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.
Initiative
As the first communicants of St. Joseph Catholic Church traverse the aisles of the sanctuary to receive the Blessed Sacrament for the first time, their faces often glow with the joy of the sacramental moment. Christie McGee, who as the Richardson parish’s director of children and family ministry has witnessed this heartening scene many times, said that the faces of the communicant’s parents also radiate jubilance in that moment — but all too often, the parents remain a step removed from the sacrament itself.