by Amy Reinhardt
Special to The Leaven
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas often collaborates with its geographic neighbors on various issues, but doesn’t as often connect with a diocese on the other side of the country.
That changed, however, in 2024 when the National Catholic Partnership on Disability rolled out its first Mentorship Initiative. Joshua Ruoff, consultant for the archdiocesan special-needs ministry, volunteered to serve as a mentor to the new initiative in the Diocese of Allentown, Pennsylvania.
The Archdiocese of Kansas City’s special-needs ministry began in 2017. Its years of experience made it a perfect candidate for the program.
“I thought it would be a great opportunity to help another diocese learn and understand the challenges of starting a ministry — and also a great way for us to continue to improve our own,” said Ruoff.
The mentorship is a two-year program composed of monthly virtual meetings, strategic planning and in-person training.
Ruoff’s contact in the Diocese of Allentown is Maggie Riggins, executive director of evangelization and formation. She’s been quite happy with the partnership.
“Josh has been wonderful,” she said. “He has a great sense of humor and has offered wonderful guidance whenever I have a question or idea.”
Ruoff and Riggins were instructed to choose two parishes to represent their respective dioceses on the mentorship journey. Ruoff selected Queen of the Holy Rosary in Overland Park and St. Patrick in Kansas City, Kansas.
The first year of mentorship was mostly teaching and learning. Ruoff shared that NCPD set up a step-by-step guidebook for the monthly meetings.
“It’s exciting to be a part of something brand-new,” said Riggins. “The variety of what the mentorship entails has been very well done, especially all the courses I’ve taken.”
Riggins especially appreciated the webinars, saying they exhibited a nice combination of theological background, practical insights and implementation processes.
“You’re getting the whole package in one hour,” she said. “I really appreciate getting new tools in my toolbox that I can use to move forward with my diocese’s special-needs ministry.”
Her favorite webinar was one where Josh presented on sensory-friendly eucharistic adoration. He emphasized low lighting, soft music, no incense and other ways to be mindful of those with sensory challenges.
The mentorship was underway for almost a year before Ruoff and Riggins met face-to-face in Salt Lake City, where they both attended the Pilgrims of Hope: National Catholic Partnership on Disability conference in August.
Hundreds of diocesan and parish leaders from across the country gathered at the Hilton Salt Lake City Center to network, learn best practices, and share recent successes and challenges.
“It was a great community of people from all walks of life, both literally and figuratively,” Ruoff said.
Riggins appreciated how kind and passionate all the participants were. Everyone was quick to offer their names and email addresses, so they could be future resources for her and her Pennsylvania diocese.
“What I took away from the experience was an overwhelming sense of belonging. How important it is for everyone in our churches,” she said.
Ruoff and Riggins had time during the conference to sit down and talk about their ministries, get to know each other, share ideas and pray together.
As they begin the second year of mentorship, the focus shifts to action items, like establishing best practices, performing parish assessments, and ensuring goals are realistic and attainable.
In Ruoff’s opinion, attitude, awareness and accessibility are vital for the growth and success of any special- needs ministry.
“We need to learn to see these individuals as beloved children of God,” he said. “People with disabilities have so much to teach us about what it means to truly love.”
Practicing empathy is what will make our churches a place of belonging, which is the foundation of this ministry, according to Riggins.
With everything she’s learned so far, Riggins is excited to see a trickle-down effect with her staff and those at Allentown parishes who want to get more involved.
The NCPD Mentorship Initiative came at the right time for the Archdiocese of Kansas City and the Diocese of Allentown, she believes.
“The mentorship was an answer to a need that we knew we had but didn’t necessarily know how to fill. It was a natural fit,” said Riggins.
The partnership will enable both dioceses to continue making a positive, meaningful impact on the special-needs community.
“I’ve never met a person with disabilities who wasn’t happy. They’re always so full of joy, and that’s how we are called to live,” said Ruoff. “That is our mission.”
