Father Joseph Mulcrone leads the St. Francis Borgia Deaf Center’s weekly Mass for deaf Catholics. The Archdiocese of Chicago’s Ministry Formation Program for deaf Catholics is marking its 30th anniversary. (Photos by Cynthia Flores-Mocarski/Chicago Catholic)

The Archdiocese of Chicago today celebrated the 30^th anniversary of the Ministry Formation Program for deaf Catholics at St. Francis Borgia Parish chapel.

The celebration was at the St. Francis Borgia Deaf Center’s weekly Mass for deaf Catholics. A reception followed the Mass.

MFP is the only program in the United States for deaf Catholics seeking certification in deaf lay ministry.

More than 150 deaf Catholics, including alumni from the program, attended the celebration at the Chicago parish. Sister Rita Ann Wigginton of the Archdiocese of Louisville was honored for her more than 50 years of ministry to the deaf community and her role with MFP.

The National Catholic Office for the Deaf estimates there are 5.7 million deaf and hard-of-hearing Catholics in the United States.

Individuals focus on Mulcrone during the Mass.

By offering ministerial training for deaf Catholics to become lay leaders in their home dioceses, deaf and hard-of-hearing people can more fully participate in the spiritual, sacramental and communal life of the Catholic Church and feel accepted and included in their faith community, according to MFP leaders.

Sponsored by the Archdiocese of Chicago, the National Catholic Office for the Deaf and the International Catholic Deaf Association-USA, MFP is a three-year program providing training for deaf people in how to minister in the Catholic Church to deaf communities.

MFP students come from dioceses all over the country and recently, a program for deaf Catholics in Germany reached out to MFP for assistance to develop its own program. MFP welcomes hearing adults who have skills in signing and communicating with deaf people.