Life and Dignity of the Human Person

Disabilities

Background
Our faith requires a greater sensitivity and commitment to our fellow humans who suffer from mental illness as well as a greater responsibility on our part to recognize their importance to the community and especially communities of faith. In a society that judges a person on the value of what he or she produces, the person living with mental illness is easily seen merely as a burden on society. The temptation is to isolate or marginalize. As Christians, then, we are called unceasingly to affirm their dignity as human beings made in the image and likeness of God, and to recognize their value to the community.
”The Person with Mental Illness: Bearing God’s Image”, by Rev. Richard Gill, L.C.

Action

• Take steps to ensure that your parish and liturgies are accessible to all peoples.
• Workshops for Interpreters
• Advocate for public policies that promote the rights of those with disabilities, especially the unborn
• Educate yourself and your parish on how to be a welcoming, inclusive community
• Large Print Sacramentaries - When looking for large print sacramentaries, come to NCPD for font sizes 24, 34 and 44 print versions and for the lectionary on CD, formatted in all three sizes to print as you need. For more information contact Bob Quinlan, Project Manager at bquinlan@ncpd.org or 202.529.2933.

Contact our office for a copy of the following:

• Opening Doors workshop
• 'In My Brother's Shoes' - Disabilities awareness workshop
• 'Welcome to My World' - Simulation workshop designed to raise awareness of the needs and potential of persons with disabilities
• 'Welcome One, Welcome All' - Inclusive religious education program

Resources

Parishes with Signed Masses and Assisted Listening Devices the Diocese of Orlando (Adobe^® Reader Required)
Welcome & Justice for Persons with Disabilities (Adobe^® Reader Required)
Welcoming People with Disabilities – Do’s & Don’ts (Adobe^® Reader Required)
Guidelines for the Celebration of Sacraments (Adobe^® Reader Required)

Links

National Catholic Office for the Deaf
Bishop Grady Villas
National Catholic Partnership on Disability

Repeated Social Teaching
The Catholic Church proclaims that human life is sacred and that the dignity of the human person is the foundation of a moral vision for society. All people are created in the image and likeness of God and thus all human life, at all stages, is sacred. This belief is the foundation and root to all the principles of our social teaching (Catholic Social Teaching or CST). In our society, human life is under direct attack from abortion and euthanasia. The value of human life is being threatened by cloning, embryonic stem cell research, and the use of the death penalty. We believe that every person is precious, that people are more important than things, and that the measure of every institution is whether it threatens or enhances the life and dignity of the human person.