By Paula Day

The changes at St. Matthew’s mission in Winder are simple enough. Ramps replace steps into the church and the parish hall. The restroom is now wheelchair accessible. Floor space in front of the sanctuary accommodates someone in a wheelchair while a companion can sit directly behind her.

But these simple changes are signs of other, unseen changes. Peggy Morris, suffering from crippling arthritis for 14 years, was not able to maneuver her wheelchair into the church before the ramps were installed. Now she is able to share in parish worship and social events.

“Her perseverance and fortitude and enjoyment of community and worship is her gift to the community,” Father John Kelley said. “She is witness to the comfort of Jesus Christ and His people. If she wasn’t here we’d be deprived of her gift. That’s why accessibility is imperative.”

St. Matthew’s is a small 84-household mission a short distance up a gravel road off U.S. Highway 29 in Barrow County. When the church needed drastic renovation to repair termite damage, among other things, Father Kelley proposed changes to accommodate disabled persons in wheelchairs.

Ramps now replace steps into the church and into the parish hall. Cars can drive up to the concrete ramps allowing a person to move directly from car to ramp and avoid rough gravel or mud in wet weather. Peggy Morris points out that the ramps can be a safety measure and make access easier for many.

“A lot of people can hardly walk,” she said. “Some use canes and walkers. Some can’t see too well. It’s handy for them , too.”

Inside the church in front of the altar, another modification has been made. Approximately eight feet in front of the right side of the altar platform is open. There a wheelchair bound person can have an unobstructed and close view of the altar area and not hinder passage. A companion can sit in the pew directly behind the disabled and give needed assistance unimpeded by a kneeler.

Earlier, parishioners installed a ramp at St. Anna’s Church in Monroe where Father Kelley is also a pastor. The parish council had pointed out that St. Anna’s didn’t have any disabled parishioners, Father Kelley recalled. The priest suggested that might be because they didn’t have easy access.

“Ramps, doors, stairs, seats say to people who can walk, ‘Come.’ No ramps say we don’t care if you come or not.”

Father Kelley acknowledged there is always someone who raises the question of cost. his answer: “What you obtain for the price is priceless.”

Within a month of installing the ramp at St. Anna’s a young man in a wheelchair began coming to Mass. Soon after, a woman in a nursing home learned of the ramp and decided to attend Mass again.

Allocating money to make changes in parish facilities is one level of change required to meet the needs of the disabled. Another is being open to give time to meet those needs. Roy Woodward is one of several parishioners who makes certain Peggy Morris has a ride to Mass. Parishioners have also constructed a moveable ramp at her home. Father Kelley said he has always found that Catholics “come forth with their time, talent and treasure to meet a need” once it is known.

Providing ramps meets one need of persons with disabilities. Other needs have been met on an individual basis in the two parishes. Those with partial visual impairments are provided with large print texts; the public address system is of some help to the hearing impaired.

“You can’t do everything at once,” the priest pointed out. “You do the best you can. But you have a preferential attitude toward the disabled, otherwise you can’t overcome the historical neglect directed toward them. It’s not an extracurricular activity. It’s the heart of the Gospel.” Father Kelley was appointed coordinator of ministry to the disabled in the archdiocese in 1984. His interest and involvement had developed when he was assigned to St. Jude the Apostle parish in Sandy Springs in 1978. There he met and worked with Toni Miralles, coordinator of parish ministry with the disabled. The publication of the U.S. bishops’ pastoral statement on handicapped people in November, 1978, helped focus attention on making a Gospel response to their needs, according to Father Kelley.

The priest remarked that Advent is “an excellent time” to think about meeting the needs of the disabled. The Scripture readings speak of making straight the way of the Lord, and the signs of His coming are the miracles of giving sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, making cripples walk and preaching good news to the poor. Efforts to meet the disabled persons’ needs are both efforts of the inclusion and evangelization, he said.

“Being disabled is not an essential part of the person, but being a member of the Christian Catholic Community is.”

For Peggy Morris, Sunday mornings are the highlight of her week. “They wheel me into the meeting room after Mass on Sundays, and we have coffee and sweets and I visit with everyone. I just hate to leave.”