The Church is, of course, a champion of those with special needs.

And advocating for those with disabilities is the subject of a new pastoral-resource book, Indispensable: A Catholic Guide to Welcoming Persons with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, edited by Mark Bradford, Fellow for Persons with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities at the Word on Fire Institute.

Bradford, who is father to a young-adult son with Down syndrome, spoke with EWTN Pro-Life Weekly last month. He explained how Catholic communities need to better prioritize the needs of our brothers and sisters with disabilities, based on a greater understanding of the necessity to be fully welcoming. It is his aim that Indispensable serves as a guide, among other Church resources, for doing so.

In the course of the conversation, he pointed to the importance of education: “I believe inclusive Catholic education is the long-term ticket to inclusion of people with disabilities in their parishes.”

Bradford, in speaking about the dignity of all people, also said, referencing a phrase of Pope Francis: “Disability is a ‘magisterium of fragility.’”

WATCH

FURTHER READING