Aiming to strengthen their spirituality and restore their broken relationship with God due to sins, 29 deaf students of La Salle University (LSU), School for the Deaf,and 4 Deaf adults from the Community of Hope Special Education Center Ozamiz City gathered for a two-day Deaf retreat, March 5-6, 2011.
LSU School for the Deaf principal Sarah O. Talibong said the retreat for the Deaf was part of the school’s yearly activities during the season of Lent.
Held at the LSU Retreat Center, the retreat had the theme: “Deaf Encountering Christ”. Rev. Fr. Peter Miles S. Sollesta, PMS, from the Gualandi Mission for the Deaf, Cebu City was the retreat master.
The ministry of the Gualandi Mission for the Deaf is to help the spiritual formation of Deaf individuals. Sollesta used sign language during the retreat.
The retreat’s highlight was the reception of the sacrament of reconciliation of individual Deaf participant. The Deaf wrote their sins on a piece of paper and the priest read it. After the confession, a para-liturgy was celebrated where students put their written sins inside a clay jar and burned them.
Integrated in the anticipated signed Mass was the First Communion of the seven Deaf students of LSU School for the Deaf who received a rosary from Italy and a wooden cross necklace given by the priest. All the Deaf students including their teachers received a wooden cross necklace from their retreat master.
The retreat culminated with a Sunday interpreted Eucharistic celebration presided by Fr. Sandy Cometa at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral Parish.
Assisted by Sarah Talibong, Sollesta acted as interpreter using the sign language.