Parish-Based Ministries

Our Parish-Based Ministries serve all persons with disabilities. We offer programs for persons with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, and for those who are Deaf, Blind and/or Mentally Ill.

These ministries not only advocate for individual rights, but they also offer leadership opportunities within the areas of pastoral care, service, liturgy and education.

Religious Education for Special Needs

In partnership with St. Augustine Parish in Cleveland's Tremont neighborhood, Catholic Charities Parish-Based Ministries offers a religious education program for children with learning challenges. Known as the Beatitudes Program, this educational course helps prepare children for the sacraments. Instruction is tailored to each individual and their strengths in order to help them express their love of God and come to a better understanding of their faith.

Parish-Based Ministries also assists families and other religious education programs throughout the Cleveland Diocese, providing resources and tools to help teach children with developmental disabilities and learning challenges.

If you are interested in obtaining materials or resources, please contact Terry Hogan by email or call (216) 781-5530 ext. 29.

Ministries to Persons who are Blind, Deaf or Living with Mental Illness

Our Parish-Based Ministries include three distinct ministries that assist persons with specific disabilities. These include Ministries to Persons who are Blind or Visually-Impaired; Ministries to Persons who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing; and Ministries to Persons Living with Mental Illness.

All of our ministries to persons with disabilities advocate for each individual's rights and provides leadership opportunities within the areas of pastoral care, service, liturgy and education. We also offer counseling, crisis intervention, social services, hospital and home visitation, and transportation through our ministries.

Our goal is to help individuals understand, develop and live their full potential within the community and within the Church.

To learn more about each of these ministries and the specific services they offer, click on the ministry name below. You may also navigate to these pages using the menu bar.

• Blind and Visually Impaired Ministry
• Deaf and Hard of Hearing Ministry
• Mental Illness Ministry

For a list of current activities offered by each ministry, please contact our office.

Augustine Rainbow Camp

Augustine Rainbow Camp is a five-week summer day camp that serves four distinct populations: youth from the Tremont area and youth from the deaf, hard of hearing, blind, and developmentally disabled communities of Greater Cleveland.

The program is open to any child living in the Tremont area, and/or any child who is deaf, hard-of-hearing, visually impaired, or developmentally disabled between the ages of 5 to 13, regardless of nationality, race, religion or economic condition.

Deaf Access Program (DAP)

The Deaf Access Program was created in 2010 with the purpose of improving access to healthcare for Cleveland's Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing.

This program provides interpretive services to all scheduled medical appointments, walk-ins, and ER visits at St. Vincent Charity Hospital. In addition to providing interpretive services, the DAP hosts community health fairs and provides in-service opportunities for all hospital staff.