The faithful gathered at St. Clare of Assisi Parish in Surprise, Ariz., this week to participate in a three-day training on building parish communities which welcome children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
The training was led by SPRED, Special Religious Development Training, an Archdiocese of Chicago program. The training objectives were to understand the SPRED model of catechesis, support faith and development for people with disabilities, build faith communities that foster a sense of belonging, facilitate hands-on learning outcomes and create a supportive environment for SPRED ministry.
Inspired in 1960 through Fr. James McCarthy, SPRED was founded in response to parents inquiring about a way their children with disabilities could participate in the liturgical life of the parish and receive the sacraments. Officially established in 1966, SPRED now partners with nearly 20 dioceses in the U.S. and additional groups in seven countries internationally.
Nanci Lukasik-Smith, director of Evangelization at St. Clare of Assisi and a leadership member of the Lay Committee for Pastoral Care for Persons with Disabilities, said this is a significant training for parishes in the Phoenix Diocese.
“We brought in [specialists] from the Archdiocese of Chicago to train us,” she said. “Many parishes will be able to bring these forms of catechesis to their [communities].”
After the three-day session, Lukasik-Smith became an official trainer for the SPRED program, to “serve our parishes with training and support at the local level.”
To learn more about bringing SPRED to your parish, contact Nanci Lukasik-Smith at (623) 975-5618
