Recently, I learned that the Ministry to the Catholic Deaf Community, Diocese of Green Bay, WI will move. I called Fr. Guy Blair, the priest who works with the deaf, to find out what was going on. Fr. Blair told me that the bishop of Green Bay decided to move the deaf ministry to a hearing parish thirty miles OUTSIDE of Green Bay. Why? Because the deaf community wanted to move? NO! The diocese of Green Bay did not even ask the deaf what they wanted! Instead, the diocese decided that the hearing parish needed a priest, so they assigned Fr. Blair to this parish. If the deaf wanted to continue receiving services, they had to move with Fr. Blair. Also troubling, the diocese did not ask the people of the hearing parish if they would welcome the deaf ministry to be part of their parish. According to Fr. Blair, some of the people of that parish are concerned because now they will have to share facilities with the deaf without any prior discussion or planning.
What is SAD & SCARY about all this? Just last February, the Diocese of Phoenix, AZ got rid of the full-time pastoral worker with the deaf in that diocese. This woman, who had a deaf son, had worked with the deaf community for many years. She was a very good signer. Now, she is gone. There is no one who replaced her in this position. Fr. John Greb is a good priest who cares about the deaf community in that diocese. However, he is the pastor of a large parish, and cannot devote his energies full-time to the deaf. More and more, as I look around the United States, I see Catholic dioceses cutting back or eliminating services to deaf Catholics, Catholic people with disabilities, and their families. Last November, I attended a wonderful conference on "Deaf People in the Catholic Church" at the Vatican. The notes from that Conference are in my blogs from November, 2009. While the officials in the Vatican are saying that the Church needs to do MORE for deaf people, dioceses in the USA are trying to do less! Half the dioceses in the USA have NO official ministry to deaf Catholics or Catholics with disabilities. Phoenix, AZ; Green Bay, Wi; whose next?

In the "Chicago Tribune" this morning 4/27, Dennis Byrne wrote an article on how to solve the severe, billions of dollars budget deficit of the State of Illinois. The "answer"? Don't fund the State of Illinois Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission. Mr. Byrne writes that if the State would stop funding agencies like the Commission, then our budget problems would go away. Interesting that he does not write about...
....getting rid of the hundreds (thousands?) of State owned cars that State employees drive;
....creating a REAL Personnel Evaluation program for State employees that would measure
job performance against a set of achievable goals for those jobs;
....seriously investigating State contracts to see if the work demanded in the contract was ever done; the product bought was ever delivered or actually did what itw as supposed to do; the program paid for was ever started, worked on, or completed.
No, none of these will save the State of Illinois a penny! However, getting rid of that Commission that serves deaf and hard of hearing people in Illinois...yes, that is the "answer"! That is ALWAYS the first "answer" from the people in power as to why we have problems. It's those people with disabilities, those people who are deaf. Get rid of their Commission. Get rid of them!

This morning I read a article in the "Chicago Tribune" re: youth violence.. Apparently there was a big conference over the weekend to discuss the causes and solutions to the growing problem of violence on the streets of Chicago and suburbs. I am sure that many of the people there are smart about this topic. I am also sure that this group entirely missed and did not discuss one of the largest causes of youth violence in our city and country: the lack of quality Special Education programs.
Ask any experienced police officer or jail/prison guard. They will tell you that 30-40% of ALL street criminals and jail inmates have disabilities! LD(Learning Disabilities), BD (Behavior Disorders), DD (Developmental Disabilities), Cognitive Processing problems, hearing loss, vision impairment, and on and on. Most of these same people dropped out of school very early. Why? Because the schools failed to offer Special Education that was excellent and appropriate for them! So, we have all these "experts" trying to stop violence, but they don't know anything about a large percentage of those committing the violence!
School districts are trying to keep young people from being put into Special Education programs to save money. School districts are cutting funds, reducing Special Education programs to balance their budgets. The result: more violence on our streets, and less understanding of the causes of this violence by the so-called "experts" who are supposed to protect us, and are doing a lousy job of that!

will we even have Special Education in a few years? We are seeing a great threat to Special Education in our state and country. As state and local governments look for ways to cut back spending, reduce deficits, one of the first targets is Special Education. Why? Because Special Education is costly. The cost for Special Education - transportation, equipment, insurance, staffing - is more than for non-disabled students. The temptation to "save" money by cutting Spec. Ed. programs will grow. For parents of Spec. Ed. students it is VERY important that you...
....fight to make sure your child gets every service in his/her IEP;
....do not allow the school district to reduce, downsize, or "streamline" services to your child;
....attend ANY meeting your school district has about "budget issues", "program/service cuts". Fight against anything that would lessen Spec. Ed. services.
....ask for help. EQUIP FOR EQUALITY offers very good assistance to parents of Spec. Ed. students. Go to: contactus@equipforequality.org, 800-537-2632v. For parents of deaf children, contact the Illinois Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission: www.idhhc.state.il.us, 1-877-455-3323v/tty.
If parents, teachers, and advocates do not pay attention to what is going on with Special Education, ESPECIALLY in CHICAGO (CPS) and nearby suburbs, we will see a terrible loss of services for our children.

The above line comes from a novel about Viet Nam, "Matterhorn". That line started me thinking about our lives right now. Yesterday, 4/19, I visited two people who are dying. Neither will live past this week. Both are younger (one is much younger) than me. What inspired me was to see the loving care they received from their famillies and friends. Both of these people have been sick a long time. People have bathed them, fed them, talked/signed with them when they could not sleep, held their hands, rubbed them with lotion, changed their diapers, and stayed with them throughout terrible days of suffering, then coma, then hospitalizations, then more suffering. Yet, there have also been other family members and "friends"(???) who did nothing except complain, make excuses why they could not help, or basically chose to disappear. "Everybody dies, but not everybody cares."
In the Gospel last Sunday, John 21:1-19, Jesus gives us a great example of "caring". The Apostles(the ones who ran away, denied Jesus) are fishing. Jesus is on the shore, and makes breakfast for them.They don't even say thanks, but Jesus loves them enough to feed them! Then He tells them to go "feed" others. A few thoughts:
1) Who do YOU know needs "care"? You don't have to be a doctor, a nurse. All of us have some skills to bring: we can cook a meal OR wash the dishes; we can mow the lawn, take out the garbage, go shopping for that person or family, or do their laundry. You can hold the sick person's hand, rub lotion on their dry skin, put vaseline on their chapped lips, or just sit - sit - with them so the person knows he/she is not alone.
2) The State of Illinois and every other government is cutting back, reducings ervices, "downsizing". So, we can feel that "there's nothing I can do.." Wrong. Theres is ALWAYS something we can do. Putting away winter clothes and taking otu summer clothes. Stop! How often did you wear that winter coat or sweater? Do you really need ALL those clothes each year? Why not donate some of the winter clothes to Salvation Army or St. Vincent dePaul Society?
Most large food stores allow you to donate food (by adding a dollar or two to your food bill). Think about the pop, liquor, candy, desserts you are buying. You can't add a couple of bucks to your bill so that others can get healthy food to eat???
3) There are some very bad people in the deaf community. They are deaf or are hearing friends/family members. These adults molest children, pass child pornography to their friends on the internet, and sell drugs. People in the deaf community KNOW who these people are. However, they don't call the police or report these people on the "Hotline." Why? Because they are deaf or related to deaf. These people are destroying the deaf community.. They don't care about deaf people. They only think about themselves. Caring about the children of our community means calling the police, the State of Illinois "Hotline" and reporting these people.

Right now, if you go to Springfield, IL, you will see a bunch of people WE PAY with our tax money, talking nonsense. This is the Government of the State of Illinois. The people in the Legislature (House of Representatives and Senate) are debating all sorts of issues that have little or nothing to do with the real lives of ordinary citizens. The same thing is happening in the Governor's Office. All this nonsense has to do with these people running for election or re-election in November. At the same time this is happening, people - and children - in Illinois are suffering. I wish to suggest that the Government of the State of Illinois do something sensible.
Once summer begins, there are thousands of children in Illinois who will not get a healthy breakfast because they are out of school. They will get breakfast only IF they go to summer school. Again, once summer school is done; no breakfasts. Contact GOVERNOR QUINN and tell him, "Open up the school breakfast programs for ANY child in Illinois for the ENTIRE summer.." If a kid shows up at a school site in the morning, he/she gets breakfast! This goes till school begins in the Fall. Not only would this feed children, but this would employ school food workers ALL summer. Most of these people earn minimum wage, so it would help them too. My suggestion is simple, helpful, and makes SENSE. Contact GOVERNOR QUINN:
www.illinois.gov/gov/contactthegovernor.cfm Father Joe Mulcrone

The Archdiocese of Chicago wants to know what YOU think about the CHURCH. Till this Friday, April 16th, you can go on-line and fill out a survey. It is confidential. Often, people tell me, "I wish I could let the Church know what I feel and what I think." Okay, now is your chance! Go to:
www.archchicago.org The survey is in Emglish, Spanish, and Polish.

EASTER SERVICES at ST. FRNACIS BORGIA DEAF CENTER, 8025 W. ADDISON, CHGO, IL 60634 WILL BE:
APRIL 3, 7PM: HOLY SATURDAY (EASTER) MASS WITH BLESSING OF NEW HOLY WATER.
(FR. JOE MULCRONE)
APRIL 4, 10:30AM: EASTER SUNDAY MASS (FR. MICHAEL DEPCIK).

I had hoped that I would not have to write more about the situation involving Fr. Murphy and the terrible events at St. John's School for the Deaf(now closed), Milwaukee, WI, at least till after Easter. So much of what has been written, printed, talked about is incorrect and false. Much of the "story" is not about the terrible things that happened to the survivors, and their families, but another way to attack the Catholic Church. If you wish to read an excellent, truthful report, go to: http://catholicanchor..org/wordpress/?p=601#more-601. Thanks to Fr. Bill Key from Wisconsin for this article. (Do NOT read the "New York Times" if you are looking for accuracy in this story, or any other story involving the Catholic Church..)
However, I want us to focus on those who have suffered and continue to suffer injustice, especially children. As I write this, tens of millions of children in our world do not have enough food to eat, clean water to drink, nor basic medical care to keep them alive. These same children are forced into armies(male) or into sexual slavery/domestic servitude(female) by uncaring, power-driven adults. For those, like the victims of Fr. Murphy and so many other predators, the scars of what they experienced will never totally disappear. On the streets of Chicago, our children are being shot down while riding their bikes, being sold drugs to get them hooked, being cheated out of a decent education by "the system", being sexually victimized at younger and younger ages by men (and women) who are old enough to be their parents...and often are their parents and family members. Living in a city where our newspapers have special "Food Sections", thousands and thousands of children in Chicago and suburbs are hungry,everyday.. THAT, my brothers and sisters, is a sin!
As much as I might want, I cannot change what happened to Fr. Murphy's victims and all the innocent child victims of those monsters who thought nothing of destroying children's lives for their own pleasure. There is a judgement promised by God (Matthew 18:1-9) that should give even the worst person pause. What you and I can change is what happens to children now. Children without food,drinkable water, decent medical care, a real education, and safety should be unacceptable to any of us. Fight for these children now, in this world, in this country, in your neighborhood. A simple way to start is to demand that children have access to a free, nutritious breakfast ALL SUMMER! Many schools offer breakfast programs, but they are restricted to those who attend the school and only when school is open. NO! Every community should provide FREE breakfasts for all children, students or not, every Mon-Fri throughout the summer. This is doing SOMETHING, NOW. Contact the Governor of your state and demand that children in your state be fed this summer. Don't ask him; tell him! The first reading for Good Friday is ISAIAH 52:13-53:12. It is an account of a mysterious "suffering servant", written hundreds of years before Jesus. Isaiah tells us that in some way we cannot understand, the suffering of this innocent "servant" will save us. In our case, we have the opportunity to save those innocents who are suffering. Do something for these children, our children, God's children. In doing this, we will come through their suffering to learn what it means to be "saved."

The newspapers, media, and internet are again today (3/28) filled with stories about deaf victims of Fr. Lawrence Murphy. Further, there now is an allegation of similar kinds of abuse happening at a school for deaf children in Italy. This is not surprising. For years, people who have been involved with children who are disabled have known about the abuse that happened in residential schools(public and private). Further, those of us who have worked with both children and adults who are deaf and/or disabled have known that these children suffer abuse at least twice as often as children who are not disabled.
What is troubling for those of us who have worked in the field of disabilities, is that few people whose job is the protection of children have ANY knowldge or skills for working with children who are disabled.. What do I mean?
POLICE DEPARTMENTS: The Chicago Police Dept. has over 10,000 officers, yet there are not more than five officers who are skilled in American Sign-Language. Most suburban police departments have no one - no one - who has any expertise in dealing with deaf children or children with cognitive, communicative, or emotional disabilities.
CHILD ADVOCACY CENTERS: In Illinois, there are more than thirty Child Advocacy Centers whose responsibility is to handle all reported cases of abuse in their regions. The Chicago Children's Advocacy Center (the largest in the state) actually has policies re: what to do with victims, siblings, family members, alleged perpetrators who are deaf and/or disabled. Most of the Advocacy Centers in Illinois have no one on staff trained to work with children who have Special Needs; no guidelines; no budget for hiring sign-language interpreters or bringing in specialized consultants, for example, when a case involves a child with autism.
STATE'S ATTORNEY OFFICES: the prosecutors who work in these offices like to get convictions. Deaf and/or disabled chidlren who have been victims often make "poor witnesses"(these words have been used by more than one state's attorney in Cook County!). So, they often refuse to prosecute these cases, and the child goes right back to the situation where he/she will be abused again. Few of these county prosecutors throughout Illinois(and the USA!) have an identifiable person on staff who specializes in cases involving children who are disabled and victimized.
DCFS(Dept. of Children and Family Services, State of Illinois): DCFS does have a Coordinator for Deaf Services. However, advocates in the deaf and disability community have pleaded for years with DCFS to create specialized investigative teams to work with cases involving chidlren with disabilities. Nothing! A great deal of the DCFS budget goes to private, not for profit agencies. Many of these have no one on staff who has any idea how to handle cases involving disabled children. Worse, many of these so-called "child protection agencies" never hire people with disabilities to work for them.
My point is that there is a lot of hypocrisy about sexual abuse. It is easy - EASY - to blame, point fingers, accuse the Church of failing in its responsibility. The Church has failed, in many situations, to protect children: deaf, disabled, and non-disabled. However, all the organizations, agencies (public and private, listed above) who are also supposed to protect these children have failed just as much. Despite all the "uproar" and public anger, I do not see the above mentioned agencies doing very much to improve their services to these most vulnerable children and their families.