Hearing and deaf Catholics who attended workshops conducted by a deaf-blind priest said they found them inspiring.Ms Judy Ong, 48, who is deaf, said she was able to understand the sessions conducted by Redemptorist priest, Fr Cyril Axelrod, and found them interesting.
Ms Angie Woo, 64, a hearing participant, said the workshop she attended was beneficial for hearing participants as well, as it helped people to deal with the crises in their lives.
London-based Fr Axelrod conducted faith-based workshops for members of the Catholic deaf community and their interpreters at the Catholic Archdiocesan Education Centre and Church of St Mary of the Angels from July 18-21.
The 70-year-old priest was also in Singapore to meet up with friends from the Singapore Catholic Deaf Community (SCDC) whom he last saw 20 years ago.
The workshops saw lively discussions between Fr Cyril and participants, some of whom were not Catholics.
The hearing people present also had little difficulty understanding the sessions as there were interpreters who did voice-overs.
Fr Cyril celebrated a Mass on July 22, which saw members from the Johor Bahru Catholic deaf community attending as well.
During his stay here, the priest also visited Archbishop Nicholas Chia and SCDC spiritual director Fr Edward Lim.
Fr Cyril was born deaf in 1942 in South Africa. At the age of 46, he developed Usher syndrome, which gradually caused him to lose his sight. He has served in various deaf groups around the world
SCDC can be contacted at scdeafc@yahoo.com.sg
