‘All are Welcome’ reaches out to those with disabilities

Many parents of children with disabilities make an exodus out of the church or “split shifts.” Instead of attending Mass as a family, one parent watches the children at home while the other goes to Mass.

It appears easier than to risk stares from others for their children being “disruptive in Mass.”

When it comes to catechesis and access to the sacraments the children need, the risk may appear to be non-existent.

Families in the Diocese of Baton Rouge insist this doesn’t have to be. They are diligently working to increase awareness to others about the gifts children and adults with disabilities bring to the church and how their presence does not disrupt the life of the church but makes it whole. This is especially being emphasized during March, American Disabilities Awareness Month.

At St. John the Evangelist Church in Prairieville, Scott and Edda Dupaquier formed “All are Welcome,” a parent support group for families of children with disabilities. They have five children, Matthew, 23; Jeremy, 20; Noah, 15; Mark, 10; and Isabella, 8.

Noah and Mark were young children when they were both diagnosed with autism. Edda notes attending church is a challenge, especially with Noah now in his teenage years.

“I’ve looked to the church to find a community and to find a place (where families with children with special needs can support each other), and I couldn’t find anything in any churches in the diocese,” said Dupaquier.

She pointed this out to St. John pastor Father Jerry Martin, who invited her to set up a support group and St. John would provide the meeting space.

At the first meeting attendees heard from professionals, such as healthcare providers and special education teachers.

“We had people of all sorts of disabilities represented,” Dupaquier said. “We had people come in from other church parishes, so we soon realized this is a need we have in the diocese. This is not something that just St. John is going to be able to do. We realized there are different realities.”

She said her children have neurological disabilities and are able to walk and talk and do plenty of things, but their disability is different than others who are considered disabled.

“We often think (of disabled) as someone in a wheelchair or somebody that has Down syndrome or developmentally delayed,” Dupaquier said. “And we soon realized ‘disability’ or ‘special needs’ is a very broad term.”

The group now meets biweekly. Every other week will be an informational meeting where attendees will hear from experts in different fields who are Catholic. This includes counselors and an attorney about the rights of children with disabilities when they come of age or help for parents in navigating the Individual Service Plan at school.

Other meetings will be for parents only so they can talk about good days and bad days and frustrations when it comes to getting support.

“We need to hear from each other and understand that we are not walking this alone. No one is meant to walk this alone,” said Dupaquier.

She pointed out that other faith denominations and secular programs provide support for children/adults with special needs, but they don’t have the Eucharist-centered focus of the Catholic faith.

This is critical for other Catholic parents, such as Justin and Jodi Devore, members of Holy Rosary Church in St. Amant. The Devores have three children, Jase, 7; Tucker, 6; and Adelyn, 5; all of whom have autism.

Jodi Devore had been meeting with a group of parents with children with special needs in her home when Dupaquier called about the parents’ support group at St. John.

“We have friends that have children with disabilities that we are close with,” Devore said. “We don’t have a close-knit group of friends that are Catholic with children with disabilities.

 

The presentation included resources for people with disabilities and support for their families. They include:

• acceptingthegift.org

• usccb.org/resources/pastoral-statement-persons-disabilities

• usccb.org/upload/justice-persons-disabilities-bulletin-insert.pdf

• usccb.org/committees/divine-worship/policies/guidelines-sacraments-persons-with-disabilities

• ncpd.org, which is the website for the National Catholic Partnership on Disability

• All Are Welcome group at St. John the Evangelist Church in Prairieville. Call 225-673-8307.

For more information, call Deacon Randall Waguespack at 225-387-0562, ext. 1185 or email [email protected].

“That’s just a huge part of our life. We’re missing the Eucharist – we are missing that piece of ‘Catholic’ in our friendships.”

She added, “A lot of parents need that support and don’t know how to get it or have the time or energy to say, ‘Hey I need help … I need support over here.’ Because they are drowning in just day-to-day living.”

Devore underscored the need for making the church environment to be more comfortable for families with disabled members, such as asking, “Do you need anything?” or “What Mass are you going to? Can we sit with you?”

“We don’t want sympathy, we just want empathy,” Devore said.

To broaden their outreach parents are now working with the Office of Life, Peace and Justice of the Diocese of Baton Rouge.

Angéla and Neal Lorio’s son, John Paul, was born three months early and weighed one pound 12 ounces at birth.

“We didn’t know if he was going to live.,” Angéla said. “He was in the NICU Unit at Women’s Hospital (in Baton Rouge) for five and a half months.”

She said her son was given an emergency baptism at the hospital, and a trach tube and feeding tube were inserted in him. He has cerebral palsy and is developmentally delayed.

“He’s pure love. When we look at him, we see the face of God and experience God’s love,” said Angéla. “He goes to horse therapy and physical therapy, swimming and T-ball.”

The Lorios are members of the Holy Family Home School Association, which allows John Paul to socialize with other children, go on field trips and participate in other activities.

Angéla glowed as she talked about John Paul receiving First Communion last year at Our Lady of Mercy Church in Baton Rouge.

“I never dreamed this would happen because he cannot eat solid foods,” said Angéla.

The Lorios worked with Our Lady of Mercy, using an adaptive PSR kit.

“At the noon Mass on a Friday, Father Cleo (Milano pastor of OLOM) called us up to the altar,” Angéla said. “John Paul was dressed in white and Father Cleo knelt before John Paul and said ‘The blood of Christ’ and John Paul received Communion from the chalice. That is a moment I will never forget. It was just so moving.”

She said God then directed her and her husband to begin a ministry for children with disabilities in the diocese, under the direction of Deacon Randall Waguespack, director of the Office of Life, Peace and Justice.

On March 9, the Lorios gave a presentation at a parish Respect Life meeting at the Catholic Life Center.

The presentation highlighted the need for the liturgy and sacraments to people of all disabilities and support for their families as well as available resources.

Her voice filled with emotion, Lorio said, “After I gave the presentation, one of the ladies in the audience happened to be a special needs mom. She texted me after and said, ‘I just called my husband and told him there are families like us.’

“This makes it all worth it … the love of the church and the community. I am so excited; the Holy Spirit is moving.”

Bishop Michael G. Duca is scheduled to celebrate an “All Are Welcome” sensory friendly Mass for children with special needs and their families on Saturday, April 1, at 4 p.m. at St. Joseph Chapel at the Catholic Life Center.

For more information, call Deacon Randall Waguespack at 225-387-0562, ext. 1185 or email [email protected].