Have you ever heard anyone express that going to Mass can be hard? Many typically developing people can struggle to take the time, energy, and commitment that it takes to be active participants in an hour-long liturgy. Layer on top of that a cognitive disability, sensory sensitivity, mobility impairment, or other disability, and Mass may seem unattainable. Consider the testimonies from individuals with disabilities and their families below:
“People just go to church and don’t think any more about it. They just get in their car or walk, they go through the door, they do the service, and they go home. And it’s never that simple for me.” “Rachel,” an Autistic young adult (from Autism and Worship: A Liturgical Theology by Armand Leon Van Omen)
“Often, [parents of children with disabilities] feel isolated if a child without a noticeable or hidden disability is acting out/having a sensory meltdown [during Mass]… As a parent, there is a voice in my head that often tells me, ‘This isn’t worth the struggle and embarrassment of why my kids can’t act like neurotypical kids at liturgies.’” “Rose,” mother of a child with sensory processing difficulties (interview with author)
Those of us who have a responsibly to plan liturgical celebrations may wish that things could be a little simpler for people like Rachel, Rose, and her daughter. The checklist below is designed from the perspective of a person with a cognitive disability and asks the liturgist to consider the many barriers that prevent people with disabilities and their families from feeling like they belong in a congregation. By eliminating barriers that make the liturgy inaccessible, the whole body of Christ gathered to worship takes seriously our call to attend to the needs of the poor and vulnerable and becomes a fuller image of the Kingdom of God here on Earth.
This work was made possible by a Worshiping Communities grant through the Calvin College Institute of Worship and the parishioners of Saint Pius X Catholic Church in Granger, IN.
Used with permission of Robby Kiley, Director of Faith Formation, Saint Pius X
