‘Illuminating the Word’ for the cognitively disabled

By Rebecca Bostic, The Catholic Sun
August 2, 2007

Every year, the Office of Evangelization with Persons with Disabilities plans a retreat to help Catholics with developmental disabilities grow in their faith.

This year’s retreat — Aug. 24-26 at the Living Water Retreat Center in Cornville, Ariz. — will offer an experience of Biblical stories through artistic exercises.

“We’re going to pilot a program here for persons with developmental disabilities to see how art can be used theologically,” said Isabella Rice, director of the diocesan ministry.

Working with Larry Fraher, a faculty member at the Kino Institute, Rice plans to use The Saint John’s Bible — a hand-printed, illuminated Bible that uses art to tell the story of Scripture.

Along with the artistic writing of the words are 160 “illuminations” — illustrations of Scripture that are rooted in today’s contemporary and multicultural world.

“Illumination means to bring something into the light, so what we’re hoping is that the retreat participants see” God on a deeper level, Rice said.

Many people with cognitive disabilities are unable to read and write and “while they might not be able to articulate it, they can express their love, their God — how they see Him, how they perceive Him — in art,” Rice said.

“It doesn’t have to be the written word,” Rice said. “Sometimes we have to go to another form to catechize and that can be done just as easily with some of the beauty that’s going to come with The Saint John’s Bible.”

The first session of the retreat will begin with an illumination through Genesis.

“Illumination starts from the beginning of time when creation started,” Rice said. Exodus then illustrates the challenge of facing difficult circumstances.

“In Exodus there is obviously the leaving of Egypt and the 40 years in the desert. How were those illuminations?” Rice will ask the participants. “How were there things that occurred at that particular time that continued to help the people grow in their faith?”

The retreat is for any adult person with a cognitive disability in the Diocese of Phoenix. The cost is $50 per retreat participant and $70 for a caretaker, although no person will be denied attendance based on ability to pay.

“Mainly it’s for people that have the cognitive disability, but if they have a physical disability as well as the cognitive, no one is going to be excluded,” Rice said.

She said many parishes have faith-based social activities for the cognitively disabled. “But they don’t always have the opportunity to participate in spiritual growth the same as you and I do on a daily basis,” she added.