The Catholic Church in Thailand has expanded efforts to integrate Deaf Catholics into the life, liturgy, and leadership of the Church, with programs focused on formation, accessibility, and greater participation in ministry.
The initiative was highlighted as Catholic dioceses and ministries around the world marked the United Nations International Day of Sign Languages on Sept. 23.
Father Peter Buravaj Searaariya, national coordinator for Deaf Ministry under the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Thailand, said the ministry is moving beyond basic accommodation toward greater co-responsibility and synodality.
Under this approach, Deaf Catholics are encouraged to take part not only as recipients of pastoral care but also as missionary disciples who help shape the faith life of their communities.
“It was a beautiful reminder that faith is for everyone, and that we are called to build a Church where all are welcomed, included, and able to encounter God together as a community that listens, understands, and walks together in faith, embracing one another with love and dignity,” said Father Buravaj, who regularly celebrates Mass entirely in Thai Sign Language at St. Louis Church in Bangkok and throughout the Diocese of Chanthaburi.
Father Buravaj told LiCAS News that the ministry’s pastoral roadmap is rooted in the Church’s call to communion, participation and mission, with priorities aimed at strengthening spiritual formation and human dignity.
Central to these efforts is the “Jerome Team,” established in 2025 by the Deaf Ministry of the Diocese of Chanthaburi, the bishops’ conference’s Deaf Ministry and the Catholic Deaf Association of Thailand.
Named in honor of St. Jerome, the patron saint of translators commemorated on Sept. 30, the 20-member team brings together Deaf, hard-of-hearing, visually impaired, and hearing individuals.
Guided by a priest, a religious sister, catechists and volunteers, the group works each week through specialized teams handling sign language interpretation, voice narration and audiovisual support.
Their work includes translating Scriptures, liturgical hymns, catechetical materials and Church documents into Thai Sign Language.
In line with the 2015 Decree of the General Assembly of the Catholic Church in Thailand, the ministry is also focusing on long-term personnel development alongside liturgical access.
Its priorities include training specialized catechists, recruiting seminarians interested in Deaf culture, and fostering vocations among Deaf Catholics.
Father Buravaj also outlined plans to explore the establishment of a regional pastoral formation center in Asia.
The proposed facility would train Deaf individuals to become priests, religious sisters, and lay leaders locally, offering an alternative to costly overseas formation programs.
Feasibility studies are also assessing the possible establishment of a Catholic school for the Deaf in Thailand.
The Thai Deaf Ministry is also using digital technology and academic research to make Scripture more accessible.
Weekly Thai Sign Language Masses, catechetical songs and instructional clips produced by the Jerome Team are broadcast on YouTube, Facebook and TikTok.
Researchers working with the Catholic Deaf Association of Thailand and the Diocese of Chanthaburi are also compiling specialized glossaries of religious vocabulary, drafting translation guidelines for the Bible in Thai Sign Language and documenting the history of Deaf evangelization across the continent.
The ministry has also developed links with networks in Vietnam, China and the broader Asian Catholic Deaf Network.
Upcoming activities include events for the International Week of the Deaf featuring the relics of Blessed Carlo Acutis in Chanthaburi and Bangkok.
The ministry is also preparing a formal memorandum of understanding with Thailand’s National Health Security Office to advance care standards.
At the regional level, the Thai Church is preparing to co-organize the 4th Asia Deaf Catholic Conference in Seoul, South Korea, under the theme “God saw that it was good.”
