Masses for persons with disabilities planned for October

By KATIE LEFEBVRE, Globe staff reporter
September 18, 2003

The Coalition for Ministry with Persons Having Disabilities for the Diocese of Sioux City will host two Masses during Respect Life Month to celebrate the giftedness of all persons.

"We are using the opportunity of Respect Life Month to raise awareness about the gifts that people with disabilities can offer parishes," said Bev Hurni, director of family ministries for the diocese. "We want to encourage parishes to invite them to serve as they are able to as a lector, altar server or an usher. It is to encourage people to involve people with disabilities but also to celebrate who they are as people."

The first Mass will be at 10 a.m. on Oct. 12 at Holy Family Church, 2001 S. Broadway, in Emmetsburg. Father Daniel Guenther will preside over the Mass.

The second Mass will be held at 11 a.m. on Oct. 19 at Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ Church, 4242 Natalia Way, in Sioux City. Bishop Daniel N. DiNardo will celebrate the Mass.

Catholics with disabilities, their families and all interested persons are invited to attend either of the Masses. There are handicap entrances and parking available at both locations.

"It started as something in the jubilee year," said Hurni. "There were different days designated by the pope and one of those days was for persons with disabilities. That year Bishop DiNardo celebrated a special Mass on that day. People liked it so well that we have continued to do it. We have expanded it to two sites in the diocese to make it more accessible to more people."

This will be the fourth year that these Masses will be offered for the people of the Diocese of Sioux City.

Parishioners from the local parishes that will host the Masses are planning who will participate in the Mass and what it will consist of on the respective Sundays. Hurni has contacted the parishes to give them ideas about how to make this a special Mass.

"They should look around their own parish to see who has disabilities that you might invite to serve on this weekend," Hurni explained. "How they might write prayers of the faithful that reflect this emphasis. Connie Barrett offered to do sign language. Then we leave it up to the local liturgy committee or parish staff to do the bulk of the planning."

There are visible and invisible disabilities as well as disabilities that people are born with and disabilities that develop later because of disease, injury or age.

"When the coalition uses the term disabilities it is referring to all these disabilities," said Hurni. "Sometimes people with disabilities are reluctant to volunteer for ministries or to join in parish activities. However when parishes welcome them by providing an accessment environment and reach out to them they often are grateful for being included and enjoy offering their service."

Coalition members will attend at both sights and will pass out leaflets about the coalition.

"Along with celebrating the gifts of people with disabilities, it is also to raise awareness about the coalition and the services they offer to people," said Hurni. "We are a committee designated by the bishop. Our constitution says that we are to assist the bishop in serving people with disabilities in the diocese."

The Coalition for Ministry with Persons Having Disabilities is a group of 15 people, including Hurni, who meet three times a year. The activities that they repeat annually are the Masses and retreats in the spring for adults with developmental disabilities. Her office is a resource place for people such as DREs or catechists who are serving children with disabilities in their programs.