Make Room For Us - Monthly Podcast

Make Room For Us has been developed to assist parishes in opening their doors to persons with disabilities and in welcoming persons with disabilities to share their gifts and talents as they witness in powerful ways to the love of God in Jesus Christ. The format of our podcast is simple. Each podcast has four segments:

The first segment: One Flock, One Shepherd, (John 10:16) - will be a discussion that will highlight sections of the 1978 Pastoral Statement of the United States Catholic Bishops on Person with Disabilities.

The second segment, “Be Opened” (Mark 7:34) - will emphasize ways we can meet contemporary challenges in disability ministry.

The third segment, Your Light Must Shine (Matthew 5:16) - will put the spotlight on various local and national agencies and organizations, who respond to the needs of persons with disabilities.

The fourth segment, Many Gifts but the Same Spirit (1Cor. 12:4) - will present a reflection about Spirituality and Disability. Sometimes the reflections would speak to where we find God in our lives as we live with a disability and sometimes they will speak to persons who minister to the disability community.

We hope our podcast will offer you encouragement and that you will join us every month as we explore ways that all of us can better respond to the Church’s mission of making God’s loving presence known in the world, acknowledging the barriers we face, while striving to remove them.

Program 1	Addresses the 1^st paragraph of the 1978 Pastoral Statement of the U.S. Catholic Bishops on Persons with Disabilities; actions that can welcome or alienate persons with disabilities and their families; programs and resources offered by the Diocese of Pittsburgh, Department for Persons with Disabilities; the realization that we are all created in the image and likeness of God as the foundation for our spiritual understanding of persons with disabilities.


Program 2	Thank You for your positive feedback about Make Room for Us! In the second edition hosts Sister Michelle Grgurich, SCN and Deacon Tim Killmeyer talk about their journey into disability ministry, continue to discuss the Bishops Pastoral Statement on Persons with Disabilities, offer practical tips about physical access to parish buildings and grounds, describe a consultation regarding inclusion in religious education, spotlight some publications and resources and consider how our understanding of the Holy Trinity affects our relationships with others.


Program 3	This month we continue to look at the Pastoral Statement of the U.S. Catholic Bishops as they offer a prescription for vestiges of prejudice that still inhabit us, confront the need for awareness about Celiac Disease and options available for Catholics who desire to participate in the Eucharist, spotlight local Catholic organizations we rely on most, and examine implications of various interpretations of healing miracles in the Gospels.


Program 4	This month we delve further into the Bishops Pastoral Letter, confront issues of access related to people with Autism, shine the spotlight on three national organizations NCPD, NAFIM, NCOD and consider the wounds that Jesus carries in his resurrected body.


Program 5	We welcome a special guest, Sister Mary Jo McAtee from DePaul School for Hearing and Speech, continue our monthly look at the U.S. Bishops Pastoral Statement, offer some practical tips about working with persons who have a mental illness, and reflect on our understanding of God in relation to caregivers guided by the spiritual insights of Sr. Ann Shields, SGL in her book Deeper Conversion.


Program 6	This month we discuss paragraph 6 of the USCCB’s Pastoral Statement on Persons with Disabilities which emphasizes the need for the Church to continue to expand its ministry and raise its voice side by side with people with disabilities; confront the issues of access related to vision loss and blindness; explore ministry resources available from the Xavier Society and Radio Information Services; and reflect on the insights of Jean Vanier who is an inspiration to many of us who live and work with persons with developmental disabilities.


Program 7	This month we will take a look at the USCCB statement on the rights of persons with disabilities, beginning with the right to life, confront the need for parish leaders to be sensitive to the needs of persons who experience a hearing loss or deafness, explore ministry resources related to hearing loss and deafness, and continue our reflections on the writings of Jean Vanier.

Program 8	This month we look at paragraphs 9 & 10 of the Bishop’s Pastoral Statement, discuss Father Ronald Nuzzi’s tips for planning inclusive liturgies, take note of some organizations and resources that can assist in creating inclusive liturgies and address the role that spirituality plays in the overall wellness of persons with disabilities.

Program 9	Today we will finish up our look at the introductory paragraphs of the Bishops Pastoral Statement on Persons with Disabilities, continue our discussion about planning inclusive liturgies, take note of some “human” resources in the field of disability ministry, consider the importance of letting go, like a leaf in the wind, and make a special announcement.