Arlington Heights church holds Mass celebrating people with disabilities

Our Lady of the Wayside Parish in Arlington Heights celebrated National Disability Employment Awareness Month with weekend Masses celebrating people with special needs.

Among the speakers Sunday was Roxanne Calibraro, a member of the Arlington Heights Commission for Citizens with Disabilities.

“A lot of disabilities are hidden,” said Calibraro, who is legally blind and was accompanied by her service dog, Nifty. “A lot of people don't self-identify, even blind people.”

Also featured Sunday was the Archdiocese of Chicago’s SPRED — Special Religious Development — program for children and adults with developmental disabilities. The program’s goal is to assist participants in becoming integrated into parish worship and sacramental life.

Our Lady of the Wayside hosts a 22-and-older SPRED group, with 10 participants, known as “friends,” and four on a waiting list.

SPRED volunteer Lynne Toomey said the group meets monthly on Saturday mornings, when each friend is paired with a volunteer catechist.

“The goal of SPRED is to create a relationship between a friend and a catechist,” Toomey said. “This is not the kind of program that you sign up for just a year or two. This is really meant to go the distance — you get to know their family, and it becomes pretty special.”

Arlington Heights resident Louie Herrera and his family attended the Mass on Sunday. Herrera, 38, has Down syndrome and works at Gerry’s Cafe in Arlington Heights, which employees people with disabilities.

“I think we've come a long way from when Louie was born,” said his father, Louis Herrera. “When I was younger, I never went to school with anyone with a disability. There were always special schools.”

Today, he said, Louie is included in sports activities and involved in fundraising efforts.

“Anytime he’s out collecting funds for one of the programs, it always puts a smile on people’s faces,” he said.