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Special Needs


SPECIAL NEEDS MINISTRY

Blessing Mass
Community Resource Fair - Participating Vendors
Guidelines for Parish/Ministry Events

 

MISSION STATEMENT
To embrace and support Individuals and families with special needs at Mass, in the parish and in the community.

VISION STATEMENT
St. Philip the Apostle Catholic Parish is a caring Christ‐like community for all those with special needs:

‐ Embracing and accepting all as children of God 
‐ Addressing the spiritual, physical and emotional needs
‐ Creating access for all.      
-Providing inclusive opportunities to participate in and around the community
‐ Encouraging and promoting the participation of all during Mass
‐ Providing awareness and education for the community to better understand special needs
‐ Providing a support structure for families and caregivers
‐ Providing resource information within St. Philip’s and the greater community
‐ Providing financial, legal and human resources to do what is needed

Surrounding all that we do with the love of our Savior, Jesus Christ our Lord.

VALUES
‐ Love

‐ Acceptance
‐ Awareness
‐ Community
‐ Compassion
‐ Inclusiveness
‐ Support

MASS VISION
Imagine what it’s like to feel like you belong. Maybe you were born into a great family and you are surrounded by loved ones, maybe you were part of a sports team or a club growing up, or maybe it wasn’t until you found that special one when you felt like that.

Now imagine that you had that feeling every time you came to St. Philip the Apostle parish.

Some of us may feel it more than others.

But what if you never felt like you belonged anywhere? Or maybe Jesus was the only one who made you feel like you belonged. What if you could not see or hear very well but due to aids at Mass you could participate more fully? What if you had a physical handicap and it was easy to get to and from and in and out of the Church? Not in a way that made you stand out, but in a subtle way that made you feel comfortable. Or what if you had a wheat allergy or a problem with alcoholism that prevented you from participating fully in the Holy Eucharist, but there were opportunities to partake in the bread and the body of Christ that were customized to your special needs all done very discretely.

What if every time you left St. Philip’s after Mass, your experience was such that you had a burning desire to return?

What if you felt like you belonged to the St. Philip the Apostle community? What if St. Philip the apostle community reminded you that you are one of God’s children and you belong to Him?

Meeting Information:
Every 4th Tuesday of the month at 6:30PM in the McCone Room


Contact:
Joan & Kenneth De Souza

SpecialNeeds@stphiliptheapostle.org