Heavenly Signs - The Barrie Examiner - 26 July 2008

Posted By KELLY MCSHANE

Barrie priest uses sign language to connect with deaf parishioners

Parishioners come to Holy Spirit Parish [http://www.holyspiritbarrie.ca/] in search of a sign from God and Father Keith Wallace knows just how to deliver it. "(Having sign language) shows us that we at Holy Spirit are inclusive and all members are part of our family. To have a religious and spiritual leader that you can converse with bridges the gap between the two languages," Wallace said of the separation between the spoken word and sign language.

Wallace has been a priest for more than 20 years, seven of which were spent in Toronto teaching at a school where 25 per cent of the students were hearing impaired. He said he had people in his parish who were both deaf and blind, but still managed to take the subway to get to church every Sunday. Wallace came to Barrie two years ago to join the clergy at Holy Spirit, to the delight of local hearing impaired church-goers.

"Before I came here, they would still go to church and just sit there, even though they couldn't hear anything," Wallace said. He said one of the families in his parish has a child who can hear and was able to translate the service for the hearing impaired members of their family before Wallace's service became available.

One of the five families with hearing impaired members attending Holy Parish comes from Wasaga Beach each Sunday to participate in the service. Wallace said even if there was no sign language offered, there is still a lot a hearing impaired person could get out of a service.

"Most Catholic churches are a feast for the eyes with the stained-glass windows and the wine representing the blood of Christ. They can see that and know what it means," Wallace said.

Being one of only six Catholic priests in Canada who signs throughout their service, Wallace would travel from Toronto to perform services, such as baptisms, for hearing impaired families and individuals in other areas.

"Canada generally tends to be very limited in the number of people who know sign language. The U. S. is far ahead of us. The U. S. seems to be a lot more proactive and not just in churches. Even in restaurants there is usually at least one waiter who knows sign language. Canadians can be pretty mellow," Wallace said.

Many of the younger members of Holy Spirit have chosen to learn sign language in order to communicate with the hearing impaired persons in their congregation.

"(Our hearing impaired members) remind our students not to take things for granted," Wallace said. He said people who can hear have their choice of church, but those without hearing have limited options at best.

Wallace is optimistic for the future. He said there are already three hearing impaired deacons in Ontario.

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Title	Author (Last, First)	ISBN if available
Bible, English Version for the Deaf / Easy-to-Read Version Read it online (pdf files) at: http://www.wbtc.com/downloads/english_downloads_main.htm	Baker Book House Translated by: World Bible Translation Center	Hard Cover: 188542728X Leather: 1885427298 Soft Cover: 1885427433
Getting By In a Silent World The Life and Times of Jack the Barber - see note below (self published Biography)	Cooke, Jack L.	1894183681
Deafening.. A Novel (This is a Canadian authour)	Itani, Frances	Soft Cover: 000639261x
I didn't Hear the Dragon Roar (Biography)	Parsons, Frances M	0930323416
Journey into the DEAF-WORLD, A (Paperback)	Lane, Harlan / Hoffmeister, Robert / Bahan, Ben	0915035634
Mask of Benevolence, The (Paperback 1999)	Lane, Harlan	1581210094
Seeds of Disquiet - A lady who loses her hearing twice, first time at age 6, and from another cause later in life.	Happner, Cheryl. M	1563680165
Seeing Voices	Sacks, Oliver	0520060830
Signs across America : a look at regional differences in American Sign Language (example 14 different regional signs for hearing aid !)	Shroyer, Edgar H.	0913580961 (pbk.)
Silent Night (Biography Sue Thomas F.B.Eye)	Thomas, Sue	0842359095
Train Go Sorry : Inside a Deaf World - "That our family's home was a school for the deaf did not seem in any way extraordinary to Reba, Andy, and me. Lexington School for the Deaf was simply where we came from."	Cohen, Leah Hager	0679761659
Other Side of Silence, The (Sign Language and Deaf Community in America)	Neisser, Arden	0930323645
When the Mind Hears (A History of the Deaf)	Lane, Harlan	0394508785
When the Phone Rings, My Bed Shakes	Zazove, Philip M.D.	1563680246