At LA’s parish for deaf Catholics, making God’s voice heard
Joanna Hinojosa-Martínez entered Holy Angels Catholic Church of the Deaf in Vernon for the first time nearly 30 years ago. Her mother, a devoted Catholic, was looking for an accessible Mass for her 8-year-old deaf child, who longed for a community.
Before discovering Holy Angels in 1996, her family had attended various parishes, but the barrier was always the same: language. Her mother bought her a crucifix to instill some sense of devotion, but young Joanna played with it instead. Her mother feared Joanna was disconnected from God and her faith.
But that Sunday morning, she recalled walking to Holy Angels with her family and leaving feeling very different from how she came: The first thing she noticed was that the priest himself, Holy Angels pastor Father Tom Schweitzer, was deaf. “You’re deaf just like me,” Joanna said.