Persons with disabilities comprise a fourth of the U.S. population. This initiative will train parish leaders to implement best practices that address the needs of this community. It aims to encourage the flourishing of congregations by helping members deepen their relationships with God, enhance their connections with one another, and contribute to the vitality of their faith communities and society. The program will reach over two thousand parish leaders in the United States and equip the National Catholic Partnership on Disability (NCPD) to educate exponentially more parishes in years to come. Two primary components will be 1) a national conference that will address a wide range of disability needs in parishes and dioceses across the United States, allowing persons to gather in-person and virtually for networking and accompaniment and 2) a Parish Mentorship Initiative that will be an opportunity for teams of pastoral leaders from across different areas of the country to work together over two years to forward disability support in their respective parishes. NCPD will use its unique expertise to help parishes thrive by teaching best practices, sharing successful models, and providing resources that support disability ministry. This program allows parishes to learn not only from NCPD but also from thriving dioceses and parishes across the United States that successfully implement disability practices through the Parish Mentorship Initiative. All Parish Mentorship Initiative participants will be funded to attend the national conference in-person and participate in ongoing virtual meetings. Designed to be replicated for years to come until every part of the country has trained parishes that can show neighboring congregations what it looks like to truly thrive. The program also includes a national survey to gather current disability data and plans to further develop online learning opportunities so that parish leaders can benefit from step-by-step instruction at their own pace.
Making Parishes Everyone’s Home
Washington, DC
National
Charleen Katra