Don't Miss This! Community For All Interfaith Disability Awareness Virtual Conference

One Body In Christ

Together

Visit Our Website

Contact Information

Anne Masters, Ph.D., FAAIDD

Director

Anne.Masters@rcan.org

973-497-4309

February 12, 2021

Dear parents, family members and caregivers,

I hope you and your families are well. I am grateful for the opportunity to walk with you in faith, know that you continue to be in my prayers and thoughts. Please reach out to me if there is some way I can serve you in particular. This coming Wednesday is Ash Wednesday. Stay tuned for information about our virtual praying the Stations of the Cross.

Today, I am very excited to share information about a national initiative, Community For All (C4A), an Interfaith Disability Awareness and Inclusion Conference and other events.

Please read below for more information and click the link to ministry webpage for further details. Share the information with friends and also with your pastors and other parish pastoral leaders. There's great information for everyone! I hope you can participate.

I wish you well and hope you have a warm and enjoyable holiday weekend.

Yours Sincerely in Christ,

Anne

Community For All (C4A) Interfaith Disability Awareness Conference

Community for ALL (C4A) Interfaith Disability Awareness Conference and more is a virtual conference is Friday, February 26, 2021 with additional awareness events throughout the month of March. The Archdiocese of Newark is one of a number of Community Host Groups around the country to support local participation.

What Is Its Purpose? C4A is part of a national initiative to raise awareness about the concerns of individuals with disabilities and those who love them regarding their experiences in faith communities AND to provide ideas on how faith communities can respond.

What Is It? The conference will include a Keynote on current concerns and developments, three presentations and a National Interfaith Community Conversation on Faith, Disability and Public Policy. There will be a library of about 44 pre-recorded workshops that address meaningful topics for individuals with disabilities and those who love them, clergy and lay pastoral leaders, catechists, hospitality and pastoral ministers, and the interested person of faith. Subject areas include parish ministry, 1^st person perspective, families and caregivers, theology & disability. Throughout the month of March, I will host a number of “Watch Parties” for specific presentations from the conference library

Some Examples and How To Participate

Some examples of particular interest for families and individuals with disabilities: Living with Autism and Growing in Faith, Fostering Self-Advocacy, Balancing Children, Marriage and Self Care in a Special Needs Family, and Coping with Grief in the Lives of People with Intellectual Disability and/or Autism, living with mental health struggles, and more.

Presentations related to parish participation provide perspective and guidance on general parish organization, religious education, inclusive Christian service possibilities for teens and young adults with disabilities and their ‘typically developing’ peers, mental health.

Ways To Participate?

There are a number of ways you can participate in this great event! 1. You can attend the virtual conference on Friday, February 26 or 2. watch the recordings afterward. 3. You can watch as many of the pre-recorded workshops you want, when you want until the end of March. 4. You can participate in any and all of the Watch Parties I have organized.

How? Register through me for the Archdiocese of Newark C4A Community Group. Through the generosity of Loyola Press, a Catholic publisher, I am able to offer registration for only $10.

Click here for more details and for the registration link.

Inclusive Family Masses

Announcement: The Inclusive Family Mass at St. John the Evangelist gathers the 1st Sunday of every month from October to May. NOTE: the time is returning to its usual time of 1:30 PM as of March 7.

Accompanying Families

We currently have two groups for parents of individuals with disabilities that have been meeting for many years at St. John the Evangelist in Bergenfield, one for moms and one for dads. Physical meetings are suspended for now. For more information about other possibilities for gathering, support and connection, contact: