By Michael Gresham
The Texas Catholic
The Diocese of Dallas’ Community of Disciples initiative is reshaping how parishes understand belonging, disability, and the shared life of the Church. Rooted in the belief that every person is created in the image and likeness of God, the initiative works to form parish communities where people with disabilities are not only welcomed but recognized as “fully indispensable” members of the Body of Christ, said Alison Wire, associate director for the diocesan office for Persons with Disabilities.
“The Community of Disciples initiative is a diocesan process of accompaniment,” Wire said, noting that its foundation in Catholic social teaching calls parishes to move beyond basic inclusion toward cultivating communities where belonging is lived as a Christian responsibility. She said the goal is to form parishes as “living spaces” where each person’s presence is “known, nurtured, and celebrated,” supported through practices such as sensory‑friendly liturgies, adapted faith formation, and relationship-centered ministry.
The initiative formally began in January 2025, when five parishes were invited into the first cohort. Their participation started the following summer with a three‑day orientation retreat that launched a year of discernment through prayer, reflection, and parish‑level accompaniment. Monthly parish meetings, quarterly gatherings, and on-the-ground activities have guided leaders as they strengthen local ministry.
“This marked the formal beginning of a diocesan commitment to forming parish leaders and the faithful,” Wire said.
Funding from the Lilly Endowment’s Nurturing Children Through Worship and Prayer Initiative allows the diocese to provide formation events, sensory‑friendly liturgical resources, and ongoing support for parish leaders and families. Wire said Lilly’s national learning community has offered research, technical assistance, and shared best practices — partnerships made possible through “the steadfast pastoral leadership of Bishop Edward J. Burns,” who ensures the ministry remains a long‑term diocesan priority.
The first cohort includes St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Parish in Plano, St. Patrick Catholic Parish in Dallas, St. Joseph Catholic Parish in Richardson, St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Parish in Frisco, and Sacred Heart Catholic Parish in Rowlett. A second cohort will be finalized soon, Wire said, with formation shaped by the real‑world experience of the first group.
Wire said the goal of the Community of Disciples initiative is simple but transformative: forming parish communities where every person is recognized as indispensable to the Church’s life and mission and able to participate fully in liturgy and parish life. Wire said early signs from the first cohort show families returning to Mass, parish cultures shifting, and leaders embracing a new question that goes beyond just how to include others, but “How do we belong to one another as members of Christ’s Body?”
Accompanying all
Kristie Gates has watched a quiet but meaningful shift take place at St. Francis of Assisi in Frisco since the parish joined the Community of Disciples initiative. As liturgy director, she said the parish already offered a sensory-friendly Mass, the God Loves All faith formation, and Sacraments Mass, but the larger framework for true inclusion was still taking shape.
“We did not have a disabilities ministry or direct communication in all areas with this community,” Gates said. The Community of Disciples initiative’s focus, along with the creation of a new disabilities ministry and a three-year anniversary celebration for the sensory-friendly Mass, has helped spark new dialogue and collaboration.
“Together, we are learning and working to address the varied needs for accessibility in our parish,” she said. “It is more of a joint effort than something we are doing ourselves.”
That sense of learning together has been strengthened through the initiative’s formation process, Gates said, adding that the Community of Disciple retreats and gatherings opened doors to expertise she did not realize she needed.
“We have learned a lot through the formation process,” she explained. “For me particularly, I didn’t know what I didn’t know. We are also learning from the experiences of the other parishes participating in the initiative.”
As the parish has worked to implement more inclusive practices, the experience has revealed both challenges and opportunities. Gates said expanded communication has made clear just how varied the needs are among parishioners.
“It is a challenge to find a way to meet all of the needs,” she said. Still, Gates has seen a desire rising from within the community itself. “We have found a desire for community, belonging, and support that seems universal.”
Some of the clearest opportunities have emerged in liturgical life, according to Gates, who said the sensory-friendly Mass has opened space for greater participation, including through liturgical roles that invite all parishioners to take part more fully. Broader formation for the entire parish is another priority, she said, especially helping parishioners understand the purpose of the sensory-friendly Mass and “accepting the varied needs and behaviors at all of our Masses.”
“It has been positive to hear from parishioners this is long overdue,” said Amy Vitek, director of evangelization at St. Patrick in Dallas.
Vitek called the initial three-day retreat offered by the diocese for members of the first cohort “amazing.”
“We learned a lot and gained a lot of good resources to navigate our first year,” she said, adding that it was a good opportunity to gather with other members of the cohort and share ideas “to improve not just our parish but the community as a whole.”
While noting that the program is welcomed and needed, Vitek said it does not come without challenges, including adding a strain to already stretched parish ministry staff.
Many departments operate without adequate support, leaving staff juggling multiple roles, she explained, adding that time and staffing constraints remain the biggest challenges.
Since joining the Community of Disciples’ first cohort, Stacey Peterson said St. Joseph in Richardson has noticed “an awakening” and parishioners are experiencing a renewal.
“There is a revitalized insight that bringing Christ to all starts within each of us,” said Peterson, who serves as the parish’s liturgical coordinator. “Matthew 25:35-40 rings more clearly that whenever we have helped the least of our people, we helped Jesus.”
Peterson said at St. Joseph, ministry leaders sought to educate first that disabilities are diverse and that every family is impacted.
“That education requires overcoming prideful thinking and inspiration for personal change,” she said.
The community at St. Joseph has celebrated a sensory-friendly Mass since October 2024, and Peterson said ministry leaders have worked to welcome all to experience Mass in this way.
“Sights, sounds, smells, and other overwhelming circumstances are removed at this Mass. Individuals needing extra space in their pews, closer parking, less distractions during Mass, and anyone longing for a more personal setting are drawn to this Mass,” she said. “Through our podcast, bulletin highlights, surveys, and listening sessions, our community has been informed, encouraged, and motivated to change.”
A growing cultural awareness suggests society may be emerging from a long period of isolation for people with disabilities; a shift that Peterson said calls people to recognize that everyone, at some point, will experience disability in some form.
“We are asked to be open to seeing each other with gifts that are different from our own, not better or worse, nor right or wrong. God doesn’t make mistakes,” she said. “Our challenge that God is asking us to accept is to see everyone as he does. Slow down; open a door; make room in a pew; smile; and practice empathy. The biggest obstacle in being Christ-like is ourselves. Are we up for the challenge?”
Cutline for featured image: Bishop Brendan Cahill of the Diocese of Victoria, back center, joins representatives from the Diocese of Dallas and from St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Parish in Plano, St. Patrick Catholic Parish in Dallas, St. Joseph Catholic Parish in Richardson, St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Parish in Frisco, and Sacred Heart Catholic Parish in Rowlett during a Jan. 23 retreat for the first cohort of the Community of Disciples initiative at St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Parish in Plano. (MICHAEL GRESHAM/The Texas Catholic)
