Children attending classes for the deaf at Corpus Christi’s school of religion are so enthusiastic about their Family Mission for the Deaf this weekend that they have asked Pope John Paul II to come.

“The kids have been talking for weeks about having the Archbishop with them for the day,” said Christine McDonald, pastoral worker for the deaf at Corpus Christi, who with Sister Rose Huber has coordinated the mission.

“One little boy asked, ‘If the archbishop can come, why not the pope?’ They all signed the invitation and sent it off to the Vatican!”

Although plans for a papal visit are as yet unconfirmed, Corpus Christi Church in Stone Mountain will welcome families from all over the Atlanta area to its mission for the deaf this Saturday, March 28.

Father Charles Dittmeier, Director of the Catholic Office for the Deaf in Louisville, Kentucky, will conduct the mission for the second year in a row and conferences throughout the day will focus on the special needs of families with deaf or hearing-impaired members. Father Dittmeier will hold sessions for young deaf children and their parents from 10 a.m. – noon for deaf teens and their parents from 1-3 p.m. and for deaf adults from 3-4 p.m.

Father Dittmeier, who has worked with the deaf since his ordination 12 years ago, “signs” his words as he speaks, enabling all those present to understand his message.

Archbishop Thomas Donnellan will celebrate the Eucharist Saturday evening, and Father Dittmeier will interpret the Mass for the deaf, using sign language. A reception will follow the Mass.

“Because deaf people are frequently isolated, they love to socialize when they have the chance,” said Christine McDonald. “We are expecting people from all over the area, including some who are not members of the Catholic Church.”

Mrs. McDonald and her family are looking forward to the day. Her 14-year-old son, Brian, a student at Clarkstone High School, is deaf and attends classes with an interpreter. Because Brian will receive Confirmation this year, much of his conference with Father Dittmeier will center on what the sacrament will mean in his own faith life.

“Everyone was so pleased with the mission last year,” said Mrs. McDonald. “Children who hadn’t been able to receive First Communion or First Penance celebrated these sacraments with the help of Father Dittmeier. It is so much easier for a deaf person to go to confession to a priest who ‘speaks’ his language.”

Christine McDonald interprets the 12:30 p.m. Mass for the deaf each Sunday at Corpus Christi and works full time as a classroom interpreter for the DeKalb County School system. She stressed the strong community effort that has made ministry to the deaf so successful at Corpus Christi.

“We have a very unique parish. There are so many people here who are actively working with the deaf and never seem to lose their enthusiasm for this ministry,” she said. “Our pastor, Father Kenney, and Sister Rose, who heads our education department, have supported the programs completely.”

A cherished dream of Christine McDonald is to have a full-time priest for counseling, sacramental instruction, Eucharist and general ministry to the deaf.

Corpus Christi may well be the only Catholic Church in Georgia to offer such an extensive ministry to the deaf. The proximity of the Atlanta Area School for the Deaf in nearby Clarkston has brought many families with deaf children within the parish boundaries and has provided an impetus for expanding pastoral ministry to those with hearing handicaps.

Since 1975, deaf children have been enrolled in Corpus Christi’s catechetical program. In 1979, the church began a “signing” class for those interested in helping to teach the deaf. From this nucleus emerged the “Signs of Praise,” a choir which signs hymns for the deaf. In the same year a special place for the deaf was created at Corpus Christi’s Sunday liturgies. A seating area was reserved for the deaf and their families and Mass was interpreted by Christine McDonald.

One older deaf woman who attended the first Mass in April of 1979 was visibly moved. “She cried and hugged my neck,” remembered Mrs. McDonald. “She said she had never ‘heard’ the Word of God as she had that day.”

Sister Rose Huber, whose love for this ministry has led her to proficiency in signing and singing for the deaf at Corpus Christi, summed up the parish commitment simply: “If we don’t minister to the needs of the hearing handicapped, they will have to find some place that will.”

As long as Corpus Christi continues its outreach, they need not look far.