“One of the central messages of Christianity and the example of Jesus is the preferential option for the marginalized.”
Madeline Jarrett
Who is Madeline Jarrett?
An Indiana girl at heart, Madeline graduated from the University of Notre Dame with majors in Theology & Psychology. After college, she completed an AmeriCorps service program in Chicago. There she taught English as a second language, creative writing, and art at a small Catholic grade school. She completed her Master of Divinity at Boston College in 2018. For the past three years, she has been teaching Theology and Psychology at an all-girls Catholic high school outside of Boston. In the fall of 2021, she will return to Boston College to begin a PhD program in Systematic Theology. Presently, her passions include spirituality and the body, art, teaching, and writing. You can find Madeline on Instagram @the_homecoming_, where she shares her experience of embodiment, spirituality, disability, and the occasional craft project.
How to Include People of Disability in the Church?
In this episode, Madeline Jarrett tells us how we can be more inclusive of people with disabilities. She explains:
– What are the challenges that people with disabilities face in all churches?
– What are the changes we can make to make it more accessible for all?
– How can we address this lack of inclusivity physically, emotionally, and spiritually as well?
Surprisingly, I didn’t quite plan this topic. In fact, it quite miraculously fell into my lap. I read a post by Erin Murphy And so I started looking for someone to talk about this. Another miracle later, I saw that Madeline had written something along similar lines in her post, “Are All Welcome?”
She agreed to talk to me. Not only was I blown away by her perspective but also her infectious joy and passion for Christ and His church.
Participation By All For All
I particularly loved how she simply states that the goal should be that people with disabilities should participate at ALL levels of the Church. That includes, leadership, clergy, priesthood, ministries and laity. Her message is even simpler. Let’s raise awareness and introspect.
“Once we start talking about these issues of disability in the Church, it’s hard to unsee them.”
Madeline Jarrett
- Review Your Community and Church: Are people with disabilities welcome? Do they feel so? Have you asked them?
- Are there structural obstacles and challenges for people with disabilities? Lack of elevators, stairs, inaccessible altar, lack of ramps, inaccessible bathrooms, railings, places for wheelchairs, volunteers for the doors, arrangements for the visually impaired, projectors for the hearing impaired, areas for children with neurological challenges, etc.
- How accessible are our ministries for the participation for people with disabilities? Can they be readers, choir members, servers, greeters, and leaders?
- Additionally, is our community and fellowship reaching out to them not just at Church but beyond the church door as well?
- Emotionally and spiritually, how do we address the complexities and pain of people with disabilities?
Finally, we have to introspect as Madeline makes a very good point, our bodies are in decline. There will come a time when we will all face these challenges. It is up to us to make Christ and kingdom-work welcoming for all who want to sit at His banqueting table. No Christian left behind. Or rather, no human being left behind!
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