Surprisingly, from time to time I hear of a parish under the impression there are no persons living with disabilities at their parish. That is statistically impossible. If they aren’t seen at Mass, there is a reason that needs to be investigated and remedied. On the other hand, there are parishes that sincerely want to be more welcoming. They recognize the presence of persons with developmental disabilities in their parish and want to better welcome them, but they don’t know how or where to begin.
To those parishes, I want to introduce you to Del Boland and the ministry Faith and Light, originally founded in France in the 1970s to serve those persons and help them to know that they are welcomed and valued. Del and his wife, Anne, are provincial coordinators of the Faith and Light chapter in Maryland and have a great story of hope and service to share with the desire that others will follow with a leap of faith into the ministry.
Mark Bradford: Del, thanks very much for agreeing to share the story of Faith and Light with us. First, please tell us about your interest in Faith and Light and how you got involved.
Del Boland: Thank you, Mark. It’s an honor to speak with you on behalf of Faith and Light.
In 2018, my wife, Anne, and I had recently moved to the Washington, DC, area with our autistic son, David. We wanted to connect with other Christian special needs families, so a friend encouraged us to join St. Patrick’s Faith and Light community in Rockville, Maryland.
We had only attended one meeting at St. Pat’s when COVID hit. In-person meetings were temporarily canceled, but luckily we were invited to attend a newly established weekly Zoom call. The group was led by Joy Fuchs, provincial coordinator for Faith and Light USA East, who gathered leaders and core members from various communities in the eastern US. The virtual gatherings were amazing! We sang and shared stories with other families. I would never have believed it possible to develop real relationships online before that time—but we did.
Joy is our guardian angel! Our family found the meetings comforting and engaging during the isolation of the COVID lockdowns. We developed lasting bonds with the attendees on those calls and felt as though we had found extended family. Although we now only meet monthly, the Zoom calls continue to this day.
Anne and I are better people because of David, and we have grown in our faith and reliance on the Lord in both of our lives.
We also meet in person at St. Patrick’s. Both Anne and I also accepted roles as provincial vice coordinators in 2022, so we have visited many other communities since.
Faith and Light essentially provides faith formation and community for persons with developmental disabilities, who might not otherwise have access to these things that are so essential to everyone’s human fulfillment and growth in faith. How and where did Faith and Light begin, and to what need was it responding at the time?
Faith and Light formed soon after two special needs families were turned away from a 1971 pilgrimage to Lourdes, France, because their children’s disabilities could not be accommodated. This experience inspired the founding of Faith and Light in France to address the need for Christian community among the disabled population.
Today, Faith and Light has expanded to over 1,200 communities in 86 countries.
How prevalent is Faith and Light in the US, and how does it differ from other similar ministries that have been developed to assist persons with disabilities to grow in faith?
The US and Canada have nineteen Faith and Light communities and one more in formation. We are currently working to expand the ministry in the US.
Faith and Light came to the US by way of Fr. Jim O’Donnell. Fr. O’Donnell joined a Faith and Light pilgrimage to Rome in 1975, and his overwhelming response became the seeds for a Faith and Light community in Ohio, where it continues today.
It was further spread to other communities by priests and one very special person in the Washington, DC, area to whom we owe much gratitude. Dolores Wilson dedicated much of her life to the special needs community there, including the spread of Faith and Light and the establishment of Bethlehem House, a faith-based group home. There is a very nice history available on our Faith and Light USA East website.
Many churches offer special needs programming of various types, and Anne and I have been a part of several special needs ministries in the past. Most were in the early stages of development, and each was attempting to address a growing need. I still have fond memories of the wonderful folks we encountered during that time. However, I had a nagging sense that some of the early programs we experienced would not endure. Indeed, some have undergone several changes, and at least one is no longer in existence.
As a special needs parent, I want David involved in programs that will be around for a long time to come. Faith and Light has been around since 1972, and now as a part of their organizational leadership, I can see to it that it will continue to be around long after I’m gone.
Stability and consistency are important for our loved ones, and Faith and Light has a strong foundation that can provide support to build and sustain community. It can be overwhelming to start a special needs ministry from scratch, so we offer an alternative. We have numerous resources available for those who would like to start groups, and we publish a booklet called Guidelines each year for use by our communities.
This year’s Guidelines was created by the USA/Canada team and focuses on “God’s Wonderful World.” Each month’s biblical reading is related to this theme, with associated song suggestions and art projects. Thus, local groups do not carry the burden of having to develop their own programming. The materials are ecumenical in nature and can be adapted to various groups if desired. We also support community leaders through periodic international assemblies, where leaders can come together and share and learn from each other. Lastly, Faith and Light spiritually feeds the whole family by bringing those facing similar challenges, barriers, and dreams together in the spirit of Christ to be supported and accepted by the Faith and Light organization and our many communities.
Can you describe a typical meeting? What is the structure like, and is there a set program of catechesis observed in all communities?
Meeting formats can differ from community to community. The Faith and Light constitution does allow some flexibility, so a community can adapt and complement a host church in various ways. Some are able to work together within the church to offer adapted instruction to participants on an as-needed basis.
Stability and consistency are important for our loved ones, and Faith and Light has a strong foundation that can provide support to build and sustain community.
A typical meeting for our community at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church first involves an introduction of the holy table. Participants (1) light a candle representing our light that shines out to the world; (2) hold up a Holy Bible demonstrating the word of God; (3) recognize an image of Mary with the infant Jesus and a picture of a dove, representing the Holy Spirit; (4) point to a globe, acknowledging we are part of a worldwide community; and (5) remind participants of our “spare change” jar for contributions to Faith and Light communities that are less fortunate than ours.
Our meeting continues with an opening prayer by a deacon, followed by voluntary sharing of news by individual attendees. The meeting then moves to a reading of selected Scripture to coincide with our annual Guidelines, from which we’ll sometimes act out scenes from the Bible passage. The deacon will lead a guided discussion regarding the reading and its practical application and meaning in our day-to-day lives. We typically have someone play a guitar while singing several songs throughout the program. Then we complete an art project from a kit and close with prayer intentions and the Prayer of a Poor Person. Finally, we end with a snack and social time.
I should point out that Faith and Light is not a substitute for the Mass or for sacramental instruction. Adults may serve as sponsors or provide input to church staff leading such activities so that our participants can be as successful as possible. Various resources are available for adapted faith formation, and the National Catholic Partnership on Disability is an excellent resource for that.
How have you seen Faith and Light change families and especially the individuals whose mission it is to serve?
First, it has changed my son in a very positive way. David’s social skills have improved immensely since joining St. Patrick’s Faith and Light. He is more respectful of others and has developed beautiful relationships with the participants and the parents. Anne and I are both so grateful for the role that Faith and Light has played in our son’s development and in his spiritual journey. There we have found grace, compassion, and understanding.
Faith and Light has also enriched both of us as his parents. We have developed long-standing friendships with the other parents, the participants, and the caregivers. It really is much like a family to us. In addition, I have witnessed the changes in others we’ve known. I have witnessed bonds that I never would have thought possible. People support and socialize with each other outside the monthly meeting.
Most of the parents have been part of our community for some time, so it is clear to me that I am the one who is being changed. I know that I am more attentive to individuals and more compassionate. That also comes with being a parent of a special needs child. I believe that it has been a life-changing experience for the good, in my case. Anne and I are better people because of David, and we have grown in our faith and reliance on the Lord in both of our lives.
What is your vision for the future of Faith and Light USA East? What are some of the challenges Faith and Light has encountered?
As for the future, I hope that Faith and Light USA will continue to grow. We want to raise awareness of its many benefits and work to attract young special needs families to whom we have much to offer, including our life experiences and community. Parents and caregivers are the energy for Faith and Light, so I believe our emphasis to include parents and caregivers through forums, discussions, and more community opportunities will help us in the long run. Special needs parents are the most wonderful people I’ve ever encountered in my sixty-eight years on this planet. They get it. We are working with our other North American communities to develop updated outreach and promotional materials to aid in spreading the word.
Personally, I want to reestablish and strengthen Faith and Light’s Catholic roots, which were responsible for the creation of our original communities. I believe that Faith and Light is an excellent model for adding special needs ministries to parishes and that we as an organization should do all that we can to make that process mutually beneficial and easy. A community doesn’t need much to get started—perhaps a space at the church to have monthly meetings and, ideally, occasional support from a deacon or other representative from the Church. Luckily, in the Washington, DC, area, we have access to periodic Masses held for those with special needs, so we are actually part of a much larger community. It’s amazing how you get to know people from all over your area through these experiences. I hope to also find some catechists who might be willing to offer adapted instruction to our participants in coordination with the Church.
As for our challenges, some say that we are too Catholic while others say that we’re not Catholic enough. We welcome all persons of other faiths, but we do not compromise on the tenets of our own Catholic faith. Sadly, I believe our ecumenical position is sometimes misinterpreted. We believe by welcoming others we are simply aligning ourselves with our Lord’s words recorded in Matthew 25:40: “And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’”
If someone were interested in beginning a Faith and Light community in their area, is there a website or a way to contact you?
Yes, they may contact me directly by way of email at [email protected] or through our Faith and Light USA East website, FaithandLightUSAEast.com. You may also find information on the international website, FoietLumiere.org/en.
Thank you for this opportunity to speak about this great and faithful organization!
Thank you, Del. May God continue to bless your ministry, and by God’s grace may others be inspired to do for others what you and Anne are doing for your community in Maryland and abroad.
Photo by Faith & Light (https://faithandlightusaeast.com/)