Fostering Vocations: Autism and the Church's Call to Belonging

Mon, 10/14/2024 - 2:00pm EDT to 3:30pm

NCPD and the Institute for Human Ecology at The Catholic University of America cohosted a panel discussion about the intersection of autism, faith, and vocation. This panel explored how persons with autism can discern and live out their vocations within the Church. Learn from the experiences of self-advocates and their families as they navigate the challenges and opportunities of faith and vocation. Panelists also share their insights on how the Church can better promote a sense of belonging for persons with autism, and how, in turn, faith communities are enriched by their unique gifts and perspectives.

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Dcn. Lawrence Sutton, Ph.D.

Moderator
Lawrence R. Sutton, Ph.D., is a Deacon in the Diocese of Pittsburgh and Director of Pre-Theology Formation at St. Vincent College and Seminary. Earning his doctoral degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 1980, he has been a licensed psychologist since 1983. As a Deacon, he developed and ran a sacramental preparation and religious education program for children and adolescents with autism in the Diocese of Pittsburgh since 2003, first at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church and now at Resurrection Parish. He has numerous publications on the treatment of behavioral issues for teens and adults with developmental disorders, particularly autism, and has authored “How to Welcome, Include, and Catechize Children with Autism and Other Special Needs: A Parish-Based Approach” and “Teaching Students with Autism in a Catholic Setting,” (Loyola Press).

Mary Beth Walsh, Ph.D.

Panelist
Mary Beth Walsh holds a doctorate in systematic theology from Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York and an MA from the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkley. She is the mother of two adult sons, one of whom is diagnosed with profound autism. She is also a long-time advocate for the right of individuals with autism to evidence-based interventions. Pre-pandemic, she worked for years as a peer-counselor to other mothers of children with disabilities. Her greatest passion is advocating for the full inclusion of individuals with autism in faith communities. She served as Co-Chair of the Autism Task Force for NCPD and continues to serve on the Executive Advisory Board for the Office of Pastoral Ministries with Persons with Disabilities of the Archdiocese of Newark, NJ.

Fr. John Ferguson

Panelist
Fr. John Ferguson is a Catholic priest who experiences Autism. He was ordained on June 29th, 2024. He is assigned at Saint Isidore the Farmer Parish near the Pittsburgh International Airport which extends all the way to the West Virginia. He grew up in Butler, Pennsylvania with three siblings; one sister and two brothers. Fr. John completed is Masters in Divinity at Saint Vincent Seminary in Latrobe, PA. As a Catholic priest, Fr. John aims to bring people closer to the heart of Jesus.

Michael Waddell, Ph.D.

Panelist
Michael Waddell holds the Edna and George McMahon Aquinas Chair in Philosophy and is founding director of the Master of Autism Studies program at Saint Mary's College of Notre Dame, IN. He earned his Ph.D. at the University of Notre Dame. His interests include the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas, the Catholic intellectual tradition, and philosophical and theological issues related to autism. He has lectured on these subjects at prominent universities including Oxford and Cambridge, and is currently working on a book-length project on autism and the Catholic Tradition. Michael serves on NCPD's Ethics and Public Policy Committee. He and his wife have three daughters, two of whom are on the autism spectrum.

Fostering Vocations: Autism and the Church's Call to Belonging

Dcn. Lawrence Sutton, Ph.D.

Mary Beth Walsh, Ph.D.

Fr. John Ferguson

Michael Waddell, Ph.D.

National Catholic
Partnership on Disability

Advancing the Meaningful Participation
of Persons with Disabilities in Church and Society