BY KATHI STEARNS

Staff Writer

ATLANTA--Archbishop John F. Donoghue says that he would like to strengthen the ways that Catholics with disabilities can join the liturgical and sacramental life of the archdiocese.

"We want to make people with disabilities feel welcome," the archbishop said in an interview. "They can't be viewed or made to feel as if they are a problem. The Catholic Church is an inclusive church, and we must find a way to assist everyone to fulfill his obligation to the Lord. We are all brothers and sisters in Christ and are continually striving to build our relationship with the Lord. And one of the primary ways we do that is through our participation in the sacraments."

The archbishop applauded the "Guidelines for the Celebration of the Sacraments with Persons with Disabilities," released in June 1995 by the U.S. bishops. The document was designed to improve access to the sacraments and to the ministries of the church for persons with disabilities by providing consistent principles for parishes and dioceses around the nation to implement.

"That document challenges us to be creative and open to the spiritual needs of all those who have disabilities," Archbishop Donoghue said. "We are encouraged to explore different ways to make the Mass and the sacraments relevant to the disabled."

The guidelines state that, "Ministers are not to refuse the sacraments to those who ask for them at appropriate times, who are properly disposed, and who are not prohibited by law from receiving them."

The archbishop specifically liked the section that focused on the Eucharist. "If a person can distinguish the body of Christ from regular bread and wine, there is no reason he should not receive the sacrament," the archbishop said.

The archbishop is encouraging pastors to become familiar with the document and find ways to accommodate persons in their parishes with disabilities. The archbishop says that some parishes may need to adapt their facilities and rethink the availability of programs, policies and ministries in order to better serve those with disabilities.

"I'd like to see these guidelines implemented to the fullest extent in all of the parishes in the archdiocese," he said. "Most priests I have talked to are willing to do something, but they're just not sure exactly what they should do. That is why it is so important that not only priests but catechetical leaders be familiar with the material in this document."

The archbishop says that some of the parish catechetical and sacramental programs may need to be adapted for Catholics with disabilities. "Full sacramental accessibility may not realistically always be possible for every person with a disability," he said. "But when it is, I want us to be available as often as possible to assist in sacramental preparation."

The archbishop said one of his concerns is to clarify the number of Catholics in the archdiocese with disabilities and their specific needs for physical and sacramental accessibility. In April 1997 he asked each parish to survey their membership in order to estimate the number of Catholics who are deaf or hearing impaired.

"You can't lump all disabilities together," the archbishop said. "There are so many people with different types of disabilities. Each person has needs that are unique to that particular disability. We currently need to gather information that would provide us with specific information about the disabilities our parishioners have and the support they require."

The archbishop wants parents of children with disabilities to turn to the church as a means of support.

"My heart goes out to the many parents who are caring for a child with a disability," he said. "I just wish that the church could do more for them; my hope is we can. Once we get the facts and figures we can make an accurate determination of what the needs are and how we can practically try to meet them."

Archbishop Donoghue is currently serving on the board of the National Catholic Office for the Deaf based in Landover Hills, Md. He traveled to Milwaukee to attend their annual meeting in June.

The meetings have been very informative, the archbishop said. "My primary responsibility is to act as a liaison between the bishops and the Office for the Deaf." One of his projects has been to write other bishops asking them to become sustaining members of the office.

On the local level the archbishop said he would like to see each parish in the archdiocese have one Mass each week that is interpreted for the hearing impaired.

"If every parish could find one person to do that (interpret Mass for the hearing impaired), that would be a definite step in the right direction."