Originally published at National Catholic Register
While the 2024 National Eucharistic Congress in Indiana had ASL interpreters, Father Depcik wanted to focus on the Deaf community by holding this congress.
The National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Maryland is hosting the first-ever Eucharistic Congress for the Catholic Deaf community this spring.
The congress, which will take place April 4–6, will bring together about 230 Catholics to pray and honor the Eucharist, according to the event organizer, Father Mike Depcik, who is one of just a few deaf priests in the world.
Father Depcik serves as the chaplain for the Deaf ministry in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and is known for his work in growing the Deaf Catholic community in Maryland and beyond.
Father Depcik designed the congress for deaf people to be able to actively participate. He noted that the Deaf community has limited accessibility to services in and from the Catholic Church and that the majority of deaf people don’t attend Mass.
“Several statistics have shown that 96% of Deaf people, including those baptized Catholics, do not go to any church due to very limited services available to them in their own language (American Sign Language),” Father Depcik explained.
While the 2024
