News

Priest 'hands-on' Word of God

By Heather Chrudimsky
Compass Correspondent

	SIGNED MASS: Fr. Guy Blair uses American Sign to sign Sunday Mass at St. John the Evangelist Church, Green Bay. (Rick Evans photo)

The Word of God is in both the words and hands of Fr. Guy Blair, SCJ, every Sunday at St. John the Evangelist Church in Green Bay.

Since becoming the administrator in September, Fr. Blair has done his best to reach out to the deaf and hard of hearing community by using American Sign to sign the liturgy and his homily, while continuing to serve those who can hear.

Deaf people say they often feel like outsiders in a hearing church because of difficulties with the language, symbols and culture of the traditional church.

"There are so many people who are hearing impaired out there, and they don't have a church to call their own," Fr. Blair said.

St. John is the right place for increased ministry to the deaf, Fr. Blair said, because of the established deaf community in the parish's history.

Ministry to the deaf community is special to Fr. Blair, he said, because when he was a child a deaf woman asked him what the resurrection was.

"At first I thought she was just testing me, but she had really never knew," Fr. Blair said. "It struck me like a tidal wave. She had never heard a gospel, a song or a prayer - so how did she get her faith?"

Since then, Fr. Blair has made it his goal to touch all parishioners - both hearing and non-hearing.

Before coming to St. John, Fr. Blair was working with the deaf in San Antonio, Texas. With the closing of the priest home where he was staying, he needed to find another place to call home, and he felt called to St. John.

The response and welcoming from the parish for both him and the deaf community has been overwhelming, he said.

Mass attendance by the deaf and hard of hearing community has grown steadily since they began in September, he said. Close to 30 were at the most recent Mass. It takes awhile to get information to the deaf community, he said, and many had left St. John to join another parish that offered signed Masses. Others left the church all together, he said, and he is working to bring them back.

Related articles: from April 22, 2005 issue: • Sacred Heart priest to lead the Deaf Community     Fr. Guy Blair will be coming to Green Bay     Diocese in fall from Feb. 15, 2002 issue: • Appeal helps priest improve ministry to others     Outreach to deaf and changes in religious     education come about from Sept. 21, 2001 issue: • Diocese reaches out to deaf community     Efforts to increase programming and services     continue • Interpreted Masses offered from Jan. 12, 2001 issue: • Boarding school leads to the convent     Keshena Native American Carondelet ministers     to deaf

"So far, things are going smoothly," Fr. Blair said. "We just take things month-by-month.

Soon, Fr. Blair will install a video relay system in his office so the deaf community can see him while he signs.

"Anything that can help me connect with the entire parish community," Fr. Blair said.

The outreach to the deaf doesn't stop at Mass. St. John is also putting together a variety of programs to cater to the deaf and helping them strengthen their relationship with God and the parish. Next month, a signing choir will be started. Signing classes are also being offered at the church one night a week.

In the future, the goal is to open a center for the deaf - offering deaf religious education classes and possibly ESL classes.

"Right now, we are in our birth and dreaming stage," Fr. Blair said.