Catholic
Catholic ASL Deaf Church Community in the Diocese of Orange, California. We follow Jesus Christ which makes us Christian. Followers of Christ all over the world is summed up with being universal followers. We are Catholic because the word itself means ‘universal.’ Christianity is predominantly Catholic even though there are many denominations. Our Catholic-Christian Deaf ministry is centered on the Eucharist. Our efforts here for brothers and sisters in Christ to seek to receive the sacraments especially the Eucharist.
Hallmarks of the Catholic faith is the hierarchy. We have the vicar of Christ on earth, the pope. We also have cardinals, bishops, priests, deacons, religious brothers and sisters, and the lay faithful. This body of faith in unique and diverse that it cultivates life as we have grace within us. Our prayer is that we all are united in Jesus Christ. That we confess to one faith, one church, and one Lord of all.
Catholic
An interesting fact about the Catholic faith is that you can go anywhere in the world and the service is the same. The mass, the unbloody sacrifice is offered unto God the Father just as on Calvary. It is not a new and separate sacrifice aside from Christ’s it is the same. Our notion of time thinks that it is impossible to do, say, and believe such a thought.
Time is a creation of God that we humans know and experience. However, with God it is not the case. He is outside of time. He gives us his one eternal sacrifice throughout all time. The scriptures attest that the lamb was already slain from the foundations of the world.
Mass
We Catholics take Jesus’ words really seriously even more so than Baptists, Adventists, Methodists, Jehovah Witnesses, Mormons, and all others. Our Lord’s words are placed in the proper context. A sure way to be sure to stand behind such teachings and decrees of the Church is to look at all the councils, synods, and responses to heresies. They all attest to the same truth that the Church proclaims.
Eucharist
John 6:53-58
53 Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. 54 Whoever eats[a] my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. 57 Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever.”
We truly believe that Jesus’ body, blood, soul and divinity is present in the Catholic mass.
ASL
Our ministry exists to proclaim and hand down the faith in American Sign Language to Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Hearing, disabled, and those with special needs. ASL Ministry is fulfilling and so come join us on Sundays.
Tags: ASL Catholic, California Deaf Ministry, OC DeafChurch
Church is a polarizing word to speak these days. Why? It implies being God-fearing. The word Church means that we honor and serve God. Following His laws and not the human laws concocted without justice to God makes us enemies to the world. We are those who honor God in church worship by attending mass and receiving the sacraments. Our Deaf Catholic Church empowers those who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, hearing, and with disability. We gather for worship every Sunday and as often as we can as a community. In our Catholic-Christian tradition you may find a local church service using our custom ASL mass finder. Other Catholic Churches with Deaf ministry have their church times listed. We are doing our best in our new online presence and we are just getting started. Visit our in-person church service to find out how you can be involved.
In Orange County California we are a constantly growing Deaf and Hard of Hearing Christian community. Our services are in American Sign Language (ASL) and our ministry is to proclaim Jesus Christ to everyone particularly in Sign Language. We do this by first praying that the Holy Spirit may equip us with love and truth to spread his love.
Church
“Catholic vision assigns symbolic meaning to the various parts of the church building, as it does to pretty much everything else in the world. The roof symbolizes charity, which covers a multitude of sins; the floor symbolizes the foundation of faith and the humility of the poor; the columns represent the Apostles, Bishops, and Doctors; the vaulting represents the preachers who bear up the dead weight of man’s infirmity heavenwards; and the beams represent the champions of ecclesiastical right who defend it with the sword. The nave symbolizes Noah’s Ark and the Barque of St. Peter, outside of which no one is saved. The direction of the East represents the Heavenly Jerusalem, and the direction whence the Messiah will return in glory; West represents death and evil.”- Catholic Encyclopedia
The above diagram is how early Catholic-Christians saw church worship. But, it is also how we view it as well. It is an universal belief, hence the word Catholic means universal. Our Church worship and church services have stayed the same.
Added Church theology
The layout of the church despite what configuration you see today has a lot of theological layers and meaning. The Narthex in the ancient Jewish understanding were for the gentiles. The gentiles were not circumcised nor were part of the chosen people. But they could be parts of God’s people if they got circumcised. This ritual was their way of acceptance, per God’s decree. Today the idea is the same except that baptism is the entry point. This is why generally, baptism fonts are in the back of the church.
The word “nave” should resound. It is where we get the word navy. It is boat or ark. Once we enter the church we embark through the oceans and winds of the world. God protects us. This journey is toward heaven. Generally, there is a demarcation via steps that signify the line where the lay faithful and priest separate. This is for an important purpose. Why? Well, lets look at a funeral liturgy. The deceased is placed at the steps before the altar. The steps to the sanctuary represent the separation but vicinity of earth and heaven. It is only Jesus Christ who ascends to heaven to intercede for us. Furthermore, the priest of Jesus Christ ascends to the altar in the person of Christ to offer the mass for the soul of the deceased. More catholic bytes to be continued…
Ministry
Ministry in the Deaf Catholic-Christian world is wanting. You do not have to be an ordained minister to be someone of leadership. Approach your pastor and work out a pastoral plan. Fluency or competency in American Sign Language is a must because language is sacred.
Proclaiming Jesus Christ in (ASL) Sign Language is a way to heaven. Connecting with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community is an open market. Awareness of the lack of Deaf leadership leading other to Christ is one thing. Doing something about it is another. Hand yourself over to our Lord. His bride the church needs more workers in the vineyard.
You can support others spiritually. Attending mass, bible studies, and church events broadens your education. So, free your calendar and go to a ministry event. Sketch together a program with your pastor and see to it that it is on the parish calendar. “Build it and they will come” is an outreach motto. Today, ministry is live, online, and in-person. Whatever it takes to win a soul for Christ is mission at-hand.
Ministry
Seeing the field as it were involves getting out and knowing the community. ASL socials, potlucks, or meetups is required. This is the social fabric of the Deaf community. Other event listings involve Deaf expo’s and conferences. These are key because it reveals what people are flocking toward.
People come out of the wood-work to see and experience what they feel they want. Sadly, what they are looking for is Jesus. Time and time again we humans are disappointed when we turn toward something material to satisfy a spiritual craving. The harvest is here. IT is time to form small and large groups to discuss life with God.
Smell like the sheep
The best Catholic-Christian solution to experience God is in the mass. All of salvation history is revealed in the mass. It is all there. Doubt this? Every action and word spoken or signed within the mass ties to a past, present, and future reality. The mass is an unbloody Calvary, an unbloody sacrifice.
In your present or future ministry small group when you spend much of your time talking about the mass, you are almost there. Moreover, when your flock is so interested and want to know more and more about the mass, you are doing something right. Why? because they are being fed on how to receive grace. They are being filled with knowledge and love that God wants to give them. You are being you and an interpreter of sorts.
Our Lord in his sovereign plan to gather all unto him bestows gifts to us so that we can be his instruments. Being a minister formally or informally is part of his pastoral plan. Consult your diocesan and parish pastor to come up with a way forward. Pastoral plans today involves working together with leadership to suit the faithful and the said minister.
Tags: ASL Catholic, OC Deaf
Eucharistic Miracle Rosana Italy
“Bishop Luciano Giovanntti wrote a letter explaining the Eucharistic miracle in Rosano, Italy. On Easter Sunday, April 4, 1948, a group of people praying noticed a tear drop that ran down from the eye of a statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The statue was life-size and was donated by a devout person during WWII. It featured Christ’s face with an expression that invites all to prayer, and Christ’s Heart was in the center of His chest with the crown of thorns. A few months later in June, some nuns and others witnessed blood flowing from the statue again, and it continued from 1948 to 1950. Mother IIldegarde Cabitza, the head nun of the community, also witnessed it, and they decided to move the statue to a secret room at the monastery archives. This is also where all the finger towels and purificators that were soaked with the Blood from the statue were kept. Later the Bishop of the diocese of Arezzo learned about it, and the Holy Office sent Fr Luigi Romoli to interview the nuns. He disagreed with the nuns about keeping the statue in a secret room. On November 14, 1950, Holy Office ordered the statue out of the secret room and later in 1952 it was sent back to Rosano. The community of nuns in Rosano experienced the events with joy and great devotion.”- Al Alvord Youtube post
Orange County Deaf Church
Orange County Deaf Church in the Catholic-Christian tradition was founded years before 1976. This is because before the Diocese of Orange was erected, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles covered all of Orange County. Once our diocese was officially launched the Deaf attended the same churches but under a different bishop. The faith, community, and ministry all being the same. We continue handing down the faith tradition from one generation to the next in American Sign Language (ASL). Our faith community is a beacon in California and in the United States. We continue to thrive despite all odds and adversities thrown at us.
Orange County Deaf Church
We value belonging in our faith community. Our communal relationship with one another is what matters. Moreover, our relationship with Jesus Christ is paramount. Being in a melting pot of cultures, we are a mixed cultural community yet with the same Lord and shepherd leading us. Jesus Christ holds us together as one people after his own heart. He gives us his welcome and fellowship. This is why we have and continue to have a stable and strong Deaf community.
Our focus on faith
Our faith in the Lord is second to none. We believe that the gift of faith is unique and must be preserved all our life long. No matter the external obstacles or persons who wish ill to try our faith, do we ever cling to our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Lord of Lords and King of Kings. Our Lord is good to reveal what happens to the good and just. He tells us that in psalm 34:19 “Many are the afflictions of the righteous; but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” RSV
We thank our bishops for supporting our Catholic Orange County Deaf Church. We salute them for funding this website through the pastoral services appeal. The pastoral services appeal raises money needed ministries and operations throughout the diocese. Without the generous benefactors throughout the diocese this new site would not have been able to happen.
With many people visiting our site and contacting us constantly we plan to address your questions, comments, and ideas for the future. The sky is the limit as to our Deaf outreach ministry. We are here to bring Jesus Christ to the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in our diocese and beyond. If we are only able to introduce Jesus Christ in our online ministry to then lead others to their nearest Deaf church, mission accomplished.
Tags: Diocese of Orange, OC DeafWhy go to mass?
Why go to mass? A question we have likely uttered ourselves and still utter. ASL Catholic Media answers this common question. Children may say the same thing but may have less conviction about it. The aim in this videos is to end the grumblings of amongst teenagers and adults once and for all. The rationale should deter contrary thoughts that arise. Ideally so that we and they come to mass as frequent as we can. ASL Catholic Media delivers such videos in mother tongue of the Deaf, in sign.
Why go to mass? The video above shares three important reasons.
Moreover, we go to mass to render our homage to God. We give him his just due. What? Two words for thought “Exitus” and “Redditus” Exitus is latin for coming from. Redditus is latin for returned or restored. In short due to the fall of adam man is unable to give to God proper homage. Thus all of humanity could not give God the honor he desires back. The paschal mystery of Jesus Christ thus restores man’s ability to give proper honor to God. It is only in Christ that man can do this. When we go to mass and give God his proper homage while being in the state of grace, we receive new life in us. We receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (grace) upon consuming our Lord’s body, blood, soul, and divinity. Thus common with God, the full circle is accomplished. #something to scratch your head about.
California
We are continuously in contact with California Deaf Ministries all over the state. California Deaf Worship centers are in high demand because generally a lot of people are turning back to God including the Deaf. Below you are able to find Southern California Deaf Ministries. We hope you find the right Southern California Deaf Church.
Find a Deaf Church in California
Los Angeles, CA
Holy Angels in Vernon: Sunday 8:30am ASL w/ (Spoken English translation) & 11am ASL w/ (Spoken Spanish)
Oakland, CA
St. Joseph Center for the Deaf
Orange County, CA
Christ Our Savior in Santa Ana: 12 noon ( in old worship space)
Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove Sundays 9:45am English (ASL interpreted-live) & 11:30am Spanish (ASL Interpreted)
Sacramento, CA
San Bernardino, CA
St. Catherine of Alexandria in Riverside: Sunday 10:15 am English (ASL interpreted) Catechetical class 8:45am
Our Lady of Hope in San Bernardino: Sunday 9:30am
St. Martha in Murrieta: Sunday 9:00am
Sacred Heart in Rancho Cucamonga: Sunday 10:00am
Sacred Heart in Palm Desert: Sunday 8:00am
Our Lady of the Desert in Apple Valley: Sunday 9:30am (Interpreter in Sign, Tactile/Tract, & Oral ((760-964-1089 (V/VRS)) or ((760-242-4427 (CRS/VRS))
San Diego, CA
St. Rose of Lima, Chula Vista Sunday 9:00am PST (ASL Interpreted)
St. Gregory the Great. San Diego Sunday 9:00am PST (ASL Interpreted)
San Francisco, CA
Saint Benedict Parish for the Deaf @ St. Francis Xavier Church (, San Francisco Sunday 10:30am in ASL
San Jose, CA
Stockton, CA
Church of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Please let us know if you are aware of any other Deaf Churches in California by contacting us. If your Southern California Deaf Church is not listed on our map finder, let us know. Many wish to have a fresh list of Southern California Deaf Ministries available to choose from. California Deaf Worship locations sometimes change so please contact us if have any new input.
You can also find Deaf Events in Orange County and Los Angeles here.
ASL and Interpreting students are welcome in our congregation. We ask that if you are interested in being part of our community that you be a practicing Catholic. This condition being met enables you to interpret and assist in Deaf ministry if you are called to it. Livescan, fingerprinting, and a thorough background check is required for volunteers per diocesan policy. It is a lot of work to volunteer but it is worth it.
OC
Welcome to the Orange County Deaf Catholic Community website. OC Hard of Hearing and Deaf events are listed for your convenience. We are one of the biggest CA Deaf communities and we are still growing! California Deaf residents state that they find our community warm, full of zeal, and strong. Why? OC Deaf ministry is strongly supported by our Bishops, priests, and deacons. There are a myriad of priests that serve our community and we are very grateful to them.
Our new website has many unique features. An awesome feature is the ASL mass finder. We are continually adding more churches to the map as we come aware of them. Try it when you travel and when you want to recommend a church to friends or family. Simply enter the city or address that you are staying and press enter. A list of the nearest churches will display.
OC Deaf Church
Our Orange California Deaf community is multicultural. We have a mix Korean, Mexican, Filipino, Anglo, and Vietnamese Deaf and Hard of Hearing persons. Currently there is a demand for Spanish masses before or after the Deaf religious program occurs. This benefits family members who speak Spanish and do not know American Sign Language. What is a blessing is that we are able to do that at our parish. So, please consider joining us if that is question in the back of your head.
Opportunities for ASL students and student interpreters are available to serve the Orange County Deaf community. Students can enlist to receive service hours for school or college. We kindly ask that such students be practicing or baptized Catholics. If any such student has been away from the church they may find our confession schedule to receive the sacrament of reconciliation.
Deaf ministry opportunity
ASL hymn videos are a big hit on the internet. As of yet our community is preparing to reach into this wonderful evangelizing opportunity. Our observations and feedback indicate that the Deaf love interpreted music videos. The ratio to ASL music video hits to an ASL catechetical video is well over 500:1. For example one ASL catechetical video may reach one to two thousand views, while an ASL music video will get fifteen to thirty thousand. That is astronomically different. We feel that emphasis in this ministry will attract more Deaf and Hard of Hearing persons to our faith community. This is so to lead all souls to Jesus Christ.
One of our ministerial goals is to be the leader in Orange County and California. We thank all OC Hard of Hearing and Deaf parishioners. Moreover, we thank any and all California Deaf residents who visit us every week. Feel free to check our Deaf OC and CA Deaf events calendar.
Orange County Deaf
Welcome to the Orange County Deaf Catholic Community website. Deaf OC events are listed at your convenience. We are one of the biggest CA Deaf communities and we are still growing! California Deaf residents state that they find our community warm, full of zeal, and strong. Why? OC Deaf ministry is strongly supported by our Bishops, priests, and deacons. There are a myriad of priests that serve our community and we are very grateful to them.
Our new website has many unique features. An awesome feature is the ASL mass finder. We are continually adding more churches to the map as we come aware of them. Try it when you travel and when you want to recommend a church to friends or family. Simply enter the city or address that you are staying and press enter. A list of the nearest churches will display.
Orange County Deaf Church
Our community is multicultural. We have a mix Korean, Mexican, Filipino, Anglo, and Vietnamese Deaf and Hard of Hearing persons. Currently there is a demand for Spanish masses before or after the Deaf religious program occurs. This benefits family members who speak Spanish and do not know American Sign Language. What is a blessing is that we are able to do that at our parish. So, please consider joining us if that is question in the back of your head.
Opportunities for ASL students and student interpreters are available to serve the Orange County Deaf community. Students can enlist to receive service hours for school or college. We kindly ask that such students be practicing or baptized Catholics. If any such student has been away from the church they may find our confession schedule to receive the sacrament of reconciliation.
ASL hymn videos are a big hit on the internet. As of yet our community is preparing to reach into this wonderful evangelizing opportunity. Our observations and feedback indicate that the Deaf love interpreted music videos. The ratio to ASL music video hits to an ASL catechetical video is well over 500:1. For example one ASL catechetical video may reach one to two thousand views, while an ASL music video will get fifteen to thirty thousand. That is astronomically different. We feel that emphasis in this ministry will attract more Deaf and Hard of Hearing persons to our faith community. This is so to lead all souls to Jesus Christ.
One of our ministerial goals is to be the leader in Orange County and California. We thank all OC Deaf parishioners and California Deaf residents who visit us every week. Feel free to check our Deaf OC and CA Deaf events calendar.
Deaf
Deaf or Hard of Hearing persons undergo a degree of hearing loss/ deafness. This deafness is not a disability. Many think it is but it is not. Most of the time Deaf person think being named disabled is an insult. But with regards to religion being called Catholic is a badge of honor at least in our diocese. Religion in our community is taken seriously because it fulfills and exceeds cultural norms.
“Deaf” and “deaf”
What is the difference?
We use the lowercase deaf when referring to the audiological condition of not hearing, and the uppercase Deaf when referring to a particular group of deaf people who share a language – American Sign Language (ASL) – and a culture. The members of this group have inherited their sign language, use it as a primary means of communication among themselves, and hold a set of beliefs about themselves and their connection to the larger society. We distinguish them from, for example, those who find themselves losing their hearing because of illness, trauma or age; although these people share the condition of not hearing, they do not have access to the knowledge, beliefs, and practices that make up the culture of Deaf people.
According to Carol Padden and Tom Humphries, in Deaf in America: Voices from a Culture (1988):
“Hard of Hearing”
“Hard-of-hearing” can denote a person with a mild-to-moderate hearing loss. Or it can denote a deaf person who doesn’t have/want any cultural affiliation with the Deaf community. Or both. The HOH dilemma: in some ways hearing, in some ways deaf, in others, neither.
Can one be hard-of-hearing and ASL-Deaf? That’s possible, too. Can one be hard-of-hearing and function as hearing? Of course. What about being hard-of-hearing and functioning as a member of both the hearing and Deaf communities? That’s a delicate tightrope-balancing act, but it too is possible.
“As for the political dimension: HOH people can be allies of the Deaf community. They can choose to join or to ignore it. They can participate in the social, cultural, political, and legal life of the community along with culturally-Deaf or live their lives completely within the parameters of the “Hearing world.” But they may have a more difficult time establishing a satisfying cultural/social identity.
Deaf Life, “For Hearing People Only” (October 1997).
One may posit that those with hearing loss are atheists, agnostic, and moral relativists. This point of view is taken from a spiritual perspective. Many believing Christians are quick to point out that they have a disability; that is, not turning to God. Failing to give back to God breaks the commandments. Particularly, one of the first three commandments.
What we do and how we give back to God is through the sacraments. Particularly in attending mass, confession, and Eucharistic adoration on a regular basis. Our community thankfully does not suffer spiritual deafness. Rather the opposite. We listen and cater our lives to God’s word. We are the salt of the earth and the light of the world.
The Catholic religion is not of disability but one of ability. It’s a faith stemming from God’s love toward us, and vice versa.
