[Faith-talk] just venting about something here

[Fr. John Sheehan]

I am not blind myself but I work with the blind and I know many priests who have lost their sight over the years and continue to function perfectly well as priests. Some have learned to read Braille, some have enough sight to be able to use very large print, and some have simply memorized the Mass prayers. Communion? One offers the host and the one receiving communion takes it in the hand. Most Churches also have Extraordinary Ministers who can help - I know blind lay people who administer the cup with a sighted person cuing them when someone approaches. There is a blind priest who visits us who has written several books since losing his sight, travels the world alone, conducts retreats and workshops. 

As Marc Maurer keeps reminding us, blind people can do pretty much anything - did you see the newsclip of the car being driven by a blind man? (As he walked up the vehicle he was calling out "Blind man driving! Blind man driving!" The key was not that the car could guide itself but the man - with cues from sensor systems built into the car - was driving it himself, through a fiarly sophisticated obstacle course.

Hope that helps. People often think a blind person can't do it - what they mean is they can't do it the way >>I<< do it, or the way it's always been done. That may be true, but often the blind person does it differently, but just as effectively. (I'm starting to sound like Marc!) 

 Fr. John R. Sheehan, SJ
Chairman 


Xavier Society for the Blind
154 East 23rd St
New York, NY 10010
(212) 473-7800
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________________________________
From: Beth <thebluesisloose at gmail.com>
To: "Faith-talk, for the discussion of faith and religion" <faith-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, August 2, 2009 7:43:19 PM
Subject: Re: [Faith-talk] just venting about something here

I'm blind and Catholic, and I usually rely on the someone else going
in order to get holy Communion.  People are always willing to lend me
a hand in that respect.  I know Linda knew a blind priest, but she
can't nail down the contact info for that guy.  Fr. John, I'd like to
ask the same question that RJ asked.  How is it that you are able to
be a blind priest?  I as a woman can't be concecrated in that manner,
so nunhood is the only option if I were to be so holy as to be called.
This is an interesting thread.
Beth

On 8/2/09, rjs059 at peoplepc.com <rjs059 at peoplepc.com> wrote:
> Fother John, How is it your able to be a blind priest? I have a local priest
> in my comunity, who told me it would be impossible for a blind person to be
> a roman catholic, because he must be able to see in order to administer the
> holy comunion. I believe this priest is mis-guided. He had a blind child in
> his parrish, and he didn't know how he'd get him ready for holy comunion.
> While I myself am not catholic, I'd like to know how I might be able to deal
> with this type of situation in the future. Please contact me at:
> rjs59 at hot.com