About Emmanuel Church of the Deaf · Rochester, New York
Emmanuel Church of the Deaf is the Deaf Catholic parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester, New York. It celebrates Mass in American Sign Language (ASL) with a voice interpreter for hearing guests every Sunday at 11:30 AM, and is currently housed within St. Monica Church in Rochester's 19th Ward neighborhood. The parish serves the deaf and hard-of-hearing Catholic community — one of the largest per capita concentrations of deaf residents in the United States, owing to Rochester's long history with the Rochester School for the Deaf (founded 1876) and the National Technical Institute for the Deaf at RIT (opened 1968). It is led by a deaf priest, Rev. Raymond Fleming, with a signing deacon and pastoral staff, and its worship space is equipped with a hearing loop (T-Loop).
- Established
- 1981
- Rector
- Rev. Raymond H. Fleming
- Diocese
- Diocese of Rochester
Why belong here
Emmanuel Church of the Deaf offers something rare in American Catholic life: a Sunday Mass celebrated entirely in American Sign Language, with a voice interpreter for hearing family members and friends who wish to attend alongside deaf parishioners. It is pastored by a deaf priest, served by a signing deacon and a pastoral team, and its worship space is fitted with a hearing loop for users of hearing devices. The community gathers for fellowship, a weekly Tuesday Bible Study, and a full calendar of lay ministries — lectors, communion ministers, hospitality, social events, and young adult programming — all rooted in the liturgical and sacramental life of the Diocese of Rochester.
Mass times at Emmanuel Church of the Deaf
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Please check the bulletin for details, or call 585-235-1812 to schedule an appointment
About Emmanuel Church of the Deaf
Emmanuel Church of the Deaf is the Deaf Catholic parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester, New York. Its mission is to serve Rochester's large and historic deaf and hard-of-hearing Catholic community — a community whose presence in the city dates to the founding of the Rochester School for the Deaf in 1876 and grew dramatically with the 1968 opening of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) at Rochester Institute of Technology. Today the parish gathers each Sunday at 11:30 AM at St. Monica Church in Rochester's 19th Ward, where Mass is celebrated entirely in American Sign Language with a voice interpreter for hearing family members and friends.
- Diocese of Rochester Deaf Catholic parish
- Sunday ASL Mass with voice interpreter for hearing guests
- Worships at St. Monica Church, 19th Ward, Rochester
History
Catholic ministry to the deaf in Rochester goes back to 1908, when Redemptorist Fathers at St. Joseph's Church began bi-monthly services for the hearing impaired. The St. Francis de Sales Chapel for the Deaf was established in 1931 by Rev. Charles Burger, C.Ss.R., the diocese's first chaplain for the deaf, and was carried on by his Redemptorist successors — most famously Rev. John B. Gallagher, C.Ss.R., who was famously assigned to the work through a clerical error and yet built a remarkable ministry from 1943 onward. Father Thomas M. Erdle took up the diocesan deaf apostolate in 1961 and in 1981 founded St. Mary Church of the Deaf in the basement of St. Mary's Church downtown. In 1991 the parish was renamed Emmanuel Church of the Deaf when it moved to Our Lady of Good Counsel Church, and it later relocated to its present home at St. Monica Church, where it now shares worship space with the hearing community pastored by the same priest.
- 1908: First bi-monthly ministry at St. Joseph's (Redemptorist) Church
- 1931: St. Francis de Sales Chapel for the Deaf established by Rev. Charles Burger, C.Ss.R.
- 1961: Father Thomas Erdle becomes director of the diocese's deaf apostolate
- 1968: Father Erdle appointed first Catholic chaplain at NTID/RIT
- 1981: Founding of St. Mary Church of the Deaf (Father Erdle, founding pastor)
- 1991: Parish renamed Emmanuel Church of the Deaf and moved to Our Lady of Good Counsel
- Later: Community relocates to St. Monica Church, 19th Ward
Rev. Thomas M. Erdle (Founding Pastor, 1981–1985)
A Rochester native who taught at the Rochester School for the Deaf while still a seminarian, Father Erdle took over the diocesan apostolate for the deaf in 1961. He earned a master's in psychology of education from NYU in 1967 at Bishop Fulton J. Sheen's direction, served as the inaugural Catholic chaplain at NTID (1968–1985), helped found the National Catholic Office for the Deaf in Washington, D.C., and served as chaplain of the International Catholic Deaf Association. He founded the parish in 1981 and in 1985 became pastor of St. Mark Parish, Greece, retiring in 2005; he continues to assist in diocesan parishes and serves on the board of the Rochester School for the Deaf.
- Ordained June 4, 1955, by Bishop James E. Kearney at Sacred Heart Cathedral
- First Catholic chaplain at NTID/RIT (1968–1985)
- Co-founder, National Catholic Office for the Deaf
Rev. Raymond H. Fleming (Pastor, 1985–present)
Born in 1951 in Butte, Montana, Father Fleming lost most of his hearing as a child, was educated at St. Ann's School for the Deaf and Gallaudet College (B.A. 1974), entered St. Bernard's Seminary in 1979, and was ordained a priest in April 1982 — reportedly the second deaf priest ordained in the United States. He served on the boards of the International Catholic Deaf Association (1985–1991) and the National Catholic Office for the Deaf (1989–1991), presided over the 1991/1992 move and renaming to Emmanuel Church of the Deaf, and in 2005 was also named pastor of St. Monica Parish. He continues to serve on the board of the Center for Disability Rights.
- M.Div., St. Bernard's Seminary (1981)
- M.A. in Biblical Theology, St. Bernard's Seminary (1991)
- Pastor of St. Monica Parish concurrent with Emmanuel since 2005
Staff
In addition to the pastor, Emmanuel Church of the Deaf is served by a small deaf-ministry team whose work is integrated with St. Monica Parish.
- Rev. Raymond H. Fleming — Pastor
- Patrick Graybill — Deacon
- Margot Van Etten — Pastoral Minister
- Isaiah Tyler — Interpreter/Coordinator
Mass & Sacraments
Sunday Mass is the centerpiece of parish life. Celebrated in ASL with a voice interpreter for hearing guests, it gathers both deaf and hearing members of the larger Rochester Catholic community into one worship space at St. Monica Church.
- Sunday Mass: 11:30 AM (ASL with English voice interpretation)
- Weekly ASL Mass video posted on the Deaf Catholic Community Rochester Diocese Facebook group
Get Involved
The parish regularly invites parishioners and friends to share their gifts in liturgical and community ministry. Welcoming new members — both deaf and hearing — is part of the parish's identity, and many lay ministries are open to all.
- Lectors
- Communion Ministers
- Set up and decorate for Mass
- Social Events
- Computer and Tech
- Young Adult events
Accessibility & Facilities
The worship space at St. Monica Church is equipped with a hearing loop (T-Loop) induction system that transmits the celebrant's voice and the interpreter's voice directly into telecoil-equipped hearing aids and cochlear implants. ASL interpretation is provided at every Sunday Mass, and the parish publishes weekly ASL Mass videos on its Deaf Catholic Community Rochester Diocese Facebook group so those who cannot attend in person can still follow the liturgy.
- T-Loop (hearing loop) installed at St. Monica Church
- ASL interpretation at every Sunday Mass
- Weekly ASL Mass video on Facebook
Community Links
Emmanuel Church of the Deaf is networked with the principal national and international Catholic organizations serving deaf Catholics, and Rochester's deaf Catholic life is sustained by these wider connections.
- National Catholic Office for the Deaf (NCOD)
- International Catholic Deaf Association, U.S. Branch (ICDA)
- Deaf Catholic Community Rochester Diocese (Facebook group)
Contact & Visit
Parishioners and visitors are warmly welcomed at St. Monica Church, where the deaf Catholic community gathers each Sunday morning. Inquiries can be directed to the parish office.
- Address: 34 Monica Street, Rochester, NY 14619
- Phone: 585-235-3340
- Website: stmonicaofrochester.org/emmanuel-church-of-the-deaf
- Facebook: Deaf Catholic Community Rochester Diocese
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Thomas M. Erdle1981–1985
Founding pastor; originally founded the parish as St. Mary Church of the Deaf in the basement of St. Mary's Church in 1981. Previously first Catholic chaplain at NTID/RIT (1968–1985); helped create the National Catholic Office for the Deaf. Later pastor of St. Mark, Greece (1985–2005).
- Rev. Raymond H. Fleming1985–present
Deaf priest, second deaf priest ordained in the United States. Graduate of Gallaudet College and St. Bernard's Seminary. Presided over the move and renaming to Emmanuel Church of the Deaf in 1991/1992 and the relocation to St. Monica Church. Also pastor (since 2005) of St. Monica Parish.