Parish Leadership Meeting: Adapting Faith Formation

Wed, 04/09/2025 - 2:00pm EDT to 3:30pm

All parish leaders are invited to join NCPD for the upcoming meeting. The topic may be especially relevant for faith formation staff and youth ministers.

Adapting Faith Formation

Parish leaders believe in the importance of faith formation at all ages. However, knowing how to adapt faith formation to meet the needs of persons with disabilities can be a challenge. This presentation will detail the steps involved in adapting an existing curriculum for persons with disabilities, providing examples related to a study on saints and a Bible study.

Jessica Lopez, Ed.D.

Executive Director for the Ministry with Persons with Disabilities for the Catholic Diocese of Wichita

Jessica Lopez earned her Doctorate in Educational Leadership specializing in Special Education Policy and Disability Rights from Wichita State University. She spent 3 years working at a residential school for children and young adults with profound disabilities where she learned the importance of giving those without a voice an advocate. During this time she discovered her love for teaching and spent the next 8 years educating in a self-contained classroom teaching her students how to advocate for themselves. Most recently, she became the Executive Director for the Ministry with Persons with Disabilities for the Catholic Diocese of Wichita. This transition allowed her to blend the love of her faith and advocating for individuals with disabilities while helping to create an inclusive Catholic environment for all.

Parish Leadership Meeting: Adapting Faith Formation

Adapting Faith Formation

Jessica Lopez, Ed.D.

National Catholic
Partnership on Disability

Advancing the Meaningful Participation
of Persons with Disabilities in Church and Society