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.