Accra: The Catholic Church in Ghana has launched a special pastoral initiative to include deaf and hard of hearing Catholics more fully in the life of the Church. The St Martin Deaf Ministry in Madina, a suburb of Accra, is helping many believers participate actively in prayer, worship and parish life.
The ministry was started by Fr René Yao of the Society of African Missions. According to the Vatican’s Fides news agency, what began as a simple pastoral effort has grown into a meaningful mission that supports deaf Catholics and ensures they are not left out of the Church’s liturgical life.
Fr Yao officially launched the pastoral care of the deaf in Madina in November 2020. Since then, the initiative has developed into a vibrant ministry that now serves a growing number of deaf and hard of hearing faithful.
The priest recalled that the ministry began in very humble circumstances. At the beginning he had no office and carried out his work while sitting under a tree near the church. Later, parishioners helped him set up a small office so that the ministry could continue its work in a more organised way.
Fr Yao said that the activities of the St Martin Deaf Ministry are sustained mainly through small donations and the generosity of parishioners who support the mission.
The initiative focuses on both spiritual and social support. It combines pastoral care with educational activities so that deaf Catholics can participate fully in the life of the parish community.
One of the important steps taken by the ministry is offering sign language courses to parish members. These lessons help hearing parishioners communicate more easily with deaf members of the community and strengthen unity within the parish.
Through these efforts, the parish community is becoming a place where deaf and hearing members can interact freely and grow together in faith and mutual respect.
Fr Yao has also emphasized that the goal is not to separate deaf believers from the rest of the community. He believes they should be included in the same Mass and parish activities rather than having separate celebrations.
He explained that deaf people already face many forms of exclusion in society, and separating their liturgical celebrations could deepen that isolation. Instead, he encourages everyone to pray together as one body of Christ.
The St Martin Deaf Ministry continues to show how a welcoming Church can ensure that every person, regardless of ability, has a place in the community of faith and at the table of the Lord.