March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month which is a wonderful opportunity for parishes to recognize the importance of persons with developmental disabilities in parish life. In his message at the 2019 International Day for Persons with Disabilities, Pope Francis stated: “We are called to recognize in every person with disabilities, even complex and serious disabilities, a unique contribution to the common good through their original life stories. …and to recognize them as persons of equal dignity, as brothers and sisters in humanity.” Parishes can help to spread this message by promoting awareness this month in a variety of ways. The National Council on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities of the NCPD has created a RESOURCE PAGE that includes some sample bulletin announcements and prayers of the faithful that could easily be incorporated into your parish bulletin and at Mass. There is also a printable BULLETIN INSERT with wonderful facts and information about developmental disabilities. Finally, if you have active parish Social Media pages, follow the OFFICE FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES and share some of our upcoming posts to highlight persons with developmental disabilities in our very own Archdiocese of Cincinnati! The first step towards creating a culture of inclusion and meaningful participation in our Church is to provide opportunities for awareness and understanding. Let us all work together to establish a sense of belonging in our parishes, Archdiocese, and universal Church.
