Fort Worth Catholic Community for the Deaf

Collection

Identifier: DCA001-FORT-TX-1991

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Deaf Catholic Archives (DCA) collection includes magazines, newsletters and convention information from the International Catholic Deaf Association; magazines and convention information from the National Catholic Office for the Deaf; local newsletters from hundreds of dioceses in the US, Canada and internationally; Sign Language books, Bibles, glossed readings and videos of Biblical stories in ASL (American Sign Language). There are also religious education materials, including guidelines for teachers and materials for Deaf children and adults; yearbooks and newsletters from Catholic Schools for the Deaf; and other materials relating to the Deaf Catholic community and individuals and the pastoral care for Deaf and hard of hearing people. Additionally, there are books about Deaf Catholics and their history and culture.

The largest series in the collection is Newsletters. The DCA has more than 220 different newsletters, from over 10 countries including the United States, Canada, Trinidad, England, Ireland, Spain, Italy, India, Philippines, Australia, and New Zealand and are published online in CrossWorks, the institutional repository of the College.

Dates

Creation: 1991-1996

Conditions Governing Access

No Restrictions

Historical Note

In 1975, Mary Garland, a Deaf woman, gave a box of old materials about Deaf Catholics to Joseph Bruce, a Deaf Jesuit novice. These materials included news clippings, photographs, newsletters, reports and minutes of meetings relating to the Deaf Catholic community. Very quickly, other pastoral workers assigned to Deaf ministry all over the US and Canada began sending their newsletters to Mr. Bruce. The collection grew significantly in 1977 when, on a visit to Canada, Sr. Elizabeth Kass, S. P. gave Mr. Bruce several boxes of newsletters written in English that were going to be destroyed if left in French Canada, pleading with him to return with them to the US to preserve them. By 1985, the collection had grown to 15 file cabinets that traveled with the now Rev. Bruce (ordained a priest in 1981) to his various assignments. The collection was donated to the Archives and Distinctive Collections at the College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA in 1990 and continues to grow, curated by Rev. Bruce.