WESTMONT – Tom Stankard is known around Saint Teresa of Calcutta Parish for many reasons, not the least of which is his ever-present smile and easy laugh.
For the past 43 years, he’s also been a familiar face in the Diocese of Camden for welcoming the deaf and hard of hearing into the faith and encouraging them to take an active role in the Church – as a founding member of the diocesan Ministry with the Deaf.
On June 23, Stankard, 72, who is also deaf, was honored after the 11 a.m. liturgy at Holy Saviour Church for his dedication to the ministry that began in 1981 in Sacred Heart Church, Mount Ephraim. More than 100 people attended the festivities and Mass, which was celebrated in American Sign Language.
“This group is a part of who I am,” Stankard said during an interview in the weeks before the celebration. “I’m very lucky to be a part of this. … It’s brought me a sense of accomplishment and pride.”
Born in a Catholic household in North Attleborough, Mass., Stankard was diagnosed with deafness before he was 3 after getting the mumps.
“When I was growing up, there weren’t many religious services available for the deaf,” he said, explaining that he struggled to connect with his Catholic faith. “For many years, I sat in a pew during Mass, ready to fall asleep because I couldn’t hear anything.”
After his family moved to South Jersey in the late 1970s, his mother learned that diocesan priest Father Brian O’Neill was hoping to start a Ministry for the Deaf. Father O’Neill first had the idea to establish the ministry in the mid-1970s, after encountering a deaf child at his parish with whom he was unable to communicate.
After striking up a friendship, Stankard worked with Father O’Neill to establish dedicated liturgical services for the deaf.
For the first time, “[We were] able to have Mass in our native ASL language and learn about Mass and the different sacraments,” Stankard said.
In addition to Mass, the 60 to 70 members of the group would come together for socials, retreats and faith formation, to name a few initiatives.
“I was shocked; I couldn’t believe this would ever happen. I still don’t have words for it. This ministry has been a gift,” Stankard said.
Through the years and across different diocesan directors, the ministry has traveled to various host parishes, from Sacred Heart to Saint Gregory, Magnolia; Queen of Heaven, Cherry Hill; Saint Rose of Lima, Haddon Heights; Transfiguration, West Collingswood, and, now, for the past 14 years, Holy Saviour.
Upon the retirement of Father O’Neill, Father Hugh Bradley became the ministry’s part-time chaplain. In 2017, he was named co-director, and in 2019, he became director of VITALity Catholic Healthcare Services Diocese of Camden’s Ministry with the Deaf and Persons with Disabilities.
Father Bradley notes that Stankard has been a guide for his own ASL learning.
“He loves his Church, and he loves his ministry,” Father Bradley said of Stankard. “He’s planting seeds for future generations to pick up.”
To the 25-35 active deaf faithful sitting in the pews each week, some from as far away as Princeton and Toms River, Stankard continues to be an engaging witness. Whether serving as sacristan, usher or lector over these four decades, “I’ve done it all – except celebrate Mass,” he said with a laugh.
The majority of the deaf community who attend the ASL Masses and take part in the ministry are seniors. As such, the ministry is attempting to engage younger generations through social media, to let the deaf community know the Church is there for them.
Retired for the last 20 years from a professional career that included general contracting and newspaper delivery, Stankard lives in Deptford with his wife, Wilma, who also attends the Sunday ASL Mass at Holy Saviour Church. He doesn’t foresee himself stopping his ministry to the deaf anytime soon.
“I value my time with this community,” he said. “We’re all walking and accompanying each other on the journey to God.”
Ever the evangelist, he has a message for all Catholics interested in learning more about the Ministry with the Deaf. “Come to our Mass. Get to know us. Take a sign language class. And if you know any deaf, share the word.”
To learn more about the Diocese of Camden’s Ministry with the Deaf, including Mass times, visit vitality.camdendiocese.org/ministry-with-the-deaf.
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