Caroline Anne B. from the Church of the Visitation shares her faith journey as a Deaf Catholic, while BIM interpreter Christina Lee stands by to assist
By Herald Malaysia
Oct 18 2023
SEREMBAN – The International Day of Sign Languages (IDSL) was celebrated by the Catholic Ministry of the Deaf (CMfD) on September 24, at the Church of the Visitation. The theme for this year was, A World Where Deaf People Everywhere Can Sign Anywhere.
Archbishop Julian Leow was the main presider, with CMfD’s ecclesiastical assistant, Fr Michael Chua, concelebrating and interpreting. The Church of the Visitation’s parish priest, Fr Xavier Andrew, was the other concelebrant.
The main objective of the celebration was “Ephphatha” (Be Opened!), encouraging hearing people from all walks of life to be open-minded towards Deaf culture and Deaf inclusivity. The theme for this year’s IDSL celebration at Mass was taken from Psalm 63:4 “I will praise you as long as I live and, in your name, I will lift up my hands.”
Two Deaf persons shared their testimonies after Mass. IDSL coordinator, Geraldine Shalini John, spoke about how she felt when she was growing apart from God and becoming spiritually weak. Wanting to learn more about God and to deepen her faith, she joined RCIA and was touched to learn more as the lessons were conducted in Bahasa Isyarat Malaysia (BIM). BIM has been recognised by the Malaysian government as the official sign language of the country since 2008, through the enactment of the Persons with Disabilities Act.
Geraldine, who was baptised during Easter 2022, urged the hearing not to feel handicapped when communicating with the deaf and encouraged them to learn BIM.
The second testimony was by Caroline Anne B, who shared about her life growing up as a Deaf Catholic within her Catholic family, and her experiences attending Masses without a BIM interpreter in church. She proposes that everyone learn some level of BIM, and cater for better accessibility for the deaf in the Church.
Various activities were held at the parish hall to create further awareness and to promote the Deaf Culture. It was a collaborative effort between CMfD, and representatives from the host parish. Several booths exhibited CMfD programmes, activities and Deaf skills, such as a batik arts booth by Deaf artist Lim Anuar, and religious statues sculptured by Deaf sculpture Raymond Raj. There was also a biscuits and cakes booth by Deaf baker Yogeswary Baluras.
The programme after Mass started with an opening prayer and blessing by Fr Xavier, after which Fr Michael gave his welcome address.
In her opening statement, CMfD coordinator, Melina Fair, expressed her delight and appreciation to all, celebrating the unity of the community as they come together in the spirit of Christ. Geraldine extended a heartfelt welcome to all in attendance and conveyed her deep appreciation to the volunteers. She also commended the collaboration with the Church of the Visitation team, led by Florence and Eddie.
The first presentation was by CMfD’s senior BIM interpreter, Joseph Loh. He said sign language is a beautiful language normally perceived by the public as ‘hand language’. The tonality and the emotion of the language are presented by handshapes, facial expressions, body language and the space of signing, which all add up, making this language beautiful. However, such beauty is lost when someone steps forward to interpret without knowing much about the theory of interpreting. As such, the dignity of the deaf community is violated.
People equal spoken language to sign language without knowing that sign language is a language by itself, not an equation of another language. While a signor may possess the ability to sign, proficiency in interpreting skills is a competence that can only be honed through years of dedicated experience in the field. The term “translators” often falls short of capturing the essence of sign language as it fails to fully convey the beauty inherent in sign language. In contrast, a skilled interpreter adeptly transforms the semantic content of spoken language into visual imagery or concepts, preserving the original beauty of sign language.
Stephen Lee, a CMfD senior Deaf, spoke next on the “Deaf Culture”. He said that Deaf people preferred to be identified as “Deaf” with a capital D. This is their identity. The word “deaf” with the small letter “d” is a noun and/or a verb used to describe a person with a hearing disability. Deaf Culture forms the vibrant core of the Deaf Community, encompassing both Deaf and hearing people who use sign language. This community not only values sign language but also cherishes its rich heritage and cultural dimensions.
Stephen also provided valuable insights into communicating with Deaf people. Among the various guidelines, one notable recommendation is to invest time in meaningful communication and connections with them. Modern technology has transformed how we can engage with Deaf people, including video chats, Google Meet with closed captions, WhatsApp texts, and numerous other alternatives, surpassing older methods such as sending notes via fax or pagers.
Geraldine then led an engaging “Let’s Learn BIM” activity that captured the attention of all participants. This interactive session not only piqued the interest of the hearing participants but also encouraged them to seek more sign language words to master. The result was a delightful and interactive experience that fostered strong connections between Deaf and hearing individuals, truly exemplifying the essence of collaboration.
IDSL volunteer Jennifer Leong gushed, “My most cherished moment of the day occurred when I sat beside a CODA (Child/Children of Deaf Adults) in church. I was truly captivated as I observed the mother placing her hands under her child’s and signing the Mass responses and prayers. It’s a remarkable method for introducing a new language to a child, and it’s equally enlightening for us as well.”
Overall, the IDSL event was a resounding success and a truly memorable experience. It served as a joyous celebration and a source of blessings for the Deaf and hearing communities. – Herald Malaysia
