Now another force in the Catholic Church is gearing up to face those challenges of compassion: Bishop Robert Barron of Winona-Rochester and his Word on Fire Institute.
Recently, the Word on Fire Institute announced the creation of a new “Venerable Jerome Lejune Fellowship,” designed to advocate for people with cognitive and developmental disabilities, especially those with Down syndrome. It’s named for a French pediatrician and geneticist known for having discovered the genetic roots of Down syndrome, who was also an ardent Catholic and is currently a candidate for sainthood. …
“For a long time, [Grunow] has expressed his concern that WOF create and provide catechetical and evangelization resources for people with cognitive or developmental disabilities,” Barron told Crux. “He firmly believes that people with cognitive and intellectual disabilities should be prepared for evangelization and mission on behalf of the church, and that their witness to the Lord Jesus is a gift that the church has for far too long underestimated and unappreciated.”
“I believe this as well,” Barron said.
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