On this year’s International Day of People with Disabilities (3 December), the Diocese of Parramatta hosted a prayer service and listening day; facilitated by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference’s (ACBC) Disability Projects Office together with the Diocese’s Mission Enhancement Team (MET). These sessions are an initiative of the national Catholic Accessibility Forum (CAF).
In the Bethany Centre in Parramatta, nearly 20 people brought their personal experiences and expertise from various Diocesan ministries. The listening day offered participants a chance to share those experiences and ideas for greater inclusion within the Church both locally and nationally. In Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains, 20,000 Catholics live with a visible or invisible disability.
The day began with a prayer. Image: supplied/Diocese of Parramatta.
“The listening day offers an opportunity to hear from people with disabilities, their families, carers, and friends, and learn about the challenges they face in daily life, in our society, and also in our Church,” said MET’s James Atanasious, Peace, Justice and Ecology Facilitator.
“We need to pay more attention to the voices of those who are often silenced, including people with disabilities.”
A broad range of matters were raised throughout the day, from the accessibility of church buildings to how we can make inclusive liturgies and sacramental preparation courses more accessible for people with disabilities.
This is a topic that Maryrose Caruana from The Good Shepherd Parish Plumpton feels passionately about. Maryrose and her husband Jason lead a parish support group for families with children who have special needs; and attended the Listening Day.
“What an amazing day to celebrate International Day of People with Disabilities! Looking around, I thought to myself, how beautiful to see people who have opened their hearts to help others,” Maryrose shared.
“As a mother, of children with special needs, I feel that I am not alone.”
A nation-wide approach
The ACBC’s listening days are an initiative of the national Catholic Accessibility Forum (CAF), which is a growing online national network of people with lived experience, advocates and experts dedicated to full inclusion of people with disabilities in the life of the Church.
The network is operated through the Disability Projects Office and has already hosted listening days in Brisbane, Broken Bay, Adelaide, and most recently – Townsville.
“At the listening day in Townsville it became clearer how important it is for the church to not only listen to those with disabilities but to collaborate with them,” said Bishop Time Harris, chair of the Bishops Commission for Social Justice, Mission and Service – who hosted the Townsville event.
“Sometimes misunderstandings occur and this creates great hurt where those with disabilities can sometimes feel ostracised, unwelcome and even at times with a feeling of being a burden.
“This situation is intolerable – we have got to do better as church to be attentive to them.”
ACBC Disability Projects Officer Dr Adam Hughes Henry said the listening days, in the spirit of walking together, are designed to provide an informal, welcoming, and ongoing space for people with lived experiences to help drive cultural, social, and spiritual renewal in the Church.
“We should not only be talking the talk, but walking the walk,” he said.
“The listening days are showing that there is much more that needs to be done, and much more in terms of co-design with those with lived experiences in our parishes. However, they also demonstrate a great enthusiasm from everyone for a more synodal and inclusive Church community.”
As such, we’re reminded of Pope Francis’ reflection on the importance of disability inclusion in 2020, and the continuation of this legacy through Pope Leo XIV.
“Creating a fully accessible parish requires not only the removal of architectural barriers, but above all, helping parishioners to develop attitudes and acts of solidarity and service towards persons with disabilities and their families. Our aim should be to speak no longer about ‘them’, but rather about ‘us’,” Pope Francis had said.
The Diocese of Parramatta is committed to fostering disability inclusion, a commitment reinforced by the Diocese’s new Pastoral Plan to build a warm, welcoming and inclusive Church. The plan highlights the importance of listening to and supporting the vulnerable, highlighting the need to pay attention to those whose voices are often silenced, including people with disabilities. Visit Synodality to learn more.
Read more about how we support Disability Inclusion
