Blog

Since our inception 30 years ago, Friendship Ministries has believed that the Church is complete only when it includes all of God’s people. To that end, we have worked diligently to encourage and equip congregations to minister with intellectual disabilities. Our unique model for ministry has quickly become the standard for congregations around the world, and we have been blessed with friends, mentors, colleagues, and partners who have graciously supported Friendship’s mission in their own communities.

Continue reading “Friendship Ministries, Celebrating 30 Years” →

Online Resources from the Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey and Catholic Charities Health and Human Services of Cleveland, Ohio

As our collective efforts to employ emerging technologies to assist in our faith based outreach activities continues to expand, I wanted to share two examples from individual Roman Catholic dioceses in this review due to my relative familiarity with them. Although I am certain that there are other internet-based sites from many faith traditions, it is my hope that some of the examples that I will share from these two might motivate local providers to implement similar services using some of the ideas and tools both have developed. (Please be sure to obtain permission from the key contact persons listed below before copying/modifying any such materials that they have placed online).

Continue reading “Think Spiritually; Act Locally” →

Dear Friends,
I am excited about working with you all the next two years as president of the Religion and Spirituality Division! Please read the minutes below from the Forum this year and look for more division news in August via our newsletter and a survey discussed below.

I hope you get to enjoy some moments of refreshment and relaxation this summer.

God’s Peace,
Anne Masters
President,
Religion & Spirituality Division

Continue reading “Minutes of the Annual Business Meeting and Forum” →

The Third Annual Summer Institute on Theology and Disability is being held July 16-20 at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, Illinois. The Institute provides a week long opportunity for learning and networking between key theologians and academics working at the intersection of theology and disability and others more focused on ministries, advocacy, and practice. The core faculty for the Summer Institute also serve as speakers and mentors for the week. This year they are Hans Reinders, John Swinton, Erik Carter, Thomas Reynolds, Deborah Creamer and Bill Gaventa.
Continue reading “2012 Summer Institute on Theology and Disability” →

This was the vision statement that Eagle Scout candidate Brendan Rizzo used to guide, with the assistance of his parents David and Mercedes, the development of a set of adaptive materials to assist his sister, Danielle, in preparing to receive her First Communion in the Roman Catholic faith tradition. Danielle, a person in the autism spectrum population, needed adapted instruction in order to meet basic eligibility guidelines. In my opinion, the kit could readily be used by other Christian worship traditions that include the reception of Communion/Eucharist.
Continue reading “Take this, all of you, and Eat of it.” →

The Third Annual Summer Institute on Theology and Disability will be held this summer on July 16-20 in Chicago, Illinois at the Catholic Theological Union academic and Conference Center.

More information is available at 2012 Summer Institute on Theology and Disability website.

Continue reading “The Third Annual Summer Institute on Theology and Disability” →

Update June 6, 2012

The upcoming national conference promises to be fruitful and fun as always. Although budgets are stretched, it is important to take time out to renew ourselves and reconnect with each other. There are many good sessions to attend, including a panel on Spiritual Communities of Support consisting of three presenters from the division.

June 19th

Spiritual Communities of Support Track

Continue reading “Religion and Disability Division Activities at the National Conference” →

April is Autism Awareness Month. Catholic parish resources can be found on the the National Catholic Partnership on Disability (NCPD) website. Items included are Mass petitions, bulletin announcements, a prayer of St. Francis for Autism, and press release. Upon exploring the many resources on NCPD’s website, you can find other items of interest as well. Other faith communities may also be interested in adapting these resources for your particular needs.

Continue reading “Autism Awareness Month and the National Catholic Partnership on Disability” →

“An Incredible Blueprint”

This is how an Amazon reviewer described Erik W. Carter’s 2007 text, Including People with Disabilities in Faith Communities (Brookes Publishing, Baltimore. ISBN 9781997667434, $18.75 new/$14.33 used) and I concur.

Continue reading “Review of Including People with Disabilities in Faith Communities” →

Report from the January COMISS Network Forum in Arlingon, VA

COMISS is a network of professional organizations concerning chaplaincy. It includes professional chaplain organizations, chaplain certifying organizations and organizations that train chaplains. COMISS is the sponsor of the annual pastoral care week, which occurs in October of every year. It also has a commission that acreditates training organizations/sites.

Continue reading “Update from the COMISS Network Forum” →