National Chaplaincy for Deaf People to address Vatican Conference in November 2009
- The 24th International Conference organized by the Pontifical Council for Health Care Workers, www.healthpastoral.org, is taking place at the New Synod Hall, in the Vatican from the 19th to 21st of November and the theme is "phphatha! The Deaf Person in the Life of the Church". Archbishop Zygmunt Zimowski, who is the President of this Pontifical Council has invited two members of the National Chaplaincy Team from Ireland who are also members of the International Catholic Foundation for the Service of Deaf People, www.icfdeafservice.org to chair two of the sessions during the Conference: Ms Frankie Berry (chaplain with responsibility for the West of Ireland) and Fr. Gerard Tyrrell (director of the NCDP) www.ncdp.ie. Mrs. Maura Buckley who is a member of the Board of Catholic Institute for Deaf People and a former member of ICF has been asked to deliver a paper on the subject of "The Family and Deaf People". The Team is excited at the prospect of taking part in such a unique conference and to have the opportunity to share with the Vatican and with representatives from the Global Deaf Community reflections on the involvement of Deaf people in Ireland in the Life of Church. The Conference will address principally the following topics: the sociological, psychological, medical, familial and especially pastoral realities of deaf persons. Besides these subjects there will be Round Table discussions during which the issues raised by the speakers will be supplemented by some experiences both from Deaf persons and their families, as well as by dialogue with the conference participants. Fr. Joe Jones (former director of the NCDP) Ms. Veronica White (Cork /Kerry) and Ms. Denise Flack (North of Ireland) along with Fr. Patrick Devlin (Down & Connor) will also be attending the conference and serve as interpreters and participations. We are delighted that the Deaf Community and those involved in Deaf Ministry here in Ireland are so well represented.