Ministry provides Ash Wednesday service at Catholic Charities

Father “RJ” Ramiro Regalado, Jr. and Program Manager and ASL interpreter, Celia Mendez, led a group of “special hearts” in prayer at the Ash Wednesday service for Catholic Charities Ministry & Life Enrichment for Persons with Disabilities and their families on Feb. 26.
 
Father RJ, as he likes to be called is their chaplain. With outstretched hands, he explained to the group that Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, a season of fasting, almsgiving and prayer. “We are called to let go of material things, focus on prayer, think of others, and get out of ourselves and that means we need to stop thinking of ourselves,” he explained.
 
The group of individuals have a wide variety of challenges facing them on a day to day basis. Some are deaf or hard of hearing; blind, or visually impaired, and there are others who have intellectual and developmental disabilities.
 
For years the mission of this Catholic Charities ministry is to provide spiritual and moral support, thereby enriching the lives of persons with a disability and their families. Volunteers and staff offer special Masses with monthly fellowship, sacramental prep, recreational activities, daily life skills training, educational workshops, home and hospital visits and summer camps and picnics.