus Christ until the disabled have an equal place of membership and ministry in the Catholic Church.

I myself have experienced it both ways.  From childhood up to recent years as an inviting, welcoming, full opportunity, experience of Church as a lay minister for eighteen years and an ordained deacon and priest since 1987.  My physical disability did not preclude my ability or opportunity to minister to God's People.  That acceptance, affirmation, and support, have not continued the past few years, as now as a right leg below the knee amputee I have been sidelined in my mid 50's into a senior citizens residence and  left without assigned priestly ministry for the last two years and two months. My story of being treated as if I am disqualified instead of the truth being I am disabled but still able of fulfilling my priestly duties of presiding at Mass, preaching, administering Sacraments, catechizing, and evangelizing, is just one example of the inconsistent, incomplete, and inappropriate, response to Persons with Disabilities and Special Needs the Catholic Church in the United States must forthrightly eradicate parishes, dioceses, and ministries.  The Bishops 1978 Pastoral Statement, the ongoing efforts of the NCPD since 1982, the USCCB;S Strategic Plan and their 3 Goals for Evangelization, are a sure sign of hope in eradicating the indifference and insensitivity, that unfortunately still exists. The authentic practice throughout our national Church of compassion and mercy for all persons, particularly those of us in the disability community who are 20% of the Catholics in the United States is urgently overdue without exception now and presently pushing forward.  For how else will we be a caring, loving, interdependent, and wholistic,Body of Christ and Catholic Community now and ever more, as long  as  we fail to welcome and affirmatively include all our members and visitors in the prayer, worship, and ministry, of being Church ?..............

Thank you for reading and reflecting on today's and the previous two Thursday blog columns on Disability Ministry.  Now, please respond by posting your comments, reactions, or questions right here on the blog.  Peace + Prayers as we proceed to Push Forward in the Inclusion  and Empowerment of  those of with Special Needs in the U.S. Catholic Church..............Rev. Fr. Troy David Powers