{"id":183921,"date":"2024-05-03T13:09:21","date_gmt":"2024-05-03T17:09:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/setonshrine.org\/?p=183921"},"modified":"2024-05-03T13:09:21","modified_gmt":"2024-05-03T17:09:21","slug":"seton-shrines-seeds-of-hope-ministry-uses-saints-story-to-inspire-deaf-at-retreat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/setonshrine.org\/es\/seton-shrines-seeds-of-hope-ministry-uses-saints-story-to-inspire-deaf-at-retreat\/","title":{"rendered":"Seton Shrine\u2019s Seeds of Hope Ministry Uses Saint\u2019s Story to Inspire Deaf at Retreat"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sarah Heil remembers getting the message and feeling more than a little trepidation.<\/p>\n

She was organizing the first-ever Seeds of Hope retreat for the deaf at the National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, and the retreat master was writing to tell her there was a problem: Instead of 30-35 attendees, Fr. Mike Depcik wrote, attendance would be closer to 100.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis,\u201d she sighed with some relief, \u201cis not a problem.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the end, 79 people from the deaf community from several surrounding states traveled to the Seton Shrine in Emmitsburg, Md., in March for the unique retreat led by Fr. Depcik, chaplain for deaf ministry<\/a> in the Archdiocese of Baltimore.<\/p>\n

Fr. Depcik, who is deaf, used sign language for his talks, as well as for mass and confessions. Retreat participants were able to tour the Seton Shrine\u2019s new $4 million museum<\/a> and the historical buildings where Mother Seton established the first free Catholic school for girls and the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph\u2019s<\/a>, first congregation of women religious founded in the United States, in 1809.<\/p>\n

Mother Seton was the first native-born American to be canonized a saint, but it was her life of struggle, adversity and ultimate triumph in following God\u2019s will that resonated with the deaf retreatants, said Fr. Depcik, who is with the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe retreat was just wonderful,\u201d Fr. Depcik said in an interview through a sign language interpreter. \u201cWe focused on how we can learn so much from Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton\u2019s struggles. Her life was not a bed of roses.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe had a lot of sorrow. For one thing, she was rejected by her own family when she converted. Many deaf people feel rejected, as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018Showing Them the Face of God\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

The retreat for the deaf was an extension of Seeds of Hope,<\/a> a ministry that the Shrine launched in 2018 to provide retreats and spiritual sustenance to those experiencing poverty and isolation in the region around the Shrine. The ministry was inspired by the call of Pope Francis to ensure that Shrines reach out and welcome those on the margins and those who are suffering or feeling rejected.<\/p>\n

During a typical one-day retreat, attendees experience the beauty of the bucolic grounds and spend time in the Basilica, where Mother Seton is entombed. Transportation, meals and other expenses are mostly covered by the Shrine and its donors.<\/p>\n

The Seeds of Hope ministry went on hiatus during the Covid-19 pandemic but is now building out an ambitious schedule under the direction of Heil, who joined the Shrine in August, 2023. While keeping a focus on its traditional mission, Heil has also expanded the ministry to include a variety of other groups either on the margins or serving the margins.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s about reaching to our brothers and sisters and showing them the love of God,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Besides the retreat for the deaf, the Shrine recently hosted one for African-American men in recovery from addiction and plans to host one for Hispanic Catholics from the Washington D.C. area.<\/p>\n

Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori, recently announced plans to host its first St. Dymphna Mental Wellness Retreat,<\/a> at the Shrine on May 15. The retreat is part of an initiative by the Archdiocese of Baltimore to address the mental health issues among Catholics in the region.<\/p>\n

Another retreat was held for members of a victim survivors help group affiliated with the Baltimore Police Department. These workers provide support to families of people who have been murdered.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are trying to stop the cycle of bloodshed by helping people feel that the police are listening to them; that somebody cares about them,\u201d Heil said. \u201cWe were very blessed to basically provide them with a day of peace.\u201d<\/p>\n

Struggles of Deaf Catholics<\/strong><\/p>\n

Heil, a former economist, had long had ties to the deaf community and started thinking about a retreat soon after she was hired.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe deaf community is such a strong and vibrant community, and yet we don\u2019t serve them well,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Fr. Depcik, who was born deaf, had moved into the archdiocese in August after serving in Detroit. As one of the few deaf priests in the U.S., he fully understands the difficulties that deaf Catholics face in doing what most practicing Catholics take for granted: going to mass and confession. As a result, he said, 97% of deaf Catholics do not go to church.<\/p>\n

\u201cDeafness is invisible, so most deaf people just blend in,\u201d he said. As a result, their needs are often ignored, and they can feel overlooked and neglected.<\/p>\n

At the Seeds of Hope retreat, some attendees became active participants again in their faith. This included going to confession with a priest who signs.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, the thing with the deaf community, if they don\u2019t have a priest who can sign, they have to write their sins down and give them to the priest,\u201d Heil said. \u201cThe priest writes their penance down and that\u2019s it. And so, it was really touching to let them avail themselves of the sacrament the way it should be.\u201d<\/p>\n

There were plenty of other touching moments, as well. Seven seminarians from nearby Mount Saint Mary\u2019s helped during the day and even learned some basic signs to communicate with the retreatants.<\/p>\n

Heil also recalled helping a woman in the restroom who was in a wheel chair, who was struggling in the tight space. Heil said she got her to the sink and got paper towels for her and turned the water off.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe looked at me, and she signed \u2018thank you\u2019 and \u2018I love you.\u2019 I have never seen the face of God so much as in that moment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Patti Devlin of Carlisle, Pa., said she appreciated how the sign language interpreters allowed the retreatants access to Mother Seton\u2019s story. \u201cEnding the day with Mass celebrated in the Basilica with a deaf priest was perfect.\u201d<\/p>\n

The retreat was so successful that Fr. Depcik hopes to organize a congress of deaf Catholics next year. Such a gathering is sure to use Mother Seton as an inspiration, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt didn\u2019t matter what Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton was faced with, she did her best to follow God\u2019s will,\u201d he said.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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