Being visually-impaired no bar for blind Catholic faithful to hold 'Pabasa'

 

Devotees gathered in Holy Family Parish in Kamias, Quezon City on Holy Wednesday to sing passages from the "pasyon" or the Passion of Christ for the traditional "pabasa" or the chanting of the story of Christ's suffering during the Holy Week.

But unlike the previous years, this year's Pabasa in the Holy Family Parish involved people who are visually impaired.

The "Pabasa ng mga Bulag" is the first one held in the parish, and the second one held in Metro Manila.

It was a small, simple affair — four blind elders recited words they read from the Braille version of the "pasyon". They were joined by their families and other devotees.

A group of blind people join the Pabasa in Holy Family Parish with the help of braille books during Holy Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/4mMDeGHkhD

— Jessica Bartolome (@jacbartolome) March 23, 2016

For Teddy Ponferrada, vice president of the Tanglaw Blind Association of Masseurs and Musicians, the fact that blind people can now participate in the Pabasa is an achievement.

The Braille version of the Passion of Christ was only made five years ago, Ponferrada told GMA News Online, and there are only ten copies made.

It was Ponferrada himself who spearheaded the creation of the "Pasyon" tailored for the blind.

"[Naisip ko ]paano kung yung mga bulag magbasa na rin ng Pasyon? Tutal pwede naman namin isulat sa ganitong format," he said, referring to Braille.

Ponferrada painstakingly wrote 40 pages of the Passion in Braille to prove to sponsors that it is readable and that it was written verbatim.

Eventually, sponsors agreed to donate P30,000 to create ten copies of the book.

"Nakakabasa na ngayon ang mga blind ng Pasyon, kaya lang sampung kopya lang na ganito in the Catholic world," Ponferrada said.

Ponferrada, who hails from Bicol, said that he is glad he was able to help the people in his community to express their faith regardless of their disability.

He said that he started the project when he realized he wanted to be able to join the Pabasa.

"Uso sa Bicol ang Pabasa...pag nandoon ako naiinggit ako," Ponferrada said.

"Hindi ako naghihinakit na nabulag ako...pero pag nandun ako sa Pabasa, gusto ko magbasa," he added.

Father William Victor Garcia, parish priest in Holy Family Church, said that disability should not prevent people from forming a community.

"No one has the monopoly of praising God... Even [disabled people] have their own ways and means to really exercise their faith," Garcia said.

"We also need to involve them," he added.

Garcia said that he is hopeful that the inclusion of disabled people will improve in the following years.

"Parishes here in the Archdiocese of Cubao have their own ministries...for example in other parishes, they have a ministry for the deaf and mute. Hopeful ako na ang ministry na ito ay mas lalawak," he said. — APG, GMA News