Tuesday, September 17, 2013


Is the Homily Important? - Catholics with Hearing Loss: Captioning the Catholic Mass

                      Is the Homily Important?

"He who is in the habit of devoutly hearing holy Mass shall in death be consoled by the presence of the angels and saints, his advocates, who shall bravely defend him from all the snares of infernal spirits". - Revelation of Christ to St. Mechtilde










For Catholics with hearing loss -
 Is the Homily important to have access to, whether your means of communication for active participation and engagement is Captioning, Audio Loops, Sign Language (and other means if effective that allow full participation)?  YES!  
"The word “homily” means “explanation” in Greek. " (Source:  http://clarionherald.info/clarion/index.php/special-sections/year-of-renewal-the-mass/918-what-is-the-purpose-of-the-homily-at-sunday-mass#sthash.h5dhTbDp.dpuf)



"The very first homily, as it were, after the descent of the Holy Spirit — the monumental and crucial event in the establishment and development of the primitive Church, was an evangelistic one, preached by Peter and heard by all present — through the power of the Holy Spirit — in their own language. " (Source: http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=7417)  

"The homily can actually be an intense and happy experience of the Spirit, a consoling encounter with God’s word, a constant source of renewal and growth."  -Pope Francis - in the Joy of the Gospel (Source:  http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/francesco/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20131124_evangelii-gaudium_en.html#I.%26%238194%3BThe_entire_people_of_God_proclaims_the_Gospel

"The Rev. Paul Prevosto, pastor of Holy Trinity, said that the captioning helps the hard-of-hearing {and severe to profound hearing loss, oral deaf, late deaf} with parts of the service that are not in the prayer book.  'Certainly, they can read along with parts of the Mass, but certain parts are not in the book — the homily, for instance, which is an important part of the Mass,' Prevosto said."  (Source: http://globalaccessibilitynews.com/2011/04/17/hackensack-church-offers-captioning-for-hearing-impaired/)



"The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy" taught, "By means of the homily, the mysteries of the faith and the guiding principles of the Christian life are expounded from the sacred text during the course of the liturgical year" (No. 52).  (Source: http://catholiceducation.org/articles/religion/re0396.html –Fr. William Saunders)



"It’s a time for us to be instructed by the homilist, but it is still not necessarily a passive experience, because we are also examining the scriptures in the light of our own experience in relation to the words of the homilist."  (Source:  http://bustedhalo.com/googling-god/mass-class/whats-happening-in-the-mass)

"What is faith?" Father Grogan asks, as Bonilla punches the keys of her Cyber Stenograph, typing the weekend assistant's homily as he delivered it in "real time" at Mass on the 14th Sunday of Ordinary Time. "It's a gift given at baptism to accept truths revealed to you. It's a commitment to the Gospel way of life."  (Source:  http://www.patersondiocese.org/moreinfo.cfm?Web_ID=1888)





"Hearing-impaired Catholics endure plenty of aggravation and frustration when they are unable to properly hear what is going on at Mass, revealed Fr. John Hemsing of St. Clare Parish in Wind Lake, who added weekly closed-captioned Masses last December" (Source: http://write2thepoint.blogspot.com/2007/10/closed-captioning-at-wind-lake-parish.html)

 ________________________________________________________________________________________


"The homily is a Personal word. "Before anything else...the Sunday homily is the word of a person of faith, the word of a person who has experienced the Lord and who wishes to share that experience." (page53). Paul VI said that our modern world thirsts for authenticity and a homily that is personal will communicate verbally and non-verbally the preacher’s authentic love of God and pastoral love for the assembly."



___________________________________________________________________________________




"The importance for people with any disability to interact 

 in a standard setting rather than do it differently is 

 critical," (Source: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/real-time-captions-helping-deaf-kids-realise-potential/story-e6freuzi-1226453656874 -ROSEMARIE LENTINI, THE DAILY TELEGRAPH)


________________________________________________________________________________________________
Other church experiences with real time captioning:

"It was a very emotional moment for me when I saw the words that the pastor was speaking," Schick said. 

 "I understood everything he was saying for the first 

 time." 

 (Source: http://amarillo.com/stories/2001/05/31/bel_skillshelp.shtml)

 ___________________________________________________________________________________________


There are misconceptions about ‘who all those with hearing loss are.’    Most people don’t realize it, but 90% of those with hearing loss in the USA do not know sign language (native English language users) and it is a very diverse group with diverse communication needs and preferences. 


What kind of access do people with hearing loss use?


 CART ( Remote CART) Captioning, Audio Loops and Sign Language are the three most common ways to provide communication access, and addressing the diversity of the  hearing loss population.

 ____________________________________________

"A longtime Bergen County resident and advocate for people 

 with hearing loss, Romoff said one of the main obstacles was, 

 and often still is, 

 “ that the mainstream thinks sign language 

 interpreters are what all people with hearing loss 

 need, when the vast majority actually need assistive 

 listening systems and captioning. So educating about 

 needs has to occur first.” 

 (Source: http://jstandard.com/content/item/listening_closely)


______________________________________________________________



"A growing number of churches, synagogues 

 and other places of worship are adopting 

 closed captioning for hearing-impaired 

 congregants." (Source:  http://www.stenotype.edu/news/stenographer-goes-church/#sthash.5tWSYgfx.dpuf)
________________________________________________________________________________________

Demo of Real time Captioning (aka Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART):  

Go to: http://www.acscaptions.com/subpages/CART.asp  (scroll down to find demo video, 
click on CC)

__________________________________



 Captioning (CART or Remote CART) allows the deaf and hard of hearing to get the homily from the priest himself in verbatim interpretative text.   It allows the deaf and hard of hearing to engage and reflect on the homily in real time along with the congregation as it is being said, thereby connecting to the community in witnessing our faith together with a  real time commentary that provides both verbal (captioning) and non verbal (glancing at the priest) messages to tie the homily together.    It allows participation in fulfilling ' Sacrosanctum Concilium' . Captioning can reach the widest audience within the spectrum of hearing loss and deafness and many other
disabilities.  
_________________________________________________________



"Therefore, the form and content of the homily must

 be treated with great seriousness because of the 

impact it has on the spiritual welfare of the 



Can You Hear The Homily? 




_________________________________________________________________________________________


"ensure that the power of salvation may be shared by all" (John Paul II, Tertio Millennio Adveniente, n. 16). "(Source:  http://www.ncpd.org/views-news-policy/policy/church/bishops/welcome-and-justice)

____________________________________________________________________


Liturgy of the Word: http://www.togetheratonealtar.catholic.edu.au/receive/dsp-content.cfm?loadref=45 
_________________________________________________________________




"Although in the readings from Sacred Scripture God's word is addressed to all people of every era and is understandable to them, nevertheless, a fuller understanding and a greater effectiveness of the word is fostered by a living commentary on the word, that is, the Homily, as part of the liturgical action."

Real time captioning (CART) offers a 'living commentary on the word' via verbatim as it is being spoken.
___________________________________________________________

"The liturgy is designed to bring about in all those who make up the worshiping 

 assembly a participation of the faithful both in body and mind, a participation burning

  with faithful, hope, and charity (no. 18). To the extent that we are able to participate in 

 this way, the work of redemption becomes personally effective for each of us. " 

 (Source: "2010, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. " http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/the-mass/the-worshiping-assembly-at-mass.cf)
__________________________________________________________________________________________


" The Homily is part of the Liturgy and is strongly recommended, for it is necessary for the nurturing of the Christian life."
" 66. The Homily should ordinarily be given by the priest celebrant himself. He may entrust it to a concelebrating priest or occasionally, according to circumstances, to the deacon, but never to a lay person. " 


 The above are taken from this source:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homily


_________________________________________________________________

A Priest says:


" I try to engage the members of the worshipping community in a thoughtful reflection that considers Scripture and Church teaching, all in order that each of us will leave the Sunday Eucharist better prepared and equipped to be holy and to effect the transformation of society in light of Sacred Scripture and Church teaching." 


How will the deaf and hard of hearing engage if they don't have effective communication access that works for them?

 ____________________________________________________________________


"By reserving the homily – which serves as a catechetical tool in order to evangelize and spread the Gospel – to the 
ordained ministers of the church, it signifies that this teaching is a faithful passing on of the faith of the apostles in an authentic way as a fulfillment of Christ’s mandate to them in Matthew 28:18-20." - Source: http://clarionherald.info/clarion/index.php/special-sections/year-of-renewal-the-mass/918-what-is-the-purpose-of-the-homily-at-sunday-mass#sthash.HCkHluXA.OmB0tVDi.dpuf
_____________________________________________________________


"The homily fulfills the mandate of the Second Vatican Council in “Dei Verbum”:- Source: http://clarionherald.info/clarion/index.php/special-sections/year-of-renewal-the-mass/918-what-is-the-purpose-of-the-homily-at-sunday-mass#sthash.HCkHluXA.OmB0tVDi.dpuf
_____________________________________________________________
What is Dei Verbum? : http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19651118_dei-verbum_en.html


______________________________________________________________________
The homily: See http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/vocations/priesthood/priestly-life-and-ministry/upload/usccb-preaching-document.pdf


______________________________________________________________________




 " The homily has special importance due 

 to its eucharistic context: it surpasses all 

 forms of catechesis as the supreme 

 moment in the dialogue between God and his 

 people which lead up to sacramental 

 communion. "  -Pope Francis (Source:  http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/francesco/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20131124_evangelii-gaudium_en.html#I.%26%238194%3BThe_entire_people_of_God_proclaims_the_Gospel)
_____________________________________________________________________




"Listening can be the most 

 active form of participation, 

 demanding effort and attention. 

 Truly, as the scriptures tell us,

  faith demands hearing, fides ex 

 audit.  "

(Source:  http://www.catholicliturgy.com/index.cfm/FuseAction/ArticleText/Index/65/SubIndex/120/ArticleIndex/35)



_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

"A general rule of thumb is to ask whether people are able to access the facility and, once in, is effective communication happening?"  (Source: https://hsdcstore.com/adasystems.htm)

__________________________________________________________________________



"The Lord and his people speak to one 

 another in a thousand ways directly, without 

 intermediaries. But in the homily they want 

 someone to serve as an instrument and to 

 express their feelings in such a way that 

 afterwards, each one may chose how he or 

 she will continue the conversation. ” (2 Cor 

 4:5).  -Pope Francis (Source:  http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/francesco/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20131124_evangelii-
gaudium_en.html#I.%26%238194%3BThe_entire_people_of_God_proclaims_the_Gospel)



_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________



"The purpose of the homily is to help us better understand

  how our faith shapes the way we see the world and the way

  we act in the world. For this reason, the homily is not just a 

 talk given during the liturgy. The homily is part of the

  liturgy itself. The homily serves as a bridge between the

  Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist, 

 showing us how we put the faith we have received into

  action. " (Source: http://www.catholicdoors.com/misc/liturgyoftheword2.htm)




_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What is the above trying to say as it relates to the deaf and hard of hearing in church?: 

 'The homily is necessary for the nurturing of the Christian life'  and allows 'a fuller understanding and a greater effectiveness of the word is fostered by a living commentary of the word' as stated above. 

  The Homily is part of the Liturgy celebration of the Mass integrating the Word and Sacrament preparing the people for it.

  The Homily is the joy of the gospel with Christ working through it.  

 The Homily should be presented by the priest himself and not a lay person or getting it second hand. 

 The homily is an important part of the Mass.  

 Shouldn't the deaf and hard of hearing have access to the Mass?

 Captioning is the language of many with hearing loss and deafness to obtain a verbatim of what the priest is saying during the homily. 

  The homily is important for people to have access to so that they can also be integrated and prepared for the Sacrament by having access to God's word.

__________________________________________

"It is essential that all forms of the liturgy be 

 completely accessible to people with 

 disabilities, since these forms are the essence of 

 the spiritual tie that binds the Christian 

 community together," the bishops wrote.

  (Source: http://www.patersondiocese.org/page.cfm?Web_ID=1888)




_______________________________________________________________________



"It’s a time for us to be instructed by the homilist, but it is still not necessarily a passive experience, because we are also examining the scriptures in the light of our own experience in relation to the words of the homilist."  (Source:  http://bustedhalo.com/googling-god/mass-class/whats-happening-in-the-mass)


 That is -if you have effective communication access to the homily during Mass that works for you.  (Captioning, Sign Language, Audio loops).
___________________________________________________________________________



Captioning provides communication access for many  on the spectrum of hearing loss, so they can connect and be a part of the spiritual community and understand the homily.  It allows active and full participation required by Canon law/Vatican II -Sacrosanctum Concilium. 
__________________________________________

Catholic Mass for the deaf and hard of hearing:



"For the Deaf or Hard of Hearing:


Arrange for seating the Deaf community in the 
front, near the
 speaker.
Arrange for interpreter or real time captioning 
services at 
least 
two weeks in advance.
Utilize room amplification system or personal 
amplification
 system.
Provide all materials to the interpreter or CART
 reporter one 
week in advance.
Provide bright lighting.  Avoid creating a special 
atmosphere 
with dim lighting."
(Source: http://www.dioslc.org/ministries/disabilities/guidelines-for-accommodating-people-with-disabilities)

________________________________________________________


This Catholic church has real time captioning (CART) for the deaf and hard of hearing:


"St. Theresa Catholic Church in Ashburn, VA:  HOMILY REAL-TIME TRANSLATION SERVICE NOW AVAILABLE VIA iPAD – Are you not hearing the Sunday mass homily as well as you’d like?  Especially for the hearing impaired and deaf but open to all, you now have an amazing option to receive the Sunday mass homily, prayers of the faithful, and announcements via real-time translation (CART service) directly to your iPAD during mass!  St. Theresa parishioner and professional court reporter Donna L. Linton has volunteered to provide the service (just like closed captioning on your television).  Please contact Donna at CARTsttheresa@aol.com for information on mass times and how to join in. " 


_______________________________________________________________________________________



(Remote CART or CART) Captioning is a verbatim word to word of the English language from the priest himself in REAL time.   Making the church hearing accessible needs to consider diverse communication including Captioning, Audio Loops and Sign Language (and other means that allow full participation if effective).  This varies because people with hearing loss and deafness are diverse with diverse communication needs.   The church has made great strides in providing sign language and audio loops at Masses but we still need Captioning at the churches.  Why? See my other blog posts for details on this population demographic breakdown of who can benefit and how Captioning is a Universal Design Access offering a wide net in reaching the congregation with the gospel and homily and allowing full and active participation at the Mass. 

 There is an estimated 12 million Catholics in the USA with a hearing loss.  90 percent of those with hearing loss do not know sign language and many of them do not use audio loops either.  Technically if one can read and speak, one can benefit from captioning for participation at Mass. However, one needs to consider the cultural and linguistic needs and preferences of the person whether it is captioning, audio or sign language (and other means) because that is what they feel comfortable with in receiving access in 'real time' and what is effective for them.  You have to ask them.  Captioning, though, is a Universal Design Access covering a wide spectrum of those with hearing loss along with many others who do not have a hearing loss but benefit from easier processing of the language by seeing it in writing.  Remember - make sure you ask the person what works for them in order to FULLY participate, and don't assume because we really are a complex and diverse group.

________________________________________________________________



Equal Communication Access: 
"If you are a public speaker committed to equal listening 

 opportunity for all, then you gotta have Communications 

 Access Realtime Translation (CART).  With CART, everything 

 that is said is “captioned” live for deaf and hard of hearing 

 folks. "

(Source: http://www.brianpatrickjensen.com/cart-enhanced-communications/).  A more cost effective way to provide CART is via Remote CART for churches.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________



"The key to deciding what aid or service is needed to communicate effectively is to consider the nature, length, complexity, and context of the communication as well as the person’s normal method(s) of communication." (Source:  http://www.ada.gov/effective-comm.htm)
________________________________________________________________________
"Catholics with impaired hearing often 

miss out the most as they are unable to

 hear or understand the liturgy." 

 (Source: http://write2thepoint.blogspot.com/2007/10/closed-captioning-at-wind-lake-parish.html -K. Mahoney)



________________________________________________________________________________


What accommodations  are used by the deaf and hard of hearing?:  

" This technology is primarily used by people who are late-deafened, oral deaf, hard-of-hearing,or have cochlear implants. Culturally deaf individuals also make use of CART in certain situations. " (Source: http://www.everyonecommunicates.org/methods/captioning.html)





____________________________________________________________________



" It allows people who are deaf or 

hard of hearing to read the captions to understand what 

is being said. If they are verbal, it also allows them to 

participate in the conversation."


_______________________________________________________________________
Are They In Your Church?

 Find Out Here:  http://captioningthemass.blogspot.com/2014/05/are-they-in-your-church-catholics-with.html

 ______________________________________________________________

“Every baptised person, by virtue of baptism itself, has the right to receive from the Church a teaching and formation which permits them to attain a true Christian life”.(CT 14).



__________________________________________________________________



"For many adult Catholics, the Sunday Mass and its homily will encompass the entirety of the catechesis, spiritual inspiration, faith formation, scriptural study, and moral and conscience formation that they will receive all week.  "




How will those with Hearing Loss hear the word if there are no Captioning, Audio Loops and Sign Language in at least a couple of churches within a Diocese that they could reasonably travel to?

______________________________________________________________


"With current technology, applications and 

 software can make captions available in almost 

 any situation, anywhere in the world—even in 

 other languages! "

 - (Source: http://agewisekingcounty.org/en/134/1/661/Too-Many-People-with-Hearing-Loss-Miss-Out.htm#sthash.em7Uhug6.dLa2G9JJ.dpuf)

___________________________________________________________________________________
"So much is captioned in the "outside" world today. If we want

  to be seen as an inclusive church, then we can't be less 

 inclusive than the surrounding culture."

  (Source: http://arc.episcopalchurch.org/episcopal-life/Just7'02.html)
_______________________________________________________________________
"Having no captions is equivalent to stating 'people with disabilities may not enter.'" - See more at: http://www.disabled-world.com/disability/legal/nad.php#sthash.6aKtVH0e.dpuf


_________________________________________________________



 “If someone hears a homily and walks 

out of the door 

and doesn’t live differently or isn’t 

challenged, then I 

did not preach,” says Father Dan with a 

worried 

voice. “Then, I am failing them. I’m 

completely 

failing them!”
(Source: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/deaconsbench/2013/11/on-the-homily-gods-voice-coming-through-you/)
_________________________________________________________________________________


Can YOU  even Hear the Homily? 

 If not, ask for Access (whatever works for you -Captioning, Sign Language, Audio Loops are three most common communication access for those with Hearing loss and deafness). 

  If you can't hear the Homily then you can't benefit from it.  

 If Access that works for you is denied, keep raising awareness of the importance of having access to God's word as well as raising awareness of the diversity of those with hearing loss, with diverse communication access needs.  You might not immediately benefit due to denial of your communication needs in order to fully participate at the Mass, but raising awareness will eventually help all those with hearing loss and deafness  -  those who come after you will benefit,  and that is effort well worth it.  

______________________________________________________


"The reference was to Mark 16:15 — Go 

 throughout the whole world and preach the

  gospel to all mankind.

“He didn’t say, ‘Leave out some of the people,’ 

 ” Fr. Robinson said." 


_____________________________________________________________________________________________

"It's not enough to know Christ, we must bring him to everyone!" - Pope St. John Paul II


_________________________________

"A sobering thought for religious leaders is that 90% of those with a hearing impairment may not attend services due to an inability to hear and participate." (Source:  http://premiervisualvoice.com/index.php/blog/16-blog-8)

_________________________________________________________________________



 Is having access to Mass a luxury? Are we asking too much? : 
"Quality captions are not a life-and-death matter. Nor are 

 they a luxury in the manner that a Carnival cruise or a 

 Mercedes might be. They are a necessity for a basic level 

 of inclusion in a world that has so many other ways to 

 alienate the Deaf and hard-of-hearing population" 

 Source.: http://www.vitac.com/news_blog/vitac-blog.asp?post=331

______________________________________________________________


For where there are two or three gathered

 together in my name, there am I in the



 midst of them."  - Matthew 18:20

_________________________


"The Church  has a memory, and it's called the liturgy. The liturgy is the 

 memory of the Church."   - Scott Hahn  (Source:  http://catholicbridge.com/catholic/mass.php)
______________________________________________________________________

The Last Supper and the Mass:  'The Liturgy recalls the events that saved us and 

 makes them present'  

 (Source: http://www.togetheratonealtar.catholic.edu.au/explore/dsp-content.cfm?loadref=73  
_____________________________________________________________________

"All through my life during the sermon, I 

 never understood 

 the complete sermon. You can't hold up your 

 hand and say, 

 'Will you please repeat that?' I was very 

 frustrated." (Source: http://amarillo.com/stories/2001/05/31/bel_skillshelp.shtml)
_________________________________________________________________



___________________________________________________________



90 percent of people with hearing loss do not know sign language: 

"This is a common occurrence for deaf and hard of 

 hearing people who do not sign, to request speech 

 to text at events and find it is not provided, or to 

 turn up and find there are only sign language 

 interpreters."  Source: http://funnyoldlife.wordpress.com



____________________________________________________________

" We have seen rampant confusion on the part of government leaders {and church leaders} who assume that "deaf and hard of hearing"  {compared to capital D Deaf/culturally Deaf} is one group of people whose communication needs center around American Sign Language. This confusion has meant that people with hearing loss are not receiving the services and support that could make their lives better." 


_______________________________________________________________________________________________


 Without real time captioning as a valid accommodation for the late deaf, oral deaf and hard of hearing it is like saying to them at the church door:   'no ramp for the wheel chair users' , or 'no blacks allowed', or 'no Irish need to apply'.  


_________________________________________________________________

"Shroeder said it is imperative that the church 

 provide 

 ministry that is inclusive for the hearing-

 impaired, "because 

it is the most critical aspect of their lives. If 

 they miss out on 

 spiritual issues, they miss out on a lot of other

  issues." 

 (Source: http://amarillo.com/stories/2000/05/02/new_137-2762.001.shtml)


_______________________________________________________



A church that has Captioning (CART) and WHY: http://www.baptiststandard.com/resources/archives/46-2006-archives/4762-technology-enables-hearing-impared-to-experience-worship.

____________________________________________________________
Captioning (CART) in a Catholic Mass -What is happening at Mass?:  http://www.patersondiocese.org/moreinfo.cfm?Web_ID=1888: http://www.patersondiocese.org/page.cfm?Web_ID=1888. 

_____________________________________________________________________





"What is truly amazing is that, if we pray 

before Mass for guidance in a decision

 and we intently listen to the proclamation 

of Scripture and the homily, God will often 

speak to us in words we most need to 

hear."  

 (Source: http://www.bostoncatholic.org/sundaymassletter.aspx  -Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley, OFM Cap.)




_______________________________________________________________________





Like its been said - Its all Connected!  



_______________________________________________________



Captioning is the language of many deaf and hard of hearing people. It's our language in interpretative text verbatim of our native English language (or in the case of Spanish etc -that language):

 "Just as all of us like to be spoken to in our mother tongue, so too in the faith we like to be spoken to in our “mother culture,” our native language (cf. 2 Macc 7:21, 27), and our heart is better disposed to listen. This language is a kind of music which inspires encouragement, strength and enthusiasm."  (Source:  http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/francesco/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20131124_evangelii-gaudium_en.html#Words_which_set_hearts_on_fire)


_______________________________________________


There are three times more deaf people who speak English than ASL (American Sign Language)  so providing CART (captioning) is providing accommodation in their own language of English for this particular population in verbatim.  Makes sense right?  Captioning is the language of 
many who are deaf and hard of hearing.

_________________________________

The Church needs to have Universal 

Communication Access for the deaf and hard

 of hearing: 

   



" we need assistive listening technology like

 hearing loops and captions,

 and signage that 

makes it clear that the service is available. This 

is a goal that we can 

achieve, but in order 

to do so, we need to change the way we think

 about communication and 

hearing access." 





____________________________________________________________________________


________________________________________





___________________________________



"He believes homilies should be practical and

 direct -- that they should draw a connection

 between the everyday struggles of parishioners

 and biblical truths."


______________________________________



"CART is an acronym for Communication Access Realtime Translation. There are 28 million* people in the United States with hearing loss and only 500,000 are able to communicate with sign language. Persons who are oral deaf, late-deafened, or hard of hearing and do not know sign language and/or have no one to communicate with in sign language must utilize other methods, such as lip-reading, assistive listening devices, or CART. " (Source: http://www.collinsrealtime.net/cart.php) * note: now 48 million and counting and will double by 2030

_____________________________________________________________

The deaf and hard of hearing in other churches

  advocating for CART (aka real time captioning): 

 See http://xpressivehandz.blogspot.com/2014/04/ada-violation-at-upcoming-giant-center.html

A church event in a public place was offering sign language interpreter, spanish interpreter and almost didn't provide real time captioning (CART) which is translating spoken English into verbatim English  in real time like interpretation does that allows the majority of the deaf and hard of hearing to be able to PARTICIPATE like the others!  However, in the end, they were granted CART (real time captioning) that allows the same equal and effective communication access that ADA would support in secular society.




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Captioning at a Mass? Why Not Sign 

Language?     



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Remote CART (Captioning): http://wordvision.vpweb.ca/Remote-CART.html



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Different Options for displaying Captions: http://hearingloss.org/sites/default/files/docs/KMenck_thursday.pdf



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Another picture here of Captioning displayed on a Screen: http://www.archercaptioning.com



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  A demo example of CART :   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=np6i4lvjgFY . 

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“Advances such as texting, video calls and captioned cell phones have opened up new vistas for communication and knowledge acquisition, and has led to a

 generation of students who are DHH who know nothing but the ability to communicate electronically.” The list of hearing access technologies is tremendous

 – Computer Assisted Realtime Translation, hearing loops, C-print, realtime text generation, multi-media storybooks, etc." 

 (Source: : http://www.listeningandspokenlanguage.org/Document.aspx?id=1760#sthash.QDZuttf7.dpuf)


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The Faith Explained:  


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                       Welcome !    See  http://www.catholicscomehome.org

                
                    Virtual Prayer Request:  http://virtualchapel.crs.org
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"Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lamp stand  where it gives light to all in the house." - (Matthew 5:14,15)  (Source: http://www.whyimcatholic.com/index.php)

 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"The homily is not merely a message 

 about faith but rather, as Pope Paul VI 

 wrote, "the 

 occasion for an actual salvific meeting

  between God and man . . . " (Acta 

 Apostolicae Sedis763). 

 (Source: http://www.catholic.com/magazine/articles/tell-the-good-news-father)

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"The explanation of the faith is central as 

 a preparation to 

the actual carrying out of the action of the 

 whole Church by 

which the paschal event is made present to

  the faithful.  "
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"For many adult Catholics today, 

 the Sunday Mass is the only 

 opportunity to receive substantial 

 faith formation, to be inspired by 

 the Word of God, and to be given 

 the tools to live out the Gospels in 

 daily life."  (Source: http://www.catholic.com/magazine/articles/tell-the-good-news-father)



How shall those with Hearing Loss hear the Word if there are no Captioning, Audio Loops and Sign Language? Captioning is the language of many with hearing loss.
_________________________________________________________________
"This is why evangelization of the 

 American Catholics in the pew is 

 probably the most difficult task of all. 

 They don't know what they don't 

 know. " - Fr. Dwight Longnecker, The 

 Smoke of Satan  (Source: http://catholicprodigaldaughter.blogspot.com/2011/02/loving-catholicism-i-came-back-for.html)


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  A basic Catholic resource


 _________________________________________________________________


Teachings of the Catholic church/EWTN:  http://www.ewtn.com/faith/teachings/index.htm
________________________________________________________________


Catholic daily scripture readings: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/101612.cfm

__________________________________________________
Liturgy of the Hours App: http://catholicapps.wordpress.com/roman-catholic-missal-apps/

 _____________________________________________________________________________________


Captioning, Sign Language and Audio Loops are the three most common communication access in the secular world of business, education and entertainment that allows for full and active, effective, and equal participation.  The Church can do the same in sharing the Joy of the Gospel.  Captioning is a wonderful way to share this Joy for so many who are deaf and hard of hearing.

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"Remote services are more economical

  as the minimum booking is only one 

 hour. More people can have more 

 access, as all you need is internet access 

 and sound. "  (Source: http://deafunity.org/article-interview/tina-lannin-founder-121-captions/)


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A CART writer says about using Captioning (Remote CART) in a church setting:



"One of the choice accommodations to 

 use in any setting, but particularly during 

 religious ceremonies, is remote CART. It 

 is easy to use for most people, it provides

  nearly-verbatim captions on a device as

  ubiquitous as a cell phone, and it allows 

 for real-time participation in the services."(Source: http://premiervisualvoice.com/transcription-services-blog.html - Margaret Downs)


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"Both the Eucharist and the word are 

sources 

of life. Thus, in St John’s Gospel, Jesus

 says,

 “I am the living bread that came down

 from

 heaven. If anyone eats this bread, he

 will live 

forever” (Jn 6:51). This is also true of 

the 

word: Jesus says, “The words that I 

have 

spoken to you are spirit and life”


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"Today this word has been fulfilled 

in your hearing" (see Lectionary of 

the Mass: Introduction, 3; c.f. Luke

 4:21). The assembled faithful do 

not hear about God; rather, they 

hear God speak to them."


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"For various reasons, 

 churches 


have lagged behind wider 

 trends in

 society to be inclusive of 

 people 

with disabilities." 



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 Captioning the Word of God: 
Other churches advocating for CART (aka real time captioning):  See http://xpressivehandz.blogspot.com/2014/04/ada-violation-at-upcoming-giant-center.html


_______________________________________________________________________________


Captioning the Word:  

See:  http://captioningtheword.com



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 How to Pray the Rosary:  http://www.medjugorjeweb.org/rosary.htm

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Captioning is the language of many who are

  deaf and hard of hearing

_________________________________
"Start by doing what is necessary, then do what is possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible." -St. Francis of Assisi

Lord Hear Our Prayer



LIGHT a CANDLE:  http://www.lightingacandle.org

                  Saving Faith:  http://catholicbridge.com/catholic/born_again_catholics.php



_________________________________
Caption Catholic Tidbits:

 Scholarships for students with Cochlear Implants: http://www.wfsb.com/story/24725298/cochlear-americas-honors-exemplary-hearing-implant-recipients-with-graeme-clark-and-anders-tjellstrom-college-scholarships






The Overlooked -'Not Deaf Enough segment of the Hearing loss population in terms of obtaining accommodations and services – the HOH's {and the late deaf, oral deaf} :  http://hearmehearmenot.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/hard_of_hearing_children_still_overlooked.pdf



Knights of Columbus:  https://www.kofc.org/un/en/about/index.html

Catholic 'Hearing' Vitamin: http://catholicvitamins.com/catholic-vitamin-h-hearing-2/


Catholic Straight Answers: http://catholicstraightanswers.com
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops: http://www.usccb.org

 Catholic Calendar Apps:  http://catholicapps.wordpress.com/catholic-calendar-apps/
Divine Mercy App:  http://thedivinemercy.org/app/
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"c2 (caption coalition) inc is the pioneer of Live Performance Captioning (sm) for Hard of Hearing and Deaf patrons at live theatrical and cultural events, and is internationally recognized as the leading authority in the field. c2 continues its mission to expand services throughout the United States, and is partnered with an impressive roster of prestigious venues now offering this vital access program." (Source: C2  :  http://c2net.org)


 ____________________________________________________________________

Virtual Votive -Light a Candle: http://virtualchapel.crs.org



Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel

 Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle; be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray: and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all evil spirits who wander through out the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen 
 (Source: http://www.olmcparish.com/Prayers_and_Devotions.html)

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Catholic World Mission:  https://catholicworldmission.org//donate




Divine Word Missionary:  http://www.svdvocations.org/getdoc/2f60ba41-417c-4895-aa23-9fd9b17434e7/Who-We-Are.aspx
Catholic Apps:  http://catholicapps.com

The National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows: http://snows.org


The National Museum of Catholic Art and Library:  http://nmcal.org/home.html

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"The ADA calls us to be aware of and correct what we do that unnecessarily excludes people"














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" No captions is like no ramp for people in wheelchairs or signs stating ‘people with disabilities are not welcome."  







(Source:  http://globalaccessibilitynews.com/2015/02/13/harvard-massachusetts-institute-of-technology-sued-over-lack-of-closed-captioning-online/)
























This applies just as well to real time captioning in churches as well, only the church is ADA exempt.  The ADA law does not apply to churches.  The church and any kind of worship place of any faith is allowed to discriminate and not provide real time captioning for church services.  90 percent of the those with hearing loss do not attend church because the church is not accessible to them.  Wouldn't it be nice to provide real time captioning to our brothers and sisters in Christ in order to share the Joy of the Gospel?  Maybe the 90 percent of the missing brothers and sisters might return to the church if it is accessible to them, thereby opening the doors and welcoming them to share and experience the fullness of their faith.















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"Accessible meeting space allows 




everyone to participate." 






















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"Of all the barriers to full participation and inclusion, the barrier of unexamined attitudes is the most difficult to address," states Ginny Thornburgh, director of the American Association of People with Disabilities' Interfaith Initiative." 








(Source:  http://www.disabilitiesandfaith.org)








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US Bishop Statement:  










'It is essential that all forms of the liturgy be completely accessible to people with disabilities, since these forms are the essence of the spiritual tie that binds the Christian community together' 



(Source:  http://www.disabilityawarenesstraining.com/component/content/article/3/40)







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The purpose of this blog is to raise  Diversity Awareness among those with hearing loss and deafness, and to raise  awareness that many  with hearing loss are being excluded from full participation at the Mass if the church does not have Captioning. Catholics with hearing loss deserve the fullness of their faith.   Does your Diocese/Archdiocese have at least one Mass service in Captioning at a church that one who benefits from it can reasonably travel to in order to fully and actively participate at the Mass? Contact your Diocese/Archdiocese - find it here:    http://www.usccb.org/about/bishops-and-dioceses/all-dioceses.cfm.)



































Is your church or Diocese/Archdiocese  inclusive to all those with hearing loss and deafness by providing Real time Captioning, Sign Language and Audio Loops?   If not - Diversity and Inclusion Awareness is needed in order to share the joy of the gospel by applying Universal Communication Access.  It is very important to share the Word of God with everyone.  Let's pray for that!














Prayer of Inclusion: http://www.ncpd.org/ministries-programs/spirituality/prayers

































"Be not Afraid, Open Wide the Gates" - Pope St.  John Paul II  

 (Source: http://jp2forum.blogspot.com/2013/12/be-not-afraid-resounding-from-1531-to.html)


CC-CaptionCatholic








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