Today was a full day of activities and talks at the Maryridge center as the Deaf Catholic Conference really got going.
Maryridge retreat center is in Tagaytay City, east of Manila, a three-hour bus ride away. It overlooks a large lake in an old volcano. Notice that the little peak in the center of the lake and the center of the picture is another volcano cone coming up in the middle of the larger volcanic cone.Breakfast at Maryridge. The food was quite good at the center.In the morning work session, Fr. Park Min Seo started us off with a presentation of the context for this conference and of the theme “Inclusion and Communion.”Fr. Park introduced the three sisters at the conference who are in deaf ministry in Sri Lanka and Korea. Sr. Damanyanthi (L) is herself deaf.Several deaf people from India had wanted to attend the ADCC but were not able to get visas to the Philippines. But they contact Indian Fr. Wilson (striped shirt) and Sr. Jincy who are both studying counseling in Manila and they came for a quick visit to the conference to say hello for the Catholic deaf people still back home in India.Rafa Domingo was supposed to give the talk on “Inclusion and Communion” but is now at Galluadet University in the United States so his talk was given by Hans.The mass for today was moved to the evening and Fr. Charlie was the presider. Here he presents a homily with the assistance of Peter Un and Lucia Lo.At the prayer of the faithful, various conference participants came forward with intentions for all of us to pray for.
