DISABILITY AWARENESS 2017

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DISABILITY AWARENESS MAGAZINE

“Hard things are put in our way, not to stop us, but to call out our courage and strength.”

– Anonymous

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Opportunities for joy | Respecting human dignity w w w. p i ttsb urghcatho l i c.org

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PITTSBURGH

SECRETARIAT FOR LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AND EVANGELIZATION DEPARTMENT FOR EVANGELIZATION AND MISSIONARY OUTREACH Promoting

CULTURAL DIVERSITY Supporting

PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES Awareness, advocacy, accessibility, and acceptance of persons with disabilities is the act of loving God and our neighbors with all our heart and mind.

“There can be no separate church for persons of different races, colors, disabilities, or national origins. Indeed, the vitality of the Church can truly be measured by how we treat those whom society has often placed on the margins…..The Diocese of Pittsburgh has worked for many years to ensure that we recognize all as brothers and sisters, that all are welcomed as persons of dignity and talent, that all are included fully in the life of the Church.”

Most Reverend David A. Zubik, DD October 5, 2012

Department for Evangelization and Missionary Outreach Secretariat for Leadership Development and Evangelization Diocese of Pittsburgh 2900 Noblestown Road  Pittsburgh, PA 15205 412-456-3156 2 Pittsburgh Catholic Magazine

Disability Awareness 2017

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4 | Full inclusion: We are all called to reach our full potential as members of the body of Christ.

6 | Savoring freedoms: A children’s charity strives to bring joy to those with disabilities.

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7 | Be not afraid: Are we afraid and go out of our way to avoid people with disabilities.

8 | Unique family: A Pittsburgh North Side parish reaches out with its special education program.

16 | Life happens: Helpful tips for caregivers to avoid burnout.

20 | Rewarding career:

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Special education for teachers at Carlow University.

22 | Different approach: Half a world away, Chinese sisters are making significant progress.

On the cover...

“Part of the problem with the word ‘disabilities’ is that it immediately suggests an inability to see or hear or walk or do other things that many of us take for granted. But what of people who can’t feel? Or talk about their feelings? Or manage their feelings in constructive ways? What of people who aren’t able to form close and strong relationships? And people who cannot find fulfillment in their lives, or those who have lost hope, who live in disappointment and bitterness and find in life no joy, no love? These, it seems to me, are the real disabilities.”

Fred Rogers, also known as Mister Rogers Presbyterian minister and television personality Cover design by E. Denise Shean.

Disability Awareness 2017

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Catholic MAGAZINE 111 Blvd. of the Allies • Suite 200 Pittsburgh, PA 15222-1613 1-800-392-4670 www.pittsburghcatholic.org

Vol. 9, No. 4 Publisher | Bishop David A. Zubik General Manager | Ann Rodgers Editor | William Cone Operations Manager | Carmella Weismantle Disability Awareness Magazine Project Editor William Cone Associate Editors Phil Taylor (Special Projects) Matthew Peaslee (News) Staff Writer | John W. Franko Graphic Designers E. Denise Shean | Karen Hanlin Advertising Director Carmella Weismantle Account Executives Michael A. Check | Paul Crowe Michael Wire Circulation Mgr./Parish News Coord.

Peggy Zezza Administrative Assistant | Karen Hanlin

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Office Assistant | Jean DeCarlo

Advertising: ads@pittsburghcatholic.org Editorial: editor@pittsburghcatholic.org Marketplace: www.pittsburghcatholic.org Pittsburgh Catholic Disability Awareness Magazine is a complimentary publication available at all 188 Catholic parishes in the Diocese of Pittsburgh from the Pittsburgh Catholic Publishing Associates, Inc. Paid first-class delivered subscriptions are available.

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Pittsburgh Catholic Magazine 3

‘Wonderful members’ of body of Christ called to reach full potential in the church Not only to be ministered to, but as ministers serving others as well

By FATHER JOSEPH M. MELE Like many priests ordained in the 1970s, I still have vivid memories of unfortunate conditions of that time like those I am about to describe.

As a young parochial vicar, I was assigned to a parish serving two large facilities where people with physical and developmental disabilities lived in residence. Loving and caring catechists from the parish faithfully gave religious instruction to the residents.

One of the catechists lamented to me that even though her students very much enjoyed hearing the word of God, they could not receive the sacraments. I was shocked to hear that misperception and further disturbed to discover that such a misunderstanding was prevalent in both institutions.

Unimaginably, the residents never received the Eucharist or the sacrament of confirmation. Once the catechists were informed that the people they served could receive the sacraments, within no time at all beautiful celebrations for the reception of the Eucharist and confirmation were organized.

These events were attended by staff members, other residents and more-thanappreciative family members.

I will never forget those joyous liturgies. Love overflowed in the hearts of all who attended.

Mary Rita, one of the residents, exclaimed, “Father Joe, I am happy like on Christmas!”

Responding, her mother said, “Mary Rita, today Mommy is as happy as the people in heaven!” Then everyone around started cheering and hugging each other — some even cried tears of joy. Truly, it was a glimpse of the eternal celebration ahead.

Thankfully, we have come even further than those days in the mid-1970s. This shift in awareness and concern for people with disabilities was especially impacted by the U.S. bishops’ 1978 publication, the “Pastoral Statement on Persons with Disabilities.” In that document, the bishops called upon people of

CNS FILE PHOTO

Volunteers and participants at a retreat for adults with cognitive disabilities take time for prayer at St. Katharine Drexel Church in Kaukauna, Wisconsin.

We dream of a new culture in which we all lead. This duty is given to everyone by our baptismal call, so it obviously applies to people with disabilities, too. While we may be far from the realization of this goal, we are on the way when we rely on people with disabilities to yield for themselves their own strengths, including their potential as leaders. good will to re-examine their attitudes toward people with disabilities. They challenged us to promote the well-being of all, acting with “the sense of justice and the compassion that the Lord so clearly desires.”

One of my deepest joys is presiding at Mass and being assisted by people with disabilities, as at St. Mary of the Mount Parish in Pittsburgh’s Mount Washington neighborhood, where I am often assisted by two of my good friends with disabilities.

Their enthusiasm for Sunday worship and for helping me and the other liturgical ministers is inspirational. Like so many others with

4 Pittsburgh Catholic Magazine

disabilities, they are completely at home in the liturgy, and that’s what we want for everyone when they come to our churches.

This special Disabilities Awareness issue of Pittsburgh Catholic Magazine is totally committed to people with disabilities.

The Secretariat for Leadership Development and Evangelization is honored to house the office that coordinates numerous ministries serving those with physical or developmental disabilities. But beyond supporting needs, our secretariat is excited about assisting these people to become leaders. These wonderful members of the body of Christ are called not only to be ministered to, but to reach their full potential as ministers serving others. Some are called to lead by advocating for the rights of people with disabilities. This secretariat is committed to providing leadership development in these ways and in ways that have not even been imagined.

We dream of a new culture in which we all lead. This duty is given to everyone by our baptismal call, so it obviously applies to people with disabilities, too. While we may be far from the realization of this goal, we are on the way when we rely on people with disabilities to yield for themselves their own strengths, including their potential as leaders.

See Mele, Page 10

Disability Awareness 2017

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Disability Awareness 2017

Pittsburgh Catholic Magazine 5

Helping kids to be kids Variety — the Children’s Charity creates opportunities for joy and freedom

By ZACHARY MARSH On Christmas Eve in 1928 a onemonth-old baby girl was abandoned in the Sheridan Theatre in Pittsburgh.

The manager of the theater and 10 businessmen, known as the Variety Club (started in 1927), discovered the child left on a seat in the theater. The baby’s mother had pinned a note to the child’s clothing that read: “Please take care of my baby. Her name is Catherine. I can no longer take care of her. I have eight others. My husband is out of work. She was born on Thanksgiving Day. I have always heard of the goodness of show business people, and I pray to God that you will look after her.”

The 11 men adopted the child and named her Catherine Variety Sheridan — her

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middle name for the club and her last name for the theater.

The “godfathers” continued to support Catherine even after they found her a permanent home. The community was also inspired by Catherine’s story, and more clothes, food, money and toys were collected than any one child could ever need.

The Variety Club used the surplus to help other disadvantaged children (now known as Variety — the Children’s Charity).

Today, Variety — the Children’s Charity strives to enable children with disabilities to live life to the fullest with a focus on mobility, communication and social interaction/inclusion.

Children with disabilities face a host of challenges and obstacles that are often unrecognized to those without disabilities.

No child should be denied the opportunity to have typical childhood experiences simply because they have a disability. Variety’s programs provide children with disabilities the opportunity to discover the possibilities for their own lives and truly be a kid first.

In November 2012, Variety launched its My Bike Program, which provides Rifton adaptive bikes that are individually customized to eligible children with disabilities so they can experience the joy, freedom and belonging that’s created by riding a bike (with the cost to sponsor one bike being $1,800).

The incredible success of My Bike allowed Variety to create its two other programs, My Voice and My Stroller, to better serve the needs of our kids and families, as each program is striving to help families overcome barriers they are facing.

Variety’s My Voice Program provides communication devices (currently an iPad with a prescribed communication app) to eligible children with a communication disorder to give them a voice at all times (with cost to sponsor one device being $1,200).

Variety’s My Stroller Program provides Kid Kart Mighty Lite adaptive strollers to eligible kids with disabilities (with the cost to sponsor one stroller being $1,500). Typically, a family must choose between having a wheelchair or adaptive stroller. So, as a wheelchair is more necessary, an adaptive stroller allows for easier “on-the-go” mobility and participation in daily activities.

Since My Bike began in November 2012, more than 1,800 adaptive bikes, adaptive strollers or communication devices have

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF VARIETY — THE CHILDREN’S CHARITY

Tyler uses his communication device to ask his sisters, “Will you play a game with me?”

been sponsored for kids — that is more than $3 million worth.

Anyone interested in Variety’s programs can visit our website (www.varietypittsburgh. org) or call the office at 724-933-0460 to get started. All equipment is presented on a first-come, first-serve basis and is at no cost to families who qualify.

It’s our hope to identify every eligible child who could benefit from Variety’s programs so they are no longer left out, left behind or isolated.

Marsh is community relations manager for Variety — the Children’s Charity.

Cody is pictured riding his adaptive bike in a “bike parade” at Variety’s 2016 Gala.

Disability Awareness 2017

Be not afraid: We’re all in this together

By SISTER CONSTANCE VEIT Each October we observe Respect Life Month in dioceses around the United States. This year’s theme is “Be Not Afraid,” but of what, or whom, are we supposed to not be afraid?

Pondering this question, I recalled an experience I had while attending the Convocation of Catholic Leaders in Orlando this summer. I met a young woman and her mother from my diocese.

The daughter, who had an obvious disability and was using a power wheelchair, had been chosen as a delegate to the convocation; her mother, a college professor, was there as her assistant.

As we got acquainted, we chatted about accessibility issues in the church. The young woman told me that while most parishes have remedied architectural barriers such as curbs and restrooms, the seating area designated for wheelchairs is often still found way off to the side or at the very back of the sanctuary — evidence, she believes, that handicapped individuals are still not fully embraced as an integral part of parish life.

What she said next cut right to the heart: “It’s fine to be able to get in and out of church, but it would be nice if someone smiled at me once in a while, or spoke to me as if I actually knew what was going on.” I was stunned.

All too quickly we wrapped up our conversation, traded business cards — yes, my new friend has a college education and a meaningful job — and went our separate ways. But I haven’t been able to get this conversation off my mind.

When I got home I did a bit of research on attitudes toward the disabled and was shocked by a recent study in the U.K. that found two-thirds of adults are afraid of people with disabilities and feel so awkward around them that they go out of their way to avoid them.

Disability Awareness 2017

Another study indicated that 1.4 million senior citizens in the U.K. feel lonely and cut off from society, many going for more than a month at a time without talking to another human being. Since these were not American studies, it would be easy to dismiss this data, but I suspect that we have a lot in common with our British brothers and sisters.

Scholars in the field of disability studies suggest that disabled people mirror a certain kind of personal loss or death. They remind us of our own limitations and mortality — and that is what frightens us. As long as we can avoid those who are handicapped or elderly, we can keep our fears about our own fragility and eventual death at bay. But we are all broken in some way — if we were honest, we would admit that we each experience areas of weakness or disability every day, and none of us is really more than one accident or illness away from losing our cherished independence.

The church proposes a different approach. In the face of suffering and death she tells us, “Be not afraid.” With words that echo through salvation history into the depths of our hearts, the Lord says to us, “Do not fear: I am with you” (Isaiah 41:10). He speaks these words not as one who merely observes our pain, but as one who experienced intense suffering and death in his own flesh before triumphing over death itself.

Reflecting on the wounds of the Risen Christ, we see that even our most difficult trials can be the place where God manifests his victory. He is always with us.

Jesus promised this when he gave the disciples the same mission he gives to each of us: Go out to all the world!

So if we run toward our most vulnerable brothers and sisters rather than running away from them, marginalizing them or

“When I got home I did a bit of research on attitudes toward the disabled and was shocked by a recent study in the U.K. that found twothirds of adults are afraid of people with disabilities and feel so awkward around them that they go out of their way to avoid them.” excluding them from our lives, we will experience the love of God in a powerful, new way. We will contribute to the building up of a society that witnesses to the beautiful, profound reality that God has created each of us in his

own image and likeness, that he loves us infinitely and that he has confided each person to the love of all.

Sister Constance is director of communications for the Little Sisters of the Poor.

Have you HEARD? We speak miracles at

Learn more or make a gift at www.DePaulHearingAndSpeech.org

Pittsburgh Catholic Magazine 7

A year in the life of parish special education students Most Holy Name of Jesus Parish appreciates everyone’s gifts This article was written by students in the Most Holy Name Special Education Program in Pittsburgh’s Troy Hill neighborhood, with help from their friends and families.

Throughout the year we gather each Saturday morning to share prayer and support. We celebrate the seasons of the church calendar. In the fall, we learn about All Saints’ Day. All of our “saints” join in All Saints games, have snacks and, weather permitting, take a walk around the neighborhood, thus helping us to become more comfortable in our surroundings and so others can be more comfortable with us.

During Advent we prepare for the birth of our Savior. We pray, learn, make crafts, especially creating our gingerbread house for the PPG contest in Downtown Pittsburgh.

(We won first prize in our division last year for our gingerbread replica of Most Holy Name of Jesus Church.)

All of us appreciate the chance to get together, share a meal and festivities at our annual Christmas party. Mix-and-mingle time, then an Advent prayer service get the party started. Dinner and dancing, and, of course, a visit from St. Nick and his friends.

The Christmas season would not be complete without a visit and an adapted prayer service at the manger in Most Holy Name Church.

As we approach Lent, one of our yearly events is a special ed Mardi Gras. After partying we put away our musical instruments until Easter. Throughout Lent, our teachers tell us about Jesus’ sacrifice for us.

The first Sunday in March, on “Abilities Sunday,” we are given the opportunity to bring our gifts to the Mass and the parish community. Some of the students participate as altar servers. Others will read the Scriptures and petitions. Students greet those entering the church and carry the offertory gifts to the altar. A few serve as ushers, and all of us serve as witnesses to the parish community to the

Most Holy Name of Jesus group at Idlewild Park.

We are grateful for the opportunity to gather together, develop our social skills, give support to one another and participate as full members of Jesus’ church. gifts that all of us — “disabled” or “abled” — can bring to Jesus, Spring comes and we are reminded of the gifts of God’s creation. In May, we crown Mary in a ceremony made special and sacred by the devotion of our fellow students.

Summer reminds us of the great times we’ve had at our Idlewild picnic, visits to the Trolley Museum and many excursions.

While reflecting on the above calendar we thank God for all of our friends in this program.

We are grateful for the opportunity to gather together, develop our social skills, give support to one another and participate as full members of Jesus’ church.

You are welcome to come and join our special education family.

For information about the Special Education Program at Most Holy Name Parish, call the rectory at 412-231-2994.

8 Pittsburgh Catholic Magazine

Gingerbread house made by the Most Holy Name Special Education Program.

Disability Awareness 2017

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Disability Awareness 2017

Pittsburgh Catholic Magazine 9

MELE Continued from Page 4 Only the Lord knows exactly how leadership for people with disabilities will take shape, but the Secretariat for Leadership Development and Evangelization exists to continually look at how far we have come and to keep asking how far the Lord still wants us to go. With our sisters and brothers who are physically or developmentally challenged becoming leaders with the rest of us, each in the capacity for which he or she is potentially gifted, we assure God that all the talent he has given will be used in the most creative ways possible.

This issue of Pittsburgh Catholic Magazine testifies that our family and church members with disabilities are equal contributors in the leadership of our parishes, striving to be On Mission for The Church Alive!

Father Mele is diocesan secretary for leadership development and evangelization.

DePaul School to host annual Reach for the Stars Gala We interrupt your regularly scheduled programming to bring you a special presentation from DePaul School for Hearing and Speech – this year’s Reach for the Stars Gala.

Join DePaul on Friday, Oct. 27, at the Heinz Field UPMC East Club Lounge for a night filled with games, quizzes, silent auction baskets, and tons of fun to celebrate the successes of the students of DePaul School for Hearing and Speech and honor our many supporters.

An exclusive VIP reception will be held from 5:30-6:30 p.m., with cocktails and appetizers.

The party continues at 6:30 p.m. for all guests.

A sit-down dinner and “Feature Presentation” will follow with Elena LaQuatra and Kauleen Cloutier as the evening’s hosts.

Now in its 14th year, the annual Reach for the Stars Gala provides essential funding for DePaul School’s mission to teach children who are deaf or hard of hearing to listen and speak. To date, the gala has raised more than

$1 million to further this mission.

DePaul’s Listening and Spoken Language curriculum ensures that children, even those who are profoundly deaf, can learn to listen, speak and compete academically while preparing for success in a traditional hearing classroom after their time at DePaul.

DePaul School for Hearing and Speech, located in Pittsburgh, is the only Listening and Spoken Language (LSL) school in the western Pennsylvania, Ohio, and the West Virginia tristate area.

This year’s gala wouldn’t be possible if not for the support of generous corporate and individual sponsors, such as: UPMC and UPMC Health Plan; Riley, Hewitt, Witte & Romano PC; Janney, Montgomery & Scott LLC, Touchstone Capital, PPG Industries, and Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.

For more information about the 14th Annual Reach for the Stars Gala go to: www.DePaulHearingAndSpeech.org/Gala

Planning to celebrate the Sacrament of Marriage or a 50th Anniversary in the next six months!

Celebrated the Sacrament of Marriage or a 50th Anniversary in the past six months!

Share your joyful announcement with the rest of the Diocese of Pittsburgh in the Piffsburgh Catholic's full color Wedding Guide/Section to be released in 2018!

Send your color photograph and a 110-word announcement postmarked on or before Friday, February 2, 2018, to: Wedding Guide, Pittsburgh Catholic, 111 Blvd. of the Allies, Suite 200, Pittsburgh, PA 15222-1613 or e-mail khanlin@pittsburghcatholic.org For questions, call Karen at 412-471-1252, Ext. 3573 Hard copy photos will be returned to those providing a self-addressed stamped envelope.

10 Pittsburgh Catholic Magazine

Disability Awareness 2017

Changing lives — one wish at a time Families report many benefits from Make-A-Wish

By DANA ANTKOWIAK Since 1983, the local chapter of MakeA-Wish has been dedicated to granting the wishes of courageous children living with critical illnesses. Headquartered in Downtown Pittsburgh, the chapter serves 57 counties in Pennsylvania and all of West Virginia. One of the most active chapters in the country, it grants more than 700 wishes each year.

So much more than just a nice experience for a day or week, a wish plays a vital role in kids’ treatment — improving their emotional well-being by making them more energetic, more hopeful and more willing to fight. In fact, a recent study published in Quality of Life Research magazine found that Make-A-Wish experiences led to increased emotional and physical health.

The local chapter has been granting wishes for more than 30 years. Yet, its greatest challenge is making sure that families who have potentially eligible children know about the program.

Because the organization cannot directly solicit families for Make-A-Wish experiences, it relies on the community to help spread the word about Make-A-Wish and help identify eligible children.

Eligible children must be between the ages of 2.5 and 18 years old at the time of referral and not have already received a wish. A child’s eligibility is ultimately determined by his or her specialist, but qualifying conditions typically include, but are not limited to, cancer, cystic fibrosis, severe heart defects, intractable epilepsy and organ transplants.

The single greatest misconception about Make-A-Wish is that a child must be terminally ill in order to qualify. This is not true, and can prevent families from reaching out to Make-A-Wish.

Linda Dorman can relate. When her son, Austin, was diagnosed with a rare lung cancer in April 2016, social workers approached her about making a referral for him to Make-A-Wish.

See Wish, Page 13

Disability Awareness 2017

PHOTOS COURTESY OF MAKE-A-WISH

Austin Dorman, second from left, with his family in Hawaii.

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Young people with Down syndrome and other developmental challenges show off their costumes for Pope Francis and television cameras outside the Vatican nunciature in Bogota, Colombia, Sept. 7.

Being vulnerable is being human, pope tells young people

By CINDY WOODEN Catholic News Service BOGOTA, Colombia — Proudly showing off their costumes for television cameras before Pope Francis arrived, dozens of young people with Down syndrome and

other developmental challenges were obviously proud and pleased.

Pope Francis, smiling broadly, was obviously delighted by the precision of the traditional Colombian songs and dances they performed for him Sept. 7 outside the Vatican nunciature, where he was staying.

But the atmosphere changed when one of the young women spoke.

Just to make sure everyone heard her, the pope asked the “beautiful Maria” to repeat what she had said.

“We want a world in which vulnerability is recognized as essential to the human person,” Maria repeated. Vulnerability, “far from weakening, strengthens and dignifies us” and is “a common meeting place that humanizes us.”

Pope Francis seconded what Maria said, insisting vulnerability is part of “the essence of being human.”

“We are all vulnerable, everyone,” he said.

Some people are particularly vulnerable in their feelings and reactions to other people, so no one sees that vulnerability. Other people have vulnerabilities that are obvious.

Either way, the pope said, that vulnerability must be “respected, caressed, cared for as much as possible.”

Pope Francis ended the brief meeting by leading the young people in reciting a Hail Mary. And, to his usual “please, do not forget to pray for me,” he added, “because I am very vulnerable.”

12 Pittsburgh Catholic Magazine

Disability Awareness 2017

Social Security expedites decisions for those with serious disabilities Nancy Berryhill, Acting Commissioner of Social Security, today announced three new Compassionate Allowances conditions: CACH — Vanishing White Matter Disease-Infantile and Childhood Onset Forms, Congenital Myotonic Dystrophy and Kleefstra Syndrome.

Compassionate Allowances are a way to quickly identify serious diseases and other medical conditions that meet Social Security’s standards for disability benefits.

“Social Security is committed — now and in the future — to continue to identify and fasttrack diseases that are certain or near-certain to be approved for disability benefits,” said Acting Commissioner Berryhill.

The Compassionate Allowances program

identifies claims where the applicant’s disease or condition clearly meets Social Security’s statutory standard for disability.

Many of these claims are allowed based on medical confirmation of the diagnosis alone, for example pancreatic cancer, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and acute leukemia.

To date, almost 500,000 people with severe disabilities have been approved through this fast-track policy-compliant disability process, which has grown to a total of 228 conditions.

By incorporating cutting-edge technology, the agency can easily identify potential Compassionate Allowances and quickly make decisions.

For other disability cases not covered by the

Compassionate Allowances program, Social Security’s Health IT program brings the speed and efficiency of electronic medical records to the disability determination process.

When a person applies for disability benefits, Social Security must obtain medical records in order to make an accurate determination. It may take weeks for health care organizations to provide records for the applicant’s case.

With electronic records transmission, Social Security is able to quickly obtain a claimant’s medical information, review it, and make a determination faster than ever before.

“The Compassionate Allowances and Health IT programs are making a real difference by ensuring that Americans with disabilities quickly receive the benefits they need,” said Berryhill.

For more information about the program, including a list of all Compassionate Allowances conditions, please visit www. socialsecurity.gov/compassionateallowances.

WISH

Continued from Page 11 “To me, as a nurse … I have always seen this agency as a wonderful organization which granted wishes for children before they passed away,” she said. “This made it very difficult for me to accept such a wonderful thing from Make-A-Wish. I was wrong. I needed to see this as a wonderful opportunity for my child, as well as for our entire family.”

Austin wished for a trip to Hawaii. There, he and his family took in sunsets and luaus, learned to surf, explored rainforests and visited Pearl Harbor. Now, Linda looks to the future with renewed hope and strength. Austin’s latest scan showed he was cancer-free.

“Believe it or not, Austin has now started his senior year in high school. Now I cry for normal reasons … He also turns 18 years old in a few days … He continues to wish and plan for new things in his future. He is an inspiration to all of us!”

Do you know a child like Austin who needs a wish?

After obtaining the parents’/legal guardians’ permission, they can be referred in one of three easy ways: at the website, greaterpawv. wish.org; by calling 800-676-9474; or e-mailing email@pawv.wish.org.

Having a wish granted can be an integral part of the child’s healing process. It can give a child and their family hope for the future, strength to cope with an illness and joy for life.

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Disability Awareness 2017

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Pittsburgh Catholic Magazine 13

MS has changed Saint Vincent grad’s life in many ways Former Saint Vincent College senior biology major Jenny Willis of Saltsburg describes herself as “a non-traditional, not typical Saint Vincent student with a crazy background” but she couldn’t be happier or more passionate about her education and her success in overcoming challenges in her life.

Willis, 39, who earned a bachelor of science degree in biology with a cellular and molecular concentration this past May, graduated from Derry Area High School in 1996. She then joined the military to see the world and become a Department of Defense linguist.

“My first love is languages,” she admitted.

“I have studied 15 languages and am fluent in several of them, particularly the Slavic languages. During service in Bosnia 19992000, I was unfortunately exposed to some chemicals and eventually diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, which changed my life forever.

“During the first five years, the MS caused me to accumulate neurological disability such as hearing and vision loss, numbness, weakness, partial paralysis, decreased walking ability and several other symptoms, so I was medically retired. The medications for MS did not help me, so I started learning about alternative therapies on my own. I spent ten years researching, recovering and healing before I decided to enroll at Saint Vincent and study biology and continue my research on the causes and cures of MS.” “I knew that Saint Vincent could help me in my undergraduate research of MS to learn the science behind what takes place at the molecular level in the human body with disease and healing. I understood that it was the alternative therapies that were healing me,” she explained. “My question was how they were healing me and whether alternative therapies could also help others with MS. I found out through my research that the answer is yes.”

Today, she celebrates the fact that her MS has been in remission for more than 10 years in response to nutrition, special foods, herbs and supplements. “I grew up dancing, so to lose my health was devastating. This is my seventh year teaching dance; I teach ballet, tap, jazz, acrobatics, conditioning and hip-hop at Pazaz Christian Dance Academy in Greensburg,” she said proudly. “I also jog and do just about anything else physically I want to

Jenny Willis

do. My quality of life has improved drastically.”

“I have been impressed with the faculty and staff at Saint Vincent from the very beginning,” she said. “They are all so helpful and enthusiastic about being here. The students are also motivated and enthusiastic about learning. The science program here at Saint Vincent is absolutely outstanding. The curriculum is so challenging and I feel that I have been given an exceptional quality of education.

“The professors are geniuses in their fields and I am honored to have had the opportunity to work with them. My advisor is Dr. Bruce Bethke and he has been great to work with, always willing to go out of his way to make sure his students are prepared and directed appropriately. There were many times during the experimental portion of my research project that we even came in during the weekends and on holidays to keep my experiment flowing smoothly.

Sandy Quinlivan, associate dean of studies in academic affairs, has also been very supportive and helpful in smoothly providing academic accommodations whenever I needed them.”

What is the most challenging thing she has done at Saint Vincent?

“I think that would be maintaining a status

of good health with my MS and keeping a positive attitude while being a diligent student and doing all of the 50 million other things in life I do, like working, being a good mom, and running my kids all around to their activities,” she said.

“Because of some cognitive issues I deal with from the multiple sclerosis, I have had to re-learn how to learn,” she admitted.

“This is challenging because I was always a straight-A student, top of the class, not only in high school, but even throughout my military career with all of the foreign languages I have studied and military training. Because of the MS, there is a lesion on my right temporal lobe that has caused cognitive issues with memory and processing of new information.

I have overcome this and made new pathways in the brain to get all of this college information in there.”

She has been recognized at Saint Vincent by being named to the Dean’s List several times. She also recently traveled with other Saint Vincent students to the National Conference for Undergraduate Research in Memphis, Tennessee, where she made an oral presentation of her research entitled, “A Modified Ketogenic Diet Attenuates Motor Disability and Cognitive Impairment in a Murine Model of Multiple Sclerosis.”

She also enjoyed doing service learning as part of a theology course she took called “Peace, Justice and Forgiveness in the Catholic Tradition” taught by Dr. Chris McMahon. “In the Environmental Justice Program, we worked with the Loyalhana Watershed Association and volunteered to help out with whatever they needed help with. We did things like planting trees and parking cars for their Fort Ligonier Days fundraiser. We also learned about Westmoreland Cleanways recycling program,” she noted. “It was a great experience.”

After St. Vincent, she planned to attend Indiana University of Pennsylvania and pursue a master’s degree in cellular and molecular biology and continue her research of MS. Willis and her husband, Clyde, have two children, Aiden, 12, and Lidija, 14, who until this year have both been home-schooled.

“We still homeschool Aiden, but Lidija wanted to try going to school like a ‘regular kid,’ so she is enjoying her first year of public school, earning straight-A’s. I also can’t say enough about the immense amount of support I have received from my husband throughout the years.”

Willis, daughter of Mark and Joan Reynolds, is a member of Pioneer Presbyterian Church in Ligonier.

14 Pittsburgh Catholic Magazine

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1-877-352-4506 Pittsburgh Catholic Magazine 15

Life happens Caregivers need to beware of burnout

By DEACON TIM KILLMEYER A good paraphrase of a Shakespeare quote is “Some are born caregivers, some achieve caregiving, and some have caregiving thrust upon them.”

I definitely fall into the third category.

Spending 37 years as a caregiver was not something I ever imagined I would be doing when I contemplated the future in my teens and early 20s. It’s like the saying from Allen Saunders: “Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans.”

Life happens, and we either go along for the ride or we live lives of frustration.

At some point I realized that whatever strength I had was not of my own making but was supplied by God. As that realization took hold, and I looked back on all the trials we had come through, and especially all the blessings we had

Deacon Tim Killmeyer with his wife, Chris.

received. I was able to put more and more trust in the providence of God and let go.

But it is interesting how one’s perspective on the world and what is important to us can slowly change as we sacrifice something of ourselves for the sake of another person. And our closeness to the people we care for let’s us see the world through their eyes as well.

“Some are born caregivers ...”

Whatever category you fall into, the most recent report on caregiving by the American Association of Retired Persons tells us that more than 43.5 million people (18.2 percent of the U.S. population) provide care for a chronically ill, disabled or aging family member or friend during any given year, and spend an average of 20 hours per week providing care for their loved one. Some statistics go as high as 29 percent.

A Reuters report in 2013 suggested that as many as four out of 10 Americans provide care for someone. But all of the numbers suggest that the number of

caregivers in the U.S. is staggering.

Caregivers perform a range of activities that can include one or all of the following: providing companionship, assisting with housework, running errands, home repair, providing medical or physical care and more. And while the physical support we give is the most obvious, it is sometimes the easiest. (Though none of it is “easy,” strictly speaking.) Sometimes providing emotional support is the most important thing we can give, but it can also be the most draining.

Healthful tips Given all of the above, it is not surprising that caregivers are regularly warned to take care of themselves so they can continue to give good care to those they love. The Caregiver Action Network (www. caregiveraction.org ) offers these 10 tips for caregivers. Some of us do a few, some of us do several. Which ones do you need to work on?

1. Seek support from other caregivers.

You are not alone!

2. Take care of your own health so you can be strong enough to take care of your loved one.

3. Accept offers of help and suggest specific things people can do to help you.

4. Learn how to communicate effectively with doctors.

5. Caregiving is hard work, so take respite breaks often.

6. Watch out for signs of depression, and don’t delay getting professional help when you need it.

7. Be open to new technologies that can help you care for your loved one.

8. Organize medical information so it’s up to date and easy to find.

9. Make sure legal documents are in order.

10. Give yourself credit for doing the best you can in one of the toughest jobs there is!

Deacon Killmeyer was ordained for the Diocese of Pittsburgh in 1999. He is assigned to the diocesan Department for Persons with Disabilities and assists at Holy Trinity Parish in Robinson Township. He has been married since 1980 to his wife, Chris, who was injured in a minor automobile accident that left her paralyzed from the neck down and dependent upon a portable ventilator to breathe. He has coordinated her health care full time since 1989. Since the accident, Deacon Killmeyer has experienced many of the joys as well as trials that come from being a caregiver and the strength that could only come from God through faith.

16 Pittsburgh Catholic Magazine

Disability Awareness 2017

Court ruling that upholds ban on physician-assisted suicide welcomed ALBANY, N.Y. (CNS) — The director of pro-life activities for the New York State Catholic Conference applauded the state’s highest court for unanimously determining that the state constitution does not include a fundamental right to physician-assisted suicide.

Kathleen Gallagher said the New York Court of Appeals “wisely determined that New York’s law prohibiting assisted suicide applies to everyone, including those physicians who may wish to assist their patients’ death.”

In an 81-page decision Sept. 7 in the case, Myers v. Schneiderman, the court said state law prohibiting physician-assisted suicide stems from “legitimate government interests” to protect human life.

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman was the principal defendant in the case.

The court ruled 5-0 — with two judges not participating in the case — that there is a distinction between a patient refusing lifesustaining treatment, which is allowed under state law, and a physician working to hasten the death of a mentally competent patient wishing to end their life because of a terminal illness.

The judges said that the plaintiffs in the case could best address their arguments to the state legislature.

Gallagher said in a statement released soon after the decision became public that the Catholic Church has long recognized a patient’s right to refuse life-sustaining treatment, but has never supported physicianassisted suicide.

“The decision is a significant victory for those who would be most at risk of abuse and most susceptible to pressure to take their own lives, including the isolated elderly, persons with disabilities, and those who are depressed and overcome with hopelessness,” Gallagher said.

“Twenty years ago, in Vaco v. Quill, the United States Supreme Court declared that physician-assisted suicide is not a constitutional right and, with this decision, the New York State Court of Appeals agrees,” she added.

The case was filed in 2015 by three terminally ill patients and doctors who care for them. It was filed to prevent state prosecutors

Disability Awareness 2017

Gallagher said in a statement released soon after the decision became public that the Catholic Church has long recognized a patient’s right to refuse life-sustaining treatment, but has never supported physician-assisted suicide. from filing criminal charges against physicians providing mentally competent, rapidly deteriorating patients with drugs to

assist in their suicides.

The plaintiffs did not claim that any New York doctor was prosecuted for assisted suicide, but they filed the case to seek a ruling to clarify that state law against the practice was not meant to apply to trained doctors providing aid in dying to terminally ill patients who had given their approval.

Since the filing, the ruling said, two of the plaintiffs have died and the third is in remission from cancer.

States where physician-assisted suicide is legal are California, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont and Washington.

Pittsburgh Catholic Magazine 17

Reception of the Eucharist for those with special physical needs

By DEACON LAWRENCE R. SUTTON (All quoted material in this article is taken from the “Guidelines for the Celebration of the Sacraments with Persons with Disabilities” U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2017.)

In June, the United States bishops met and approved a revised edition of the guidelines for celebration of the sacraments for people with disabilities. In this revision it reinforced that Catholics with disabilities must have full access and participation in the church.

There have been “inconsistencies” in pastoral practices resulting from misunderstanding about the nature of disabilities across this country. Other times these inconsistencies arise from uncertainties about the appropriate applications of

The revised guidelines were developed to address many of the concerns raised by persons with disabilities and their families and advocates, as well as clergy and other pastoral ministers for greater consistency in the pastoral practices in the celebration of the sacraments throughout this country.

Still others seem to have resulted from real or perceived limitations of the parishes or diocese’s available resources.

The revised guidelines were developed to address many of the concerns raised by persons with disabilities and their families and advocates, as well as clergy and other pastoral ministers for greater consistency in the pastoral practices in the celebration of the sacraments throughout this country.

Although there are many provisions that have been addressed in the revisions, this article will focus on two: first, providing the Eucharist to those who have been properly prepared, but require the use of a feeding tube for nutrition; and, secondly, for those who are not able to consume a conventional host by itself due to sensory problems (texture, taste, feel) or allergy or practice and wish to use the allowable practice of Intinction.

church law toward people with disabilities.

At times these have arisen out of fear, misunderstanding or simple unfamiliarity.

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18 Pittsburgh Catholic Magazine

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It should be noted that all those who are to receive sacraments must be properly prepared. Those with developmental disabilities can be properly prepared to receive our Catholic sacraments and should never be denied this opportunity to learn about God. As many know, there have been wonderful sacramental preparation programs for those with intellectual and developmental disability programs available in the U.S. for many decades beginning with the Rose Kennedy Curriculum created in our diocese in the 1960s, and other curriculums that have been subsequently developed for work with those utilizing additional resources, including teen mentors developed in this diocese, and utilized across the nation through Loyola Press’Adaptive Finding God. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has a procedure for approving curriculum for providing religious education to children and adults before it can be utilized in any diocese. The director of religious education has access to those curriculum and is a valuable resource for those programs which are considered approved and current. It is important to find those resources which are considered contemporary. Additionally the

It should be noted that all those who are to receive sacraments must be properly prepared. Those with developmental disabilities can be properly prepared to receive our Catholic sacraments and should never be denied this opportunity to learn about God. National Catholic Partnership on Disabilities has a listing of current approved curriculum available for religious education as well and can be reached at: https://www.ncpd.org

The Eucharist “The Eucharist is the most august sacrament, in which’s Christ the Lord himself is contained, offered, and received, and by which the church constantly lives and grows.

The celebration of the Eucharist is the center of the entire Christian life. It is important to note, however, that the criterion for the

reception of holy Communion is the same for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities as for all persons, namely, that the person be able to ‘distinguish the body of Christ from ordinary food,’ even if this recognition is evidenced through manner, gesture, or reverential silence rather than verbally.”

“Pastors are encouraged to consult with parents, those religious educators, and other experts in making their judgment. If it is determined that a parishioner who is disabled is not ready to receive the sacrament, great care is to be taken in explaining the reasons for this decision. Cases of doubt should be resolved in favor of the right of the Catholic to receive the sacrament. The existence of a disability is not considered in and of itself as disqualifying a person from receiving Holy Communion.”

Feeding tubes Catholics who are required to receive nourishment through feeding tubes and who have been and or who are being prepared to receive the Eucharist, have the right to

See Eucharist, Page 25

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Pittsburgh Catholic Magazine 19

Special education is a calling for many university students

By DREW WILSON There are careers that are more of a calling than simply a job. Teaching special needs students is one that is definitely a calling.

“There is a such a shortage of special education teachers,” said Dr. Susan O’Rourke, the program director of special education at Carlow University. “We definitely want to encourage more people to come into the field. But it’s not for everyone.”

Special needs students can have a wide variety of mental, physical, social, emotional and behavioral disabilities, and with every disability there can be a different approach for how a teacher can reach a student.

“A special education teacher needs to understand the challenge that every child is facing and help each child learn as he or she is able to do so,” said O’Rourke. “When you approach a child who is struggling with learning, it’s a new approach every day, because every day is different and every child is different.”

In O’Rourke’s experience, most of the students who are drawn to special education do so because they have had an opportunity to interact with someone with a disability at some point in their lives.

“It might be a sibling, a friend of the family, or it could be that the student has volunteered at school or a center somewhere,” she said.

While it takes a special person to become a

She said there is a saying among special education teachers — “Disability is not an inability.” — which means that special education teachers really try to focus on a child’s strengths and build upon those to develop other skills. special education teacher, O’Rourke believes the average person has a huge misconception about what special education teachers do.

“Everyone thinks special education is about loving these kids and giving hugs, but just doing that is not going to help them,” she said What helps is applying the knowledge in the field in a manner that helps the child learn.

“In special education, we really use the scientific method in our work, because we are constantly changing variables to see if those changed variables make an impact on the child.”

Changed variables might be changing conditions in the learning environment, such as moving a desk or work station to a place where distractions are minimized, or adapting practice skills to the levels of a student. Whatever the changes made, there is a sense of constant assessment and reassessment to determine which approach is working.

“In special education, we are constantly

Dr. Susan O’Rourke, the program director of special education at Carlow University.

doing assessments,” she said, adding that it is a different type of assessment than what is measured by general educators. “General educators tend to use assessment as an assessment of the effectiveness of their instruction. The difference is that the assessment used by special education teachers is used for instruction.”

For example, O’Rourke says that a common approach in special education is to do a pre-test with the child, work on a new skill by practicing it every day, and assessing the progress at regular intervals, not as a basis for testing or grades, but as a way of seeing if the child is making progress towards a goal.

She said there is a saying among special education teachers — “Disability is not an inability.” — which means that special education teachers really try to focus on a child’s strengths and build upon those to develop other skills.

“It’s definitely related to the context of the situation,” she said. “For example, the age of a child makes a difference. With a child of 5 who can’t count past ten, you may work on counting and keep working on counting. With a child of 12 faced with the same challenge, teachers may move to functional academics; are they going to be able to learn to purchase food in a grocery store? Are they going to be able to live on their own? And are they going to be able to work?

For some of the students, the answer is going to be that they aren’t going to be able to learn all the skills that they need to function independently in the world.

“We also make our decisions on goals based on factors like age, or the environment that they live in,” she said. “Some children come from a well-to-do background and have family support structures in place where they can continue to live for years, but some children have no support structures whatsoever.”

Having to make tough decisions that can affect the futures of children and their families, is one of the reasons why O’Rourke will readily admit that the career is not for everyone, and suggests that students volunteer at a school, center, or hospital first to find out if the career might be for them. If they do, she feels that they will be rewarded greatly.

“Special education is a rewarding career,” O’Rourke said. “I always left my job each day knowing that I had made life a bit easier for my students, and — at the end of the day — that’s a good feeling.”

For more information about special education at Carlow University, please visit www.carlow.edu.

Wilson is director of media relations for Carlow University in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood.

20 Pittsburgh Catholic Magazine

Disability Awareness 2017

Pope makes donation to handicapped-accessible beach project Italian Paralympic Swimming Federation are on hand to ensure a “safe and enjoyable” experience for visitors.

The “Work of Love” association said the donation was accompanied by a message from the pope who “imparted his blessing to the volunteers and in a special way to the disabled people and their families” who visit the beach.

“The idea behind (this project) is not of creating a ‘ghetto’ settlement, but rather a beach without architectural and mental barriers, where everyone can enjoy the sea together with its many benefits,” the association said.

The undisclosed amount donated by Pope Francis, the statement added, “covers the rent costs for the year for ‘La Madonnina’ beach.”

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — An Italian association that runs and maintains a Roman beach for disabled people received an unexpected donation from Pope Francis.

In an April 25 statement, the “Work of Love,” a charitable association dedicated to St. Aloysius Gonzaga, expressed their “enthusiasm and astonishment” upon receiving a contribution made in the pope’s name by Archbishop Konrad Krajewski, the papal almoner.

The association runs “La Madonnina” beach near Fiumicino, located 17 miles southwest of Rome, that is specially designed for disabled people and equipped with walkways for easy access in and around the area.

According to the association’s website, volunteers and medical personnel from the

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Chinese sisters take different approach to helping disabled

By MELANIE LIDMAN Catholic News Service BEIJING — As soon as the first sisters moved onto the church grounds in a rural region outside of Beijing, the babies started showing up on the doorstep.

They were babies with severe disabilities, abandoned at a few months old, with no trace of the family who left them behind.

China’s one-child policy was not enforced in the rural countryside, like here in Hebei province, where families continued to have an average of three or four children.

“These are very poor families, and these parents have a lot of pressure, not only for taking care of the disabled kids, but also taking care of many other children,” said Sister Niu Chun Mi, director of the Gaoyi Therapy Center for the Liming Family.

The Liming Family is the primary ministry for the St. Therese of the Child Jesus Sisters, known locally as the St. Therese of the Little Flower Sisters. The Liming (House of Dawn) Family is a group of three institutions that serve children and adults with severe mental and physical disabilities.

“Parents began abandoning these children in front of the door to the church, and the bishop asked the sisters to take care of them,” recalled Sister Xeufen Zhang. Sister Xeufen was one of the original 10 founders of the St. Therese sisters in 1988.

“In the beginning, we kept the orphans in the same house as us, and we slept together, and we ate together,” Sister Xeufen said. “Before I entered the community, I thought that sisters live in a house with a big wall and pray all day. When I entered, I saw that a sister’s life was very different. We needed to build the house ourselves, brick by brick. We needed to take care of these orphans and students. I didn’t choose to be a mother, but suddenly I needed to be a mother and a father, too.”

It wasn’t until 1998 that the sisters formally opened the orphanage in a separate building, with guidance from

CNS PHOTOS/MELANIE LIDMAN, GSR

Sister Ma Suling, center, poses with staff and children at the Liming Family/House of Dawn therapy center for children with disabilities in Gaoyi, Hebei province, China. At the center, 60 children up to age 16 receive therapy, 33 of them for physical disabilities.

“We needed to take care of these orphans and students. I didn’t choose to be a mother, but suddenly I needed to be a mother and a father, too.”

— Sister Xeufen Zhang sisters from Hong Kong. Today, the Liming Family has three branches. Biancun Nursing Center provides accommodations for the youngest children who do not have families. The Gaoyi Therapy Center offers special education, speech therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and “integrative sensory” therapy, an occupational therapy for children with both physical and mental disabilities.

At the Ningjin Occupational Center for young adults, staff train the residents to make crafts that are sold locally and yield a small income.

“It started with the orphanage, but there were more and more orphans, and our former superior said we needed to reduce the number of orphans,” said Sister Ma

Suling, superior general of the St. Therese Sisters.

“Many parents don’t want to abandon their kids, but reality forced them to,” she said.

The sisters started the therapy center in 2006, with the purpose of providing resources and support to parents, so they could keep their children at home.

“Some hospitals accept these kinds of children for therapy, but it’s very expensive,” Sister Ma said. “They need a lot of long-term therapy, even for years. If a child has cerebral palsy, they might need three to five years to learn how to walk with a device.”

At the Liming centers, the therapy is heavily subsidized. Forty-minute sessions cost 25 yuan (about $3.50), less than half of the cost of hospital therapies. Families are charged on a pay-as-you-can basis, but Sister Ma said only about a third of the families are able to afford treatment. The rest is covered by donations from private individuals, including Catholics throughout China.

“We also do training work for the

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Disability Awareness 2017

parents, and the parents often accompany the kids during therapy,” explained Sister Zhang Cun Cun, vice director of the therapy center in Gaoyi. “That’s good for the long-term therapy for the kids.”

“Teachers teach the kids to take care of themselves,” Sister Zhang added. “This reduces their expense to the families. They give them the therapies, and also personal hygiene. They teach them how to wash their own bowls and tie their own shoes.”

It’s a radically different approach from how institutions and the public used to treat people with disabilities, expecting that they could not do anything for themselves, the sisters said.

There are 130 children and young adults living at the Liming Family centers, which have helped more than 1,800 people since they started.

In addition to providing services for people with disabilities, the St. Therese sisters are trying to influence how society treats people with disabilities. They have a speakers bureau that brings young adults from their center to tell community center and university audiences about their lives.

“Their stories inspire a lot of people,” Sister Mi Lihong said.

The Liming centers also organize talent shows, showcasing residents who can play the piano, sing, write poetry on a computer using their toes to type, or paint using their mouths. One resident, Tian Herbal, is now studying on a full scholarship at Beijing Normal University. She does not have use of her limbs and paints watercolors of giant flowers using a brush clamped between her teeth.

“Through these activities, we want the society to know our value of life, that we respect life like this,” Sister Mi said.

Tian, which means “gift from God,” is the last name that the sisters give all of the orphans. Tian Hua Hua, 23, is part of the speakers bureau and a professional photographer. His work, featuring shots of intimate, spontaneous moments of people with disabilities going about their daily lives at the Liming Center, was shown in a gallery in Beijing and in international media.

The sisters actively promote a connection between the community and the Liming Family centers. They recruit local families to be “supportive parents.”

For 300 yuan (about $40 per month), a family “adopts” one of the residents at the Liming Center.

“Sometimes they come to visit, sometimes they take our patients to their

Disability Awareness 2017

house,” Sister Mi said. “We want to make a family that is there to support them for an emotional perspective.”

They also match “supportive parents” with families of children with disabilities, to help give them extra support and enable the children to live at home.

Originally, the Liming centers were run only by sisters, but eventually the nuns realized that hiring experienced laypeople for administrative positions helped the organization run more efficiently. Sister Mi said that, at the beginning, there were some clashes in leadership style between the sisters and the laypeople, some of whom are not Catholic.

“We’re still on our way to seeking the best management,” she said.

Lidman is Middle East and Africa correspondent for Global Sisters Report. She is based in Israel.

A resident of Liming Family paints a picture in early April at the facility in Gaoyi, Hebei province, China. Assisting people with disabilities is one of the main ministries of the St. Therese Sisters.

I FOUND hope. ..

It’s extraordinary what children with intellectual disabilities can find when they’re in an inclusive environment. Academic challenge. Friends.

And a loving community that helps them grow.

You’ll find St. Anthony School Programs in Catholic schools throughout our region. Enrolling now for grades K-post secondary. Find out more at stanthonykids.org or 1-844-STA KIDS.

Pittsburgh Catholic Magazine 23

Keep your mind and See faith Pg.18 sharp!

See Page 18 to order your own Bible Quiz Booklet today!

(Answers to puzzle found on page 18.)

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24 Pittsburgh Catholic Magazine

Disability Awareness 2017

EUCHARIST Continued from Page 19

receive the Eucharist. It must be understood that “Christ is sacramentally present under each species both in the bread as well in the wine alone. Since the full presence of Christ and his sanctifying grace are found even in the smallest piece of consecrated host or a mere drop of consecrated wine, the norm of receiving through the mouth remains the same for those who otherwise use a feeding tube for sustenance.

“For these communicants it will be commonly possible to place one or a few drops of precious blood on the tongue. Clergy and pastoral ministers are encouraged to use these guidelines and consult with physicians, family members and other experts on a case-by-case basis to determine how those who use feeding tubes may avail themselves of the abundant fruits of holy Communion.

Specialized instruction for extraordinary ministers of holy Communion is to be provided as required.”

In summary, the revised guidelines for the celebration of the sacraments with persons with disabilities is refreshing and very helpful for those Catholics with disabilities, as well as for those families who have disabled members. common in the Diocese of Pittsburgh. When recently participating in the Special Olympics sports camp in central Pennsylvania in August, Intinction was as common as was receiving the Eucharist in both forms.

For those that have sensory-related problems, the use of Intinction and then

consuming the consecrated hosts, creates a situation where the consecrated host dissolves very rapidly once it is placed into the mouth thus minimizing the texture and other related sensory problems often faced by those with autism.

In summary, the revised guidelines for the celebration of the sacraments with persons with disabilities is refreshing and very helpful for those Catholics with disabilities, as well as for those families who have disabled members. Please take the time to review these guidelines. You can find these guidelines on the website outlined on the homepage of the National Catholic Partnership on Disability as noted above or by contacting your pastor.

God bless you.

Deacon Sutton, a psychologist, is assigned to Our Lady of Grace Parish in Scott Township.

Celiac sprue disease/ gluten intolerance For some time Catholics with allergies have been able to receive the Eucharist in the form of host with miniscule amounts of gluten.

Many parishes are accustomed to a protocol for using low-gluten hosts at Mass and follow the rubrics for such use. (It should be noted that these rubrics require that a small portion of the hosts must contain a small amount of wheat. At my home parish of Our Lady of Grace in Scott Township, the host that we use contains less than .001 percent wheat (as prepared by the Benedictine Sisters altar breads).

A very strict protocol MUST be followed when using low-gluten hosts. One who touches typical or gluten hosts must never touch low-gluten hosts without thoroughly washing their hands first. Ideally, a separate minister of the Eucharist should handle only the low-gluten host (often for larger parishes) and they should use gloves so as to avoid the oils on one’s hand. Consideration of having a small ciborium in the tabernacle should also be made.

Intinction Intinction is the act of dipping the consecrated Eucharist in the precious blood so that a communicant receives both together.

Intinction is a practice that is common in different parts of Pennsylvania, as well as in the United States, even though it is not

Disability Awareness 2017

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Pittsburgh Catholic Magazine 25

Catholic Relief Services looks to change concept of world’s orphanages

By CHAZ MUTH Catholic News Service BALTIMORE — Catholic Relief Services has released an emotion-filled video as a way of starting a conversation about the world’s orphanages.

Children no longer end up in orphanages in the United States, and officials at CRS want a world where there is no longer a need for such institutions.

They are not advocating shutting down orphanages in poor countries and turning the children out onto the streets. CRS officials said their vision is to transform orphanages in countries like Haiti and South Sudan into family resource centers, offering families the support they need to keep their children at home.

To help people rethink the concept of orphanages, the international Catholic aid organization wrote a script, scouted locations, employed a film crew, hired actors and traveled to Puerto Rico to tell the story of a povertystricken mother making the heartbreaking decision to send her daughter to an orphanage, said Sean Callahan, president and CEO of CRS. Though these institutions are called orphanages, Callahan said few of the children raised in them are actually orphans. Most people are unaware that 80-90 percent of children in orphanages have at least one living parent and, in most cases, poverty or disability is the reason why they are there, he told Catholic News Service in an August interview.

CRS hopes the video, released Aug. 10, will help drive home this point, particularly to wellmeaning donors who think they are helping children by supporting orphanages.

“We are battling a false perception that is deeply ingrained in the public psyche,” Callahan said. “If we are to break the orphan myth and return children to their families, we need to tell the all-too-common story of how children, sadly and unwillingly, come to live in an orphanage.

That’s why we made this important video.”

The video is a departure from CRS’s tradition visual storytelling style. Typically, the organization films subjects in areas where it works and produces videos in short documentary form to show how people are affected.

“For this topic, we wanted to show the emotional response of a parent and child separating at an orphanage, and we didn’t

CNS PHOTO/JIM STIPE, COURTESY CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES

A crew member films a scene for the Catholic Relief Services’ short docudrama “Changing the Way We Care” June 8 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. CRS released the video Aug. 10 to help educate the public about the struggles families in poor countries go through when making the decision to place one of their children in an orphanage.

“If we are to break the orphan myth and return children to their families, we need to tell the all-too-common story of how children, sadly and unwillingly, come to live in an orphanage. That’s why we made this important video.”

— Sean Callahan see a way of authentically capturing that with a real family,” said Mark Metzger, branded content producer for CRS. “We needed to recreate that ourselves.”

Though actors portray the characters in the video, the scenes were written from first-hand accounts of CRS colleagues who have witnessed such gut-wrenching events, Metzger told CNS. Callahan said although donors in countries like the U.S. often support orphanages for the right reasons, too many of the institutions they support do little more than raise money, leaving actual child care as an afterthought.

Children in orphanages are at greater risk of sexual abuse and violence than those in

family care, he said.

CRS, and its partners Lumos — founded by author J.K. Rowling — and Maestral International, are committed to breaking what they call the orphan myth and working, country by country, to replace orphanages with family care centers for more than 8 million children now in institutions throughout the world.

The CRS video, “Changing the Way We Care,” can be viewed at https://youtu. be/umSJ3b1kcDk, and Metzger said he is encouraging people to share it on social media.

“We want to get the word out,” he said.

“We want to educate our audience as best we can so they can understand the struggles and difficulties that families are living through, day in and day out.”

26 Pittsburgh Catholic Magazine

Sean Callahan, president and CEO of Catholic Relief Services, is pictured in this Aug. 7 photo taken in a chapel in his organization’s Baltimore headquarters.

CNS PHOTO/CHAZ MUTH

Disability Awareness 2017

Supporting Individuals with Intellectual and Physical Disabilities

For those with the greatest need, there should For those with the greatest need, there should be the greatest care. Please support those with be the greatest care. Please support those with intellectual and physical disabilities by funding intellectual and physical disabilities by funding community organizations that support individuals community organizations that support individuals with with disabilities who live "everyday lives". Verland, disabilities who live "everyday lives". Verland, with 45 with 44 community homes and a 10 home main community homes and a 1 D home main campus, is campus, is an organization that has provided these an organization that has provided these services to services to our region for 40 years. our region for 35 years.

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Pittsburgh Catholic Magazine 27

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Disability Awareness 2017