Bulletin Insert:
1. March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month.
A time to raise awareness about the inclusion of persons with developmental disabilities* in the Church and all areas of community life. Pope Francis’ 2019 message at the International Day for Persons with Disabilities, stated: “We are called to recognize in every person with disabilities, even complex and serious disabilities, a unique contribution to the common good through their original life stories. …and to recognize them as persons of equal dignity, as brothers and sisters in humanity.”
*Developmental disabilities are impairments in physical, learning, language or behavior areas, including autism spectrum disorders, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, and learning or intellectual disabilities.
Prayers of the Faithful:
1. For those denied adequate care, especially persons with disabilities: may we advocate for their God-given dignity and assist them in their needs. We pray to the Lord: R/.
2. For all who are forgotten or isolated especially for the poor, the sick, persons with disabilities, and the aged: that God might change our hearts and move us to see and love them as Christ does. We pray to the Lord: R/.
A Prayer to Accompany a Bulletin Insert:
A Prayer for Generosity by St. Ignatius of Loyola
Eternal Word, only begotten Son of God,
Teach me true generosity.
Teach me to serve you as you deserve,
To give without counting the cost,
To fight heedless of wounds,
To labor without seeking rest,
To sacrifice myself without thought of any reward.
Save the knowledge that I have done your will.
Amen
Fact Sheet Information:
The CDC defines developmental disabilities as impairments in physical, learning, language, or behavior that begin during the developmental stage and typically last throughout a person’s lifespan. One example of a developmental disability is cerebral palsy, which is a motor disability that prevents a person’s ability to move their muscles. Developmental disabilities include—but are not limited to—intellectual disabilities that limit a person’s adaptive functioning in conceptual, practical, and social domains. Intellectual disabilities include autism spectrum disorder, Down syndrome, and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.
It is important for parishes and families to avoid making assumptions about the capabilities of a person with a developmental or intellectual disability since the capabilities and limitations of each person with these conditions varies widely. The National Catholic Partnership on Disability has a Council on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, which works to provide resources to promote the meaningful participation of persons with disabilities in the Church. These resources can be found at www.ncpd.org.
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