Sacraments the focus of Special Needs Workshop Oct. 27

FORT WORTH — The annual Special Needs Workshop will take place on Saturday, Oct. 27 at the Catholic Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The event is open to everyone who is involved with special needs ministry or who is affected by disabilities personally or in their family. 

The event is led by Jason Whitehead, diocesan director of faith formation.

 “Basically, I want to make sure everyone is on the same page of what the Church actually teaches in regards to the rights and responsibilities of everyone involved, regarding the sacraments in particular,” Whitehead said.

He will focus primarily on explaining what the Church teaches regarding the disabled in relation to the sacraments. The workshop aims to encourage and strengthen parents by giving directors, coordinators, and catechists better training regarding those with special needs.

“I worked specifically in the autism and Asperger’s field for 10 years before coming to the diocese, so this is a big issue for me,” Whitehead said.

“It will be centered upon the sacraments, because the sacraments are a chief area of misunderstanding. We have families that have been ignored, saying, ‘well, your child’s not ready for the sacrament,’ and that needs to change.”

To RSVP, call 817-945-9358 by Oct. 23.