For over 150 years, the Vincentian priests, known as the Congregation of Mission, and the Daughters of Charity have been dedicated to support the Catholic deaf community in Scotland.

This is crucial because we have some history of pastoral support to the deaf and the rising need for the priests across Scotland to respond to Catholics unable to hear the Word of God.

Without the appropriate and continuous support, Catholic Deaf people face significant challenges in understanding the Catholic faith.

The closure of the St Vincent School for the Deaf in Tollcross, Glasgow, and later the St Vincent Centre for the Deaf, based in Tobago Street, Glasgow, due to a shortage of priests and sisters has left the deaf community without pastoral support. This meant that Deaf people had no or limited access to the sacramental life of the Church.

In response, we are working to improve provision for Catholics who belong to the deaf community and all those who wish to become a Catholic.

We currently offer weekly signed Mass at St Aloysius’ and St Augustine’s parish.

We encourage other parishes across Scotland to consider the needs of the deaf community. We strive to offer opportunities for seminarians and clergy that might be interested to learn how to sign Mass. This widens an access to faith for so many otherwise isolated and estranged deaf people from their faith community.

Please do join us whether hearing, partially hearing, deafblind or deaf if you are interested in working together towards an improving of understanding between the needs of all in our Church.