September was Deaf Awareness Month, and our seminary community had several opportunities to learn from and connect with the Deaf community. Elizabeth Holland, MDiv student, shared resources for learning ASL and announced upcoming events. Several students began taking online classes through the Oklahoma School for the Deaf and have shared positive feedback about their experience.
On September 27, the Rev. Nancy Frausto and Elizabeth led a group to Abuela’s Casa, an event hosted by Laura Monsalve, a representative of the National Hispanic Latino Association of the Deaf (NHLAD), who invited Seminary of the Southwest to join in celebrating Deaf Latine culture, history, and community. Through stories, vendors, and shared meals, we experienced comunidad and acompañamiento—bearing witness to and walking alongside the Deaf community. While we were there, many Deaf participants came up to us, expressed their joy at being seen, and welcomed us into their space.
On October 4th, Elizabeth Holland and Sam McRae, MDiv student, joined Good Shepherd on the Hill’s vendor booth at the Texas School for the Deaf Homecoming event. They shared news about The Hill’s interpreted worship service, and The Hill welcomed several new Deaf visitors to church the next day.
Then on October 9th, Elizabeth Holland led a CIS of the Feast of Gallaudet and Syle (transposed from August 27th), who are apostles and saints to the Deaf in the Episcopal Church. Fr. Erich Krengel, a Deaf Episcopal priest from Connecticut and the vicar of St. Ann’s Church for the Deaf in New York (the oldest Deaf church in America), was invited to preach, and he co-celebrated with Rev. Frausto in a trilingual ASL-centered Eucharist that had ASL, English, and Spanish. Members of the Deaf community came in, shared space with the seminary community, and worshiped together. After the service, everyone went to the Carne Asada hosted by the Latinx Concentration. Monica, a Photographer, and Laura, an Empanada chef, both from the Deaf Latine community, were invited to share their gifts.
There is beauty found in intersectional identities: Deaf, Latine, Hearing, and Faithful. As we continue to learn and grow together, may we deepen our practice of inclusion and celebrate the fullness of God’s Beloved Community, where every sign, story, and language reveals the divine love of God.
