History

The Church's ministry with deaf and hard of hearing persons in St. Louis began in 1836 with the arrival of six Sisters of St. Joseph from Lyon, France. They came at the invitation of Bishop Joseph Rosati, C.M., to teach the deaf. They settled in Carondelet on the banks of the Mississippi River, south of the city, residing in a two-room log cabin. One room served as a classroom by day and a dormitory by night. The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet have continued this ministry to the present. They now call their school St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf.

Over the years, deaf people in Greater St. Louis have been served by various priests and religious, most notably by:

  • Father Raymond D. Gruenke, C.Ss.R., who founded the Community Center for the Deaf in 1966. Beloved within St. Louis’ deaf community, Father Gruenke died in 1988.
  • Sister Rita Marie Pickhinke, R.S.M., in connection with Catholic Charities, was also working with the deaf in St. Louis.
  • In 1987, the two ministries merged and Father Jim Byrnes, an archdiocesan priest from St. Louis, became the director of Catholic Deaf Ministry. Sister Campion Breske, S.C.C., assisted Father Jim Byrnes for a couple years.
  • Ann Pudlowski, the first deaf pastoral worker in the history of the St. Louis ministry, was hired in 1991.
  • In 1994, Father Vic Barnhart, another Archdiocesan priest, was appointed by the archbishop as director of Catholic Deaf Ministry and Father Byrnes returned to parish work.
  • In 2007, Catholic Deaf Ministry was placed under the umbrella of Archdiocesan Apostolic Services, to provide increased support and networking within the Archdiocese. We now try to carry on the work of so many holy people before us.

Our Logo

deaflogo_bg.gifOur Logo was designed by Father Jim Byrnes in 1987. The cross is a symbol of defeat that is a symbol of victory in Christ Jesus. "The message of the cross...to us who are experiencing salvation it is the power of God." (1 Cor. 1:18) The fleurs-de-lis on the ends of the cross place us in the Archdiocese of St. Louis, under the patronage of Louis IX, King of France. The small diamonds are designed to bring the eye back to the center, our Center. "I have been crucified with Christ, and the life I live now is not my own; Christ is living in me. I still live my human life, but it is a life of faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:20) The hand is in the shape and orientation used to make the American Sign Language sign for God. It reminds the beholder of the words of Psalm 141: "Let my prayer come like incense before you; the lifting of my hands, like the evening sacrifice."