Written by Brittany Baumer, Kimberly Reed, and Alexandria Roman, educators at St. Rita School for the Deaf, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
Rooted in 109 years of Catholicism, St. Rita School for the Deaf is the only PK-12 Catholic school for the Deaf in the U.S., expanded to welcome all students with communication disabilities—with and without hearing loss. Guided by Jesus’ message, “Let the children come to me” (Matthew 19:14) and with support from signing priests and religious sisters, we strive to help students understand God’s love and cultivate meaningful relationships.
Developing the whole child involves creating a barrier-free environment. In this vein, all staff at St. Rita use sign language and multiple methods of communication. Research indicates that a multisensory, multimodal approach fosters inclusivity to support students’ academic and emotional selves. Our comprehensive communication approach utilizes American Sign Language (ASL), speech, visuals and augmentative communication (AAC) to illustrate concepts. A print-rich environment and technology ensure a total communication approach, promoting full communication without limits. Students have positive Christian role models who are Deaf and hearing. We are blessed to invite Deaf priests, one of whom is our alum, to join our student retreats.
God answered our offertory petitions for more signing religious; hearing priests now visit to learn sign language and participate in classrooms so they can be involved with the d/Deaf community. The Carmelite Daughters of St. Elias also join us to learn ASL, sharing their religious experiences and opening pathways to religious life. There is growing community interest in learning ASL and connecting with Deaf culture. To support this, the school offers Wednesday night sign language classes and enrollment increased by 20 percent this year, highlighting a strong community interest.
St. Rita also collaborates with other Catholic schools offering ASL to develop more Catholic prayers and resources in sign language, broadening accessibility to Catholic traditions and inclusiveness for all ASL users, extending beyond its campus.
We bring the message of Christ to life through Mass, Eucharistic Adoration and prayer services. Every liturgical service and dramatic performance is expressed in ASL and spoken English to be accessible to students with communication and language needs. Morning prayer begins every day and students receive the First Friday blessing every month. These Masses are open to the public, connecting students with the community. We incorporate hymns and praise with music and rhythm in ASL. Confession is offered in each child’s preferred language.
We live the liturgical seasons through reenactments of the Nativity and the presentation of a large, interactive nativity scene. A Jesse tree is displayed in our community room and Advent wreaths are prayed in classrooms. During Lent, we use liturgical drama with Stations of the Cross acted out by staff and students in ASL; fasting (meat) is practiced on Ash Wednesday and Lenten Fridays. We also honor Mary with a “May Crowning” and celebrate St. Rita’s feast day with school-wide activities.
Our prayer services and retreats develop the spiritual needs of the whole child. Sacramental preparation for Reconciliation, First Communion and Confirmation focuses on living a good Christian life through individualized support. We provide modified visuals for full participation in confession. Each year, we choose a scripture theme, integrating it into school events, professional development and classroom activities to root our community in a sacred message of faith and action.
Our dedicated teachers adapt lessons with visual aids, ensuring all students enjoy meaningful engagement with their faith. We collaborated with Loyola Press to adapt curriculum materials. Faculty spent countless hours modifying text and enhancing concepts with visual aids. This commitment reflects our belief that all students deserve meaningful engagement with their faith.
In response to inadequate resources, we created a digital library of videos tailored for accessibility, connecting to Catholic events and social action initiatives. Catholic staff translate traditional prayers into ASL, creating accessible Biblical devotions incorporating visuals and applications. These resources are shared on social media to benefit both hearing and Deaf communities. Modified visual prayers on students’ AAC devices allow for independent prayer. Scripture lessons are shared in morning announcements, with plans to include contributions from ASL programs at other Catholic high schools.
Students and faculty eagerly anticipate Catholic Schools Week activities and service projects. During this week, students engage in age-appropriate service initiatives—binding Bibles for global distribution, creating blessing bags, sewing blankets for the Carmelite Daughters of St. Elias to share with the homeless, writing prayer cards for those in need and assembling birthday boxes for local food pantries.
Students receive classroom instruction and hands-on experience through off-campus work opportunities at various businesses. Recognizing that all students are created by God for a specific purpose, our work-study program enables 7-12-grade students to explore different careers, gaining practical experiences beyond the classroom. By graduation, all students obtain skills and work experience that make them employable.
Graduates of our school are equipped with the knowledge, skills and self-esteem needed for fulfilling their God-given talents. They develop a positive identity, gain confidence, discipline and leadership qualities, enabling them to be productive citizens. The school emphasizes the importance of faith, using innovative resources to educate students about the love of Jesus Christ and the Holy Trinity, fostering their ability to learn and grow in faith.
St. Rita School for the Deaf, located in the Diocese of Cincinnati, is the cover school for the winter 2025 edition of Momentum magazine. Read the latest issue here.
