Open Doors Through Advocacy

A parish Opens Doors whenever it takes concrete steps to exercise God's compassion for people with physical, mental or emotional limitations. In the story of the paralyzed man from the town of Capernaum, Christ demonstrates his desire to welcome and heal all God's people.  He shows a particular interest in providing access to those limited by the cultural barriers and biases of the day.   

"Some people came bringing him a paralytic carried by four men, but as the crowd made it impossible to get the man to him, they stripped the roof over the place where Jesus was; and when they had made an opening, they lowered the stretcher on which the paralytic lay. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic  "My child, your sins are forgiven."    Mark 2:3-7      

This is only one of the many stories in the Gospels that illustrates the priority that Jesus places on inclusive community where all are welcome to participate, grow in faith, and serve God's people.  Let us begin the journey together with the tools provided below:

Accessible Parishes

Resources to Improve Accessibility

Welcoming People with Disabilities

For more information about how the Disability Action Team can be of assistance contact Dennis Mahaney or call 716-847-8393.