Kamil Cierniak lived with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a terminal illness, for 26 years. He was fragile, he spoke with a delicate, weak voice and operated his electric wheelchair with one finger. But one thing was unbeatable in his life -- his
Since the early 1900s, Carmelites in Milwaukee have been serving the community. For many years, that looked like a residential treatment center for adjudicated boys. But when that closed in 2017, the sisters turned to the community to see what other needs
In honor of World Down Syndrome Day, Jacinta Hamilton writes about her experience with having a sibling with Down syndrome. She writes: “Words cannot express the blessing that my brother Gabriel is to his parents, six siblings, and his many other family
Young Catholic triathlete with Down syndrome, inspired by faith, tells UN he has ‘no limitations’
It was his first speaking engagement at the United Nations' headquarters in New York, and Gabriel Cobb, who has Down syndrome, was admittedly "a little nervous."
But it was obviously nothing the 22-year-old Catholic from St. Louis couldn't handle.
"I am Gabriel, God's messenger,"
Experts see hope for pastoral inclusion of Catholics with disabilities, also lingering challenges
Those seeking to better include persons with disabilities in the life of the church say the horizon is a hopeful one, despite lingering challenges.
"We're going in the right direction," Charleen Katra, executive director of the National Catholic Partnership on Disability, told OSV
Christians working with people who have a physical disability must be motivated by a sense of solidarity, not pity, and they should promote people's active participation, not their passive reception of assistance, Pope Francis said.
"I see you as a constructive force in
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Making churches accessible and services understandable is important, but having wheelchair ramps and sign-language interpreters is not enough for a parish to call itself “inclusive,” Pope Francis said. The Church also must meet people’s needs for “belonging, relating
Catholics with disabilities can be and want to be active members of the church and missionary disciples, but that will require fighting discrimination, exclusion and paternalism, participants told an online listening session for the Synod of Bishops.
The Dicastery for Laity, the Family
Republican Gov. Jim Justice of West Virginia signed into law the Unborn Child with a Disability Protection and Education Act, which will prohibit an unborn child from being aborted due to a diagnosis of a disability.
He announced he had signed the bill
The Catholic Church must be a home for all, especially for people with disabilities who continue to face discrimination in the world and in the church, Pope Francis said.
In a message for the Dec. 3 celebration of the U.N.'s International Day of