Ministry to the Deaf was a ‘Conversion Experience’

Top: A display of Fr Mark James’ new book “Proud to be Deaf: Ministry, Saintliness and the History of the Catholic Deaf Community in South Africa, 1874–1994″. Left: Fr Mark James speaking at the launch of his book at St Vincent’s School for the Deaf, in Johannesburg, with the help of SASL interpreter Augustine Letlalo. Right: Dr Lucas Magongwa expressed the importance of the Dominican Sisters in his own personal and academic development during his keynote address.

By Terence Creamer – A South African Dominican priest who has been ministering to the Catholic Deaf community in South Africa and Eswatini since 2006 described his integration and acceptance into that community as a profound conversion experience – one that has turned his life around and offered him a glimpse of the Church as seen from the periphery rather than from the centre.

Speaking at the Johannesburg launch of his new book Proud to be Deaf: Ministry, Saintliness and the History of the Catholic Deaf Community in South Africa, 1874–1994, Fr Mark James OP expressed his gratitude for having been “chosen” to minister to the Deaf community — despite having had little experience of South African Sign Language (SASL) when he was first asked to say Mass for the community at Carmel in Benoni, Gauteng.

“At the time I didn’t know how to sign, but I agreed with the help of an interpreter, Justin de Villiers. Now I feel very honoured that the Deaf community invited me to participate in their life,” Fr James related during his book launch, hosted by St Vincent’s School for the Deaf on July 26.

The 461-page book, which has been published by UJ Press, arises partly from Fr James’ doctoral thesis but is exceedingly accessible to a non-academic reader. It provides an in-depth historical account of the Catholic Church’s ministry to the Deaf community for over a hundred years, tells the stories of the prophetic contributions of deaf Catholics, and gently but firmly challenges hearing-speaking Catholics to a greater consciousness of the Deaf community.

While highlighting the hidden and remarkable contributions of deaf Catholics, as well as the work of the Dominican Sisters in particular in the education of the deaf in South Africa, Fr James does not skirt around some of the controversies of past educational practices and explains the injustices that arose as a result. At its heart, however, the book seeks to shift the awareness of Catholics about those on the periphery of the Church and to change the way deaf Catholics are served and integrated into the Church.

These themes were picked up by the keynote speaker at the book launch, Dr Lucas Magongwa, who is a member of Holy Trinity parish in Braamfontein and St Martin de Porres parish in Soweto. A lecturer and coordinator of SASL and Deaf Studies at the University of the Witwatersrand, Dr Magongwa is a former chairperson of the Deaf Federation of South Africa and a sitting executive on the African Union of the Deaf and the Deaf Leadership International Alliance.

Addressing the launch in SASL, with the support of an interpreter to assist the hearing community present, Dr Magongwa also highlighted the role of the Dominican Sisters in his own personal and academic development. He also recalled the example he had gained from Fr Cyril Axelrod CSsR, a deaf-blind priest whose ministry in South Africa has provided inspiration to many in the deaf community and beyond.

Describing the book as a “beautiful read”, Dr Magongwa said it brought into the limelight the hidden stories of deaf people and their contribution to South Africa. “The book recognises these contributions, how they supported the history up to where we are as a country and I’m proud of this read,” he said.

This sentiment was echoed by Rebecca Magongwa, a sign language teacher, who helped teach Fr James SASL, which in 2023 became South Africa’s 12th official language. She underlined the importance of educating priests in SASL, noting that, before Fr James had learned the language, deaf Catholics in Johannesburg had no way to participate in the sacrament of Reconciliation, as it was not possible to do so confidentially.

Having spent about seven years in Eswatini, Fr James quipped that he was having to brush up his SASL again, as he realised that he was now far more proficient in “Swazi Sign Language”.

Commenting on the book, Fr James said he had written it primarily for the hearing community, rather than for the deaf community.

“I have no authority to speak on behalf of the Deaf community, but in the book, I share something of my conversion experience as a hearing person to appreciate deaf people’s culture and language. This has turned my life around,” Fr James explained.

“I always say that, at one point, I was at the centre of the church – a novice master, a provincial – looking out. But when I started working with the Deaf community, I recognised that I was on the periphery of the church looking in, and that perspective is very different,” he said.

“I think we need that conversion in our churches, so as to recognise the need to include people – not only the deaf, but also the blind, or those who require wheelchair access to our churches,” Fr James explained.

Proud to be Deaf: Ministry, Saintliness and the History of the Catholic Deaf Community in South Africa, 1874–1994 is available from UJ Press for R425. For information, please contact: Wikus Van Zyl at