PAHANG — A retreat for the deaf organised by REACH (Reaching out Education and Awareness in society, Caring for the Hearing Impaired) Kuala Lumpur was held in Cameron Highlands from 6-8 June. With the theme “Discovering Jesus”, it was attended by 25 of the deaf from Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya, Klang and Kuching. The retreat master was Fr Salvino Castiglione, a priest from the Gualandi Mission for the Deaf.
Quoting ‘Ephphata’ (Mk 7:34), which means ‘Be opened’ (in our hearts and minds), Fr Salvino affirmed the participants of Jesus’s love for them. He stressed that each participant has a responsibility to pass on Jesus’s love to others or to those who have yet to discover Jesus.
Fr Salvino explained that faith is a trust that cannot be seen. He gave some analogy of what faith is. For example, a mobile phone user believes that the text message sent through the SMS would get through to the intended recipient even though the words could not be seen flying around.
He encouraged the participants to read the Bible often. “It is a manual of our Christian life, especially the Gospels. When our body is weak, we need food, medicine or vitamin to make us healthy again. When our spirit or soul is weak, we need to see a priest (for Confession), participate in the Holy Mass and receive Holy Communion to make us strong again in the faith,” he told the participants through sign language.
All the participants made their Confession at the Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel during the Reconciliation service. The retreat ended with a Mass, celebrated together with the parish priest, Fr Eugene Benedict and the local community on Pentecost Sunday. According to Fr Eugene, 12 languages are used in prayer in Cameron Highlands but on that Pentecost Day, the sign language was the 13th language.
Alice Chew
