by John Sorce
john.sorce@theleaven.org
OLATHE — A major milestone for the deaf community was celebrated Dec. 15, 2024, as archdiocesan leaders gathered with the deaf community at St. Paul Church here to mark 50 years of deaf ministry in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas.
The ministry was started in 1974 by Sister Ann Albrecht, CSJ, who led it through 2001 and served as a volunteer until retiring in 2015.
As a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults), Sister Ann had a heart for the deaf from the very beginning.
“I’ve always admired deaf people and the strong faith that they have in God by going to Mass all the time, while not being able to understand what the priest was saying,” Sister Ann said. “It was their faith that got them through, and my parents were no exception.”
Sister Ann, who was not able to attend the celebration, wanted to help people in the deaf community to grow in their faith and would literally go door to door trying get people to attend Mass.
But for deaf people to truly get the full experience, interpreters needed to be present to translate the Mass into American Sign Language.
“I always wanted to somehow expose deaf people to the same things that hearing people receive from the church, and having an interpreter there made that possible,” Sister Ann said. “They have the same faith in God, and I always tried to help expose them to different things in the church.”
One of those people in the deaf community is Chuck Theel, a St. Paul parishioner who feels his understanding of Mass grew, thanks to having an interpreter present.
“When Sister Ann came, I began to understand the deaf ministry very well,” Theel said. “Before it started, the priest would say the homily and I would get lost because I didn’t know what he was saying. But when the interpreter is there, I am able to follow what the priest is saying, and that’s a good feeling.”
Another instrumental person to the deaf ministry program more recently has been Father Scott Wallisch, pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Shawnee. He learned ASL while in the seminary and has been involved since being ordained in 2010, signing one Mass a month at St. Paul and another at Most Pure Heart in Topeka.
He said that being involved has provided opportunities to interact with deaf ministry leaders throughout the country and he does not take this archdiocesan ministry, in particular, for granted.
“I know that having a dedicated office [for deaf ministry] is pretty rare in the United States,” he said. “For us to have a ministry is a great blessing and for it to have been sustained for 50 years is impressive. It speaks volumes to the culture of our archdiocese.”
Pat Richey succeeded Sister Ann as the ministry director in 2001 and held the role until 2016, when Katie Locus took over. The ministry was not something Richey pursued. But God intervened at the right time.
“When Sister Ann decided to retire, she came up to me and asked if I would be interested in applying for her job,” Richey said. “I didn’t even hesitate and told her yes, and then thought to myself, ‘Why in the world did I say that?’
“I never thought I had an interest in ministry, but that yes just came out! And as time went by, I realized it came from God. The Holy Spirit said yes through me, and having this job was such a wonderful gift from God.”
The support of the ministry not only comes from the people who oversee it daily, but also from Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann. Joan Macy, who serves as the ministry’s interpreter coordinator, is grateful for his continued support.
“I’m so grateful for Archbishop Naumann and his continued support of deaf ministry,” Macy said. “A lot of times, dioceses will close ministries when the numbers aren’t big, and that shuts people off. But we’re able to reach out to this community through [the]archbishop’s support, and that’s what made us grow.”
Archbishop Naumann celebrated the anniversary Mass, saying it was a day to give thanks for everyone involved with the ministry and all they have done for the deaf community.
“Anniversaries invite us to pause and give thanks,” the archbishop said. “It’s important for us to give thanks for those who had the wisdom and determination to really begin the deaf ministry in our archdiocese.”
“This ministry has brought many blessings to the Catholic deaf community, as well as the many graces and gifts that the deaf community has brought and continues to bring to our church,” he added.
The one who started the ministry feels good about its future.
“The church goes on forever,” Sister Ann said. “Christ is our rock, and we cannot do anything without him.”
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