Through the ADA, the Diocese can offer help for the deaf community
February 15, 2022
The Diocese of Des Moines is supporting a service to the deaf community in Council Bluffs and is looking to bolster service to the deaf community in the Des Moines metro area.
Since last December, an American Sign Language interpreter has been assisting at a Saturday morning Mass once per month at Corpus Christi Parish in Council Bluffs, with coffee and donuts afterward.
The hope is that this ministry will grow, given the Iowa School for the Deaf is in Council Bluffs, and that interpretation for faith formation is available.
The monthly interpretation of the Mass, funded through the Diocese, has been greatly appreciated, said Father Jake Epstein.
“It’s a great gift for the community and it’s something we wouldn’t be able to do without the support of the Diocese,” he said. “It really helps them try to connect to the life of the church in this way and so I’m really grateful for that.”
In Des Moines, a couple of sign language interpreters have moved away. Finding someone fluent in sign language is challenging, said Patty Origer, coordinator of the diocesan Disabilities Ministry. There’s a lack of interpreters nationwide.
In collaboration with the local deaf community and longtime ASL interpreters like Peggy Chicoine, the Diocese is exploring alternatives such as using remote interpreters or sharing with interpreters who are not Catholic the meaning of the Mass so they’re more comfortable providing sign language at a Mass.
It’s a mistake to assume the hearing impaired could rely on lip reading to pray along with the celebration of the Mass, said Dee Cordero, of St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Des Moines. She and her husband, Gus, are deaf and have worked throughout their lives to serve the deaf.
“American Sign Language interpreters are crucial to our being able to be involved in Mass,” she said.
“Speech-reading depends on an auditory memory, meaning that having auditory words in your memory gives you clues to help with the guesswork of speech reading. Very, very few people can successfully lip read and at best, it only provides less than 30 percent of information spoken. The rest of the information has to be gleaned from guessing and visual cues and requires a one-on-one scenario. The potential for error is immense,” she said. “Fortunately, our Diocese upholds the needs of diverse language speakers, praise be to God.”