Published by: The Center for Deaf Ministries, 7202 Buchanan Street, Landover Hills, MD 20784, (301) 459-7464 Voice or TTY

 Web Site: http://www.hometown.aol.com/deafmindc

by Liguori Publications

"When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, 'Woman, here is your son.' Then he said to the disciple, 'Here is your mother.' And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home." (John 19:26-27)

The human heart has always been the symbol of life. When we speak of a person's heart, we are talking about this person's life. A beating heart is a living heart. When a person's heart stops beating, death has set in.

The heart of a mother is one that is not only alive itself, but one that also gives life to others. "Mother" is not only a title of honor; it tells us about a function: to give and awaken life in sons and daughters who resemble her.

As Jesus was hanging on the cross, and just a few moments before he died, our Savior gave his mother to John, and not only to John but to each and every one of us. Mary, from that moment, became for us a channel of divine life. She functioned as a real mother -- a giver of the life of grace. Through her immaculate heart flows the graces that will help bring salvation to all people.

Since we are really her children by grace, we should express a true and genuine devotion to her -- a devotion that is not based on purely sentimental reasons but is expressly willed by her son, Jesus. It was the Lord himself who established Mary's spiritual maternity as an element of his own work of salvation. When we love Mary and are devoted to her, we are fulfilling the will of Jesus, her son.

The Apostle John's response to the last wish of Jesus was to open his heart in immediate hospitality to Mary. "And from that hour, the disciple took her into his own home" (John 19:27). As Christ had given hospitality to John as an expression of his love for his disciple, so did the disciple display the same hospitality toward our Lord's mother as an expression of his own love. Since the actions and attitudes of John the Apostle are the model of those of every Christian, we readily understand that love of Christ implies love for his mother, Mary. All disciples, whoever they may be, must, according to the plan of Christ, open their hearts and take Mary into their care.

Jesus is among us and repeats to us the same words he spoke to John: "Here is your Mother." May we always respond to these words of our Redeemer with the same open-hearted spirit of hospitality that John showed to Mary, and may we always take her into our homes with love and devotion.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers of the universe!

A Few Words from Fr. Jerry

April seems to have flown by. Here we are in the May-June issue of Silent Witness. Both retreats in April were great successes. Fr. Jim Hall led the men in what I think was the first ever deaf men's retreat in the archdiocese of Washington, and Sr. Pat Francis and Jean Mulrooney led our third women's retreat. All the participants returned home renewed and refreshed. A result of the men's retreat is that, we hope to soon set up a Deaf Catholic Men's support group. Sadly, when the women were returning from Ridge, Md. from their retreat, Kathy Butta was involved in a car accident, we ask all of you to keep her in your prayers.

We congratulate Sylvia Chatman, Sally Mooney, Christopher Keiser, and Kevin Seaman for the Sacraments they received at the Easter Vigil. Our religious education program continues throughout the rest of the Spring, culminating with a night dedicated to Mary Our Blessed Mother on Tuesday May 7. All of our evening meetings begin at 7:30 p.m. We also want to thank Peter Un for leading the sign language classes for hearing people these past two semesters.

In April, I represented the Catholic view on Deaf Culture's influence on religious services at the Gallaudet Diversity Day. I was part of a panel of four and we made two different presentations during the day. On the 16th of April, The Grace Trancone Memorial award was given to Katherine Daugherty and Paul Conant. The award was set up in memory of my mother and is given each year to those undergraduates who have shown a practical application of their Catholic Principles in their daily lives. Speaking of Gallaudet on Friday evening May 3, we will have the farewell dinner for those seniors who have been faithful members of our Catholic Community there.

On May 4, we are planning a trip to the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center and the National shrine. Please contact Peter Noyes for details. The I.C.D.A. Board will have their Faith sharing meeting on the 11th of May. The next day, which is Mother's Day we will have our annual May crowning at the 11:30 Mass. On May 17, Gallaudet will have its commencement ceremony, I will celebrate 33 years of Ordination to the priesthood, and Crystal Archambeau will receive Baptism. The next day the 18th will be our Archdiocesan Deaf Catholic Picnic at Wheaton Regional Park, and on the 19th we will have a St. Francis Church Council Meeting.

Remember on Sunday June 2, our Mass time moves to our summer schedule. All Sunday Masses during June, July, and August will be at 10:00 a.m. and the Gallaudet community will join the St. Francis Community in Landover Hills, MD., for Mass. June 2, we will celebrate all children who have received sacraments this past year. after Mass.

As I close this article I wish to ask for your prayers for the repose of the souls of two of my uncles who went home to God. One Mr. Albert Visco, the other my Baptismal Godfather Mr. Anthony Battista. I also ask you to include in your prayers the soul of Mr. Armand Blondeel, the father of Sander Blondeel, the artist who has done all of the stained glass windows in the St. Francis Chapel. We ask you to pray that God will send to all of their families the comfort and peace of the assurance of the resurrection.

In his Gospel, Saint Matthew frequently sees in Christ the fulfillment of Hebrew prophecies. The early fathers of the Church, following Matthew's lead, found types of New Testament figures in the people of the Hebrew Scriptures. We can look at the great women of the Hebrew Scriptures and see in them some of the characteristics of Mary, the woman God chose to bring Christ into the world.

In the first pages of the Bible we read that after the creation of the world, God created human beings: "God created humankind in his image; in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them" (Genesis 1:27).

In the Garden of Eden, the serpent tempted the woman to eat the forbidden fruit. She ate and gave it to Adam. He ate. They both sinned and were banished by God from the garden. Later the woman called Eve gave birth to Cain, Abel, and Seth. She was called Eve because she was the mother of all the living (see Genesis 3:1-22).

In early Christian times the fathers saw Christ as the new Adam and the Blessed Virgin Mary as the new Eve. Saint Irenaeus was the disciple of Saint Polycarp, a disciple of Saint John the Apostle. Irenaeus put it this way: "Eve was led away by a fallen angel's word to flee God after transgressing God's word. Mary had good tidings brought by an angel that she should bear God within herself after obeying God's word.

"The first disobeyed God; but the second was drawn to obey him, and thus the Virgin Mary became the advocate of Eve. . . . While the first man's sin was amended by the Firstborn [Jesus], the serpents' guile was overcome by the dove's [Mary's] simplicity, and we were freed from those chains of death by which we had been bound."

Eve, the mother of all the living, is the type of Mary, mother of all of us who have new life in Christ. Mary, daughter of Eve, out of her love of God, brings forth a Savior for all people in every age.

The dynamic presence of Margaret Steedman, one of our most active and energetic parishioners, emphatically bears out the veracity of the old adage that "Variety is the Spice of Life."

Margaret hails from all the way "down under" in Australia and as such, comes from a background that in may ways is both different and similar to our local scene. A sturdily built woman, her personality emanates an aura or energetic friendliness and purpose. A lay reader, a member of the cup and chalice corps, she is actively engaged in a myriad of social and spiritual affairs of our parish life. And this even includes the strenuous and physically taxing chore of cleaning up the Helm Room following social gatherings and folding and storing the heavy meeting tables.

As a youngster Margaret was educated at a Catholic school for deaf girls by Dominican nuns at Newcastle, which is about 160 miles north of Sydney. She was taught there from the age of three to 16.

Her grandparents had a farm nearby and she would spend her weekends with them during the school year. The farm raised a variety of farm animals including sheep, cattle, pigs and chickens, and as such. Margaret had a wonderful time during her growing school age years helping with all sorts of everyday farm chores. It was on the farm, at the age of 11 years, that she learned to drive a war surplus Jeep. When school was out she would go back to Sydney to be with her parents. As youngsters, Margaret and her hearing sister, Stephanie, enjoyed a relationship of sibling rivalry, but upon the death of their mother some years ago, they became very close and have remained that way ever since.

Following her school years Margaret held a variety of interesting jobs as security for federal check, registered and certificate mail. Later came employment with the Australian Census and the Department of Defense.

In keeping with her adventurous spirit Margaret has done a great deal of traveling. She has visited various states of Australia and gone camping in the famous Australian Outback. In addition her travels have taken her to Asia, Europe, Britain, Canada and the good old U.S.A. While visiting Lake Placid, New York, she learned of Gallaudet University and consequently enrolled for courses at the University.

She finds it interesting to compare the various sign languages; Australian Sign Language (AUSLAN) and ASL here in the U.S. Socially active she has been a member of the Australian Deaf Society, New South Wales Deaf Society and Veritas (Australia Catholic Deaf Society).

For rest and relaxation Margaret’s interests run the gamut from basic crafts such as painting, drawing, photography, woodworking and doing jig saw puzzles. Reading on aspects of modern science and technology, and theology also interest her. She also loves to hike and walk in rural, outdoor settings. True to her British heritage, she enjoys watching contests of Rugby and soccer.

Margaret is an individual who enjoys life to its fullest-invariably engaged in, or pursuing some interesting and meritorious course of action. And she plans to continue that life style, making the most of the opportunities of life as they come along. Having a parishioner such as Margaret has had a most positive and beneficial effect on the life of our local parish and we hope she will be with us for many, many years to come. Thank you with all our hearts, Margaret and May God Bless You!

The Lord is my Shepherd – Perfect Salvation

I shall not want – Perfect Satisfaction

He maketh me to lie in green pastures – Perfect Rest

He leadeth me beside still waters – Perfect Refreshment

He restoreth my soul – Perfect Restoration

He leadeth me in the path of righteousness – Perfect Guidance

I will fear no evil – Perfect Protection

Thour art with me – Perfect Company

Thy rod and Thy staff – Perfect Comfort

Thou preparest a table – Perfect Provision

Thou anointest my hear – Perfect Consecration

My cup runneth over – Perfect Joy

Surely, surely – Perfect Confidence

Goodness and mercy shall follow me – Perfect Care

I will dwell in the House of the Lord forever – Perfect Destiny

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Archdiocese of Washington - Center for Deaf Ministries

Picnic

 

 

 

Date: Saturday, May 18, 2002

Where: Wheaton Regional Park, Wheaton, MD – Shelter F

Time: 2:00 – 6:00 p.m.

• Grills, charcoal and paper products (plates, cups, napkins) will be provided.
• Picnic is "Pot Luck" style. Bring food to share with others. E-mail Richard Smrz (Richnansmrz@aol.com) to coordinate what foods to bring
• Bring your lawn chairs.

If you have any question, please contact the interpreter coordinator, Mary Chute-Un at 301-459-7464 (V/TTY) or e-mail her at CHUTEUN@AOL.COM