AFRICA/GHANA – Fr. René Yao and the St. Martin Deaf Ministry: “I do not want separate Masses for the deaf. We must pray together, as one body in Christ”

Accra – “At first, I did not have an office. I sat under a tree near the church. Later, parishioners pointed out that I could not work under a tree and helped me set up a small office.” On November 22, 2020, Fr. René Yao, a priest of the Society of African Missions , officially launched the Pastoral Care of the Deaf in Madina, Accra. Today, Fr. René works with a small group of deaf and hard-of-hearing people.

In a statement sent to Fides, the missionary explains how, thanks to small donations and the generosity of parishioners, he is able to maintain the various activities of the St. Martin Deaf Ministry he founded . Inclusion is at the heart of pastoral care. In addition to spiritual matters, the parish is committed to social encounters, creative and educational projects, and sign language courses to ensure sustainability. Every Sunday morning, Father René celebrates Holy Mass in sign language so that deaf parishioners can fully participate in the Eucharist. “I do not want separate Masses for the deaf. They already experience enough exclusion. If we celebrate a Mass just for them, we separate them even further from the hearing community. We must pray together, as one body in Christ.”

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