The Sign of Christ


Syracuse Catholic Deaf Community


June 2003 News

                                                               
The ICDA May picnic in Utica...
...wasn't all serious


FR PETE EXPLAINS HIS NEW JOB

                       "Hi" to everyone!
Many of you already know that I am moving to Fulton in July, to become pastor of Holy Family and St Michael Parish.
The two churches recently joined together to become one parish. I will be busy there with the new job. Will I still do things with the Deaf Community? The answer is YES! YES!  YES!
I hope we will soon be able to see signing happening at Mass every week in Fulton at Holy Family Church at 11AM Sunday mornings. You are all welcome to visit me in Fulton.

Will I also continue to  go to other places? When we have special Deaf church events in other towns, I will try to attend as often as I do now. Driving across the diocese is always in your blood when you are involved with the Catholic Deaf Community!
I will be sad to leave St Joseph's Church in Camillus. The last 2 and 1/2 years have been wonderful. At the same time, I look forward to living in Fulton and meeting new friends there, and seeing more of those "old" Deaf faces in Oswego County,  too! 


     GOOD NEWS / BAD NEWS

Many of you have heard the news of Diocesan Cuts.  This was due to many things and
many beyond our control.  If people are not able, or are unwilling, to give to the Hope
Appeal ...things must change.

The good news is that the Catholic Deaf Community continues!
The bad news is that the Office hours have been reduced.
Since Jane Long is happily becoming a grandmother once again in September, she gave
up her time to Mary Margaret who will try to fit as much as she can into 28 hours per
week.

Do you have suggestions on what to focus on?
Do you see opportunities to jump in to help?
Lay Ministers! Teachers! Secretarial work!  Newsletter writer or designer!  Website!
Fundraising!  Home/Hospital visiting!   Shall I go on? :-) You can think of more!
The kids in Religious Ed at NYSSD
Big kids and MM's helpers


THIS & THAT

WELCOME TO
Meghan Dady Evans
Born March 23rd 2003
Baptism May 11th 2003
and
Cody Stanley Sharpsteen
Born May 5th 2003
Baptism May 24th 2003
Congratulations to the parents and to the brothers! (Hopefully there'll be pictures!)

Please pray for these friends and their families:

CONGRATULATIONS  Adam Drake
Dollars for Scholars Scholarship...again!

Dorothy Lightaul is now living in Vernon! She would love to have Deaf visitors who will sign to her.

The Community Council met May 17th.  If you would like a copy of the Minutes, just ask!



'Real Life' Connects with 'Church'
by Jane Long
A Spring Weekend Retreat for the Catholic Deaf Community presented in ASL by
Timothy "Timo" Owens at the Good News Center in Utica on April 26-27, 2003.


Timo Owens is well known among the Deaf Community in the United States and Canada.  He is the youngest of seven children including four who are deaf.  Timo attended Gallaudet
University and Western Maryland College and currently is on the faculty of the University of
Kentucky teaching American Sign Language (ASL) at the Interpreter Training Program.  He
also is the Director of the National Deaf Cursillo and the National Deaf Youth Sports Festival. 

People from Poughkeepsie and Ottawa arrived Friday evening to be ready for the workshop
which began Saturday morning at breakfast.  Almost immediately upon arrival, Timo gave out 'assignments' to practice with each other in preparation for the Mass which Father Peter
Williams would be celebrating.

Timo's background in theater and the classroom enables him to present material in a very clear and exciting way.  Our first formal workshop began with an introduction to Timo himself. We learned about his family, his special relationship with his mother who was blind, his education and how his name evolved from "everyone's brother" to Timo.

We were then introduced to Jesus and his many characteristics: caring, committed, responsible, loving, etc. From the long list of characteristics, we were asked to choose five that we felt identified ourselves.  It was interesting to see that each of us has Jesus within us.  

We broke into three groups, each with a question to discuss:  "Our hope for the future", "The biggest problem facing the world today", "Things we enjoy doing"  and were to number the Top Ten results of our discussion. When presented to the large group, there was a big connection between the problems and the hopes despite the groups being in different rooms during the
discussion. 

All day Saturday we worked together with breaks for lunch, Mass, and dinner.  Saturday night,
we played "Millionaire" with Timo as Regis Philbin (or Meredith).  What fun!   We also received
homework: each a Saint to study about.

 On Sunday  we gathered again in the meeting room for more meditation through a series of beautiful nature pictures about how God is present to us in the world in everyday things around us.

Then we were broken up into groups again where we had to tell the others in our small group about "our" saint.  After that, each of the four groups had to choose one of the saints and prepare a skit to show the life and good works to the rest of the participants.  What a great way it was for us to learn about St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Mother Theresa, Maximillan Kolbe, and Pope John Paul II!

Through all this interaction in the groups plus the sharing at meals, by the time of our departure after Sunday lunch we felt like old friends with each other.  We felt a deeper friendship and understanding of God and Jesus as well.

 

COMING EVENTS





Journey of Faith 2003

September 26- 27th.  Many interesting Workshops! (not listed yet...but always good)
If you find one you like, I'm sure it can be interpreted.

Next year maybe we can have a Deaf Presenter!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR DAW!
SEPTEMBER 27  2003

THE CATHOLIC DEAF COMMUNITY OF THE  SYRACUSE DIOCESE
CELEBRATES ITS

55th

ANNIVERSARY OF SERVICE

4 PM MASS in SIGN at St Lucy's in Syracuse
Followed by an AWARDS BANQUET at the K of C Hall on State Fair in Syracuse

TICKETS ARE $25 (None sold at the door) Must be reserved before September 8.
DO IT NOW!! Send to

Catholic Deaf Community
Robert Menotti
104 White Road
N Syracuse, NY 13212



Back to the News Page

Back to our Home Page

6/15/03