Merry Xmas! Happy New Year
Merry Christmas! Happy 6th day of the Octave of Christmas. Octave?? Yes, Octave, we as Catholics celebrate Christmas Day for 8 straight days.
Happy New Year!
As we conclude 2025 with the slow rebuild of our Deaf Community, we look and aspire in 2026 to be guided by the Holy Spirit to restructure, meet, plan, and implement a new way forward that: will once again offer Faith Formation Classes, field trips, bible studies, and social outings as done years ago.
What is needed for the above to happen; to start this process, we once again need have all previous and interested members to fill-out either a LiveScan Fingerprinting form OR a DOJ background check for clearance to be involved with adults and minors. Once we have processed all these diocesan protocol requirements, we can really begin having substantial conversations about the future of our community. If you are younger or over 18 years of age, and would like to get involved in our community, please email [email protected] we will get back to you promptly with the needed paperwork.
January 5th, diocesan employees return from vacation and back to work, which means around this time next week, we hope to receive our Deaf Community approved logo to start making our Polo & Jackets.
Celebrant schedule for January 2026:
January 4th: Fr. Mike
January 11th: Fr. Scott (confessions will be available)
January 18th: Fr. Steve (confessions To Be Determined)
January 25th: Fr. Steve (confessions To Be Determined)
¡Feliz Navidad! Feliz sexto día de la Octava de Navidad. ¿Octava? Sí, Octava, los católicos celebramos el Día de Navidad durante 8 días consecutivos.
¡Feliz Año Nuevo!
Al concluir el año 2025 con la lenta reconstrucción de nuestra Comunidad Sorda, esperamos que en 2026 el Espíritu Santo nos guíe para reestructurar, reunirnos, planificar e implementar un nuevo camino que nos permita ofrecer nuevamente clases de formación en la fe, excursiones, estudios bíblicos y actividades sociales, como lo hacíamos años atrás.
Para que esto suceda, para comenzar este proceso, necesitamos que todos los miembros anteriores e interesados completen un formulario de toma de huellas dactilares LiveScan o una verificación de antecedentes del Departamento de Justicia (DOJ) para obtener la autorización necesaria para trabajar con adultos y menores. Una vez que hayamos procesado todos estos requisitos del protocolo diocesano, podremos comenzar a tener conversaciones sustanciales sobre el futuro de nuestra comunidad. Si eres mayor de 18 años y deseas participar en nuestra comunidad, envía un correo electrónico a [email protected] y nos comunicaremos contigo a la brevedad con la documentación necesaria.
El 5 de enero, los empleados diocesanos regresan de vacaciones, lo que significa que, aproximadamente para esta misma fecha la próxima semana, esperamos recibir el logotipo aprobado de nuestra Comunidad Sorda para comenzar a confeccionar nuestras polos y chaquetas.
Horario de celebrantes para enero de 2026:
4 de enero: Padre Mike
11 de enero: Padre Scott (habrá confesiones disponibles)
18 de enero: Padre Steve (confesiones por confirmar)
25 de enero: Padre Steve (confesiones por confirmar)
Beautiful Artwork!
The artwork below was drawn by Milen L., Sign Language Student from Santa Margarita High School. Absolutely beautiful!
15th Sunday (C)
Fr. Michael Depcik offers us a reflection of our Lord’s words to us on the 15th Sunday of Ordinary time year C in American Sign Language. The Archdiocese of Washington gives us the readings in ASL.
Tags: Access, ASL, Deaf Church, Deaf Ministry, OC Deaf Church, Sign LanguageHoly Trinity (C)
The readings for the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity (C) in ASL are brought to you by ASL Catholic Media and ADW ministry. These two powerhouse enterprises truly serve and assist every parish that does ministry. Hats off to them.
Fr. MD offers a reflection or sermon in ASL. We appreciate all he gives us each week. We particularly like when his videos are 10 minutes or more; because we get more of the faith handed down to us and practical ways to live out the teachings of Jesus Christ. 😛
But hey! We can’t just rely on deacons, priests, catechists, and ministers to do all the work to solidify our faith for us. Our Lord offers himself in Eucharistic adoration so that we can spend time with him. He also offers himself to be understood in the Bible to know of His love for us, and how he has acted throughout time.
We need not be afraid of God. Turning to him should be our first step. When we seek God we have to listen. A trained ear will identify his response in a myriad of ways. The response to our petitions and prayers are not only found in our encounter with him in our mind. Yes, he does respond and speak to us in our mind, but other ways are through signs, actions of others, and sometimes through a host of providential events around us. But even if were to count signs, actions of others, and a slew of providential events as a sign of God’s blessings, we could falsely reduce God to the “prosperity Gospel” adage. This implies that if everything is rosy in our life, God is with me. But, besides the temptation to subscribe to the “prosperity Gospel’s’ line of thought, we should be open to experience God working through all things and in all things. Thus over a period of time often in reflection we can deduce God’s hand-at-work since the time of our petitions.
Was not Job tested in the bible tested? Did not most saints have the “Dark night of the soul” where they felt abandoned? Such trials are ways to deepen our relationship with God. Does not the rainbow come after the storm? For many of us the storm is life itself and hopefully we will enjoy an eternal reward of blissfulness.
Sounds nice. But we are in the here and now and things may be quite uncomfortable. Let’s look recall all of the events in the Old Testament. The chosen people went astray, were at war, enslaved in bitterness, but were redeemed because they repented and sought the Lord. Their hope was in the Lord our God, and thus they were delivered and brought to the promised land.
Granted, the Israelites were enslaved for over 400 years and only those last remnants who were not present at Sinai enjoyed the promised land. Sounds like a cruel God. But, God foretold what would happen if they rejected him. Remember the episode? Israel was the only nation without a human king. They got jealous and wanted one. So, the people wanted a human king and God warned them not to appoint a human one, because he was their king and God. The people refused God’s offer and God permitted a human king…..God was just in his punishment.
But once the people of God recalled and realized their transgression and obeyed God once more they were given new life. This episode of our history pertains to us as well. We have a similar history yet not found in a book, but in the soul. Our personal relationship with God is similar to that of the Israelites. What evil we endure may be a temporal punishment of past transgressions, or maybe it is just a test. But when we continue seeking God and live by his commands despite what is happening, God is pleased.
So it is all about pleasing God? Yup. When we do this well, it indirectly pleases others because then there is a communal communion with God. Said differently, God dwells in and within his people. Going to mass is a sure way to experience God dwelling in and within His people. Many find the offering of peace during mass refreshing, a relief, and an opportunity to be at peace. Then, what follows is God giving us His peace through grace (the indwelling of the Holy Spirit) via the Body and Blood of his sacrificed son, Jesus Christ.
Moreover today (Sunday) we celebrate and honor the Holy Trinity (C). We celebrate the two divine missions coming from God the father so that we can be his people. We celebrate the mission of Jesus Christ coming down from heaven and incarnating through the humanity of the Blessed Virgin Mary; and dying on the cross to fulfill the Father’s will. We celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit (at Pentecost) to sanctify, gather, and lead all to Jesus Christ in truth.
Amen.
For those of you who still want more on the solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity (C). Feel free to research and summarize in your own words the theological terms and meanings below. 😛
The Holy Trinity: 5 notions 4 relations 3 persons 2 missions 1 God O comprehension
Tags: Accessibility, ADA, American Sign Language, ASL, ASL Catholic, ASL Deaf Ministry, Catholic, Deaf, Deaf Catholic, Deaf Church, Deaf Ministry
Religious Education
The Diocese of Orange in California offers religious education for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Our Sacramental religious preparation program is in American Sign Language. Our parishioners are Deaf, Deafblind, Hard of hearing, and hearing. We support those with disabilities who know American Sign Language. Our community supports those who have family members who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. We offer ASL and deaf culture classes as needed.
The demographic population in California is ethnically mixed, but this truly enriches our faith community. We respect and honor ethnic cultural traditions all the while advocating for Jesus Christ and His Church. Our approach to education is to assess each person to see which kind of instructional method will most likely work. For some it is strictly 1:1, for others it is in a group setting. We create individual education plans upon request or need. Everyone is different and has different aptitudes for learning. We get it.
Program
Our program meets weekly on Sunday before or after mass. Our schedule is posted and given to parents, sponsors, and those participating usually in the fall. We committed to the teachings of the church and follow a lengthy process of formation. Why so long? Because, to withstand and deter evil in this world takes time, training, and discernment. Discipleship is life-long. There is no end. A few initial years in our eviternal existence is nothing in comparison to the big picture.
Be assured that we will cover pressing dogmatic and moral theological questions. Yes, we methodically answer the tough themes, questions, and objections that the devil would like all of us to believe. The difficulty, opportunity, and treasure is to know why all of the Catholic Churches teachings promise happiness, joy and fulfillment. Contrary to popular and sinful rationale of our time does the Church offer answers to make us happy, or happy again.
Join
Join our community by registering. We keep in contact with email, newsletters, and blog/vlog posts. Retreats are frequently requested because we seek the Lord and vice-versa. We have retreat offerings for only men and only women and coed as they appear.
Our bread and butter program deals with sacramental preparation. We offer First Communion, Confirmation 1 & 2, RCIA, and baptism classes for parents and Godparents.
Church
Why come to church at all? Going to church is a safe harbor for our soul. God overshadows the church to allow us to rest in him. It is a place and time to be one together. Outside the church is disunity and chaos. God our creator, protector, and shepherd soothes our being. He gives us exactly what we need, Him!
We are created to know, and our intellect never stops inquiring about things, let alone God. Our religious education program aims to reveal God’s saving plan for all of us and prepares souls to receive him via the sacraments.
Visit our community in-person and subscribe to our social media channels.
Tags: ASL Catholic, Catholic Deaf Community, Catholic Deaf Community California, Christian Deaf Community Orange County, Orange County ASL