Deaf Ministries of the Diocese of Joliet provides Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing individuals liturgical, educational, and spiritual growth opportunities utilizing American Sign Language (ASL) to enable full participation in the life of the Catholic Church.
Our Deaf parishioners live in many different communities, but come to the Church to embrace our faith and participate in liturgy and parish life in ways that may not be available in our neighborhood churches. Deaf Ministries of the Diocese of Joliet covers seven counties: DuPage, Ford, Grundy, Iroquois, Kankakee, Kendall, and Will.
Programs and Services
All events for the Deaf Ministry in the Diocese of Joliet are offered in American Sign Language (ASL). Some examples of programs and services the Deaf Ministry offers include:
Training programs for lectors, Eucharistic ministers, and catechists
Social activities, special events and retreats
Religious ASL workshops
Deaf Ministry hosts events throughout the year such as retreats, ASL classes for lay ministers, and interpreter workshops. If you would like to be added to a mailing list to receiving information about the Deaf Ministry, please email Renata Cichowicz at [email protected].
Board of Directors
Deaf Ministry Board of Directors [Images]
Renata Cichowicz Pastoral Outreach Lead
Fr. John Abulag Deaf Ministry Chaplain
Fr. John Abulag is a priest of the Dominican Missionaries, preaching God's word in sign language to the Deaf and disABLED people. He was ordained in 2021 and is the Spiritual Director of the Legion of Mary in the Diocese of Joliet.