Deaf and hearing Catholics from throughout the state are invited to the 5th annual Catholic DeaFest to be held in St. John of God Community Services, Westville Grove, March 21 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The all-day event is sponsored by the N.J. Pastoral Workers with the Deaf of the Archdiocese of Newark and Dioceses of Camden, Metuchen, Paterson and Trenton, and features two deaf clergy as keynote speakers, exhibits of deaf-friendly products and services and a Mass celebrated in ASL and voice interpretation.

Father Paul Zirimenya, a priest of the Archdiocese of San Francisco, will speak on the topic “Love Jesus First.” Father Zirimenya was born in Uganda and came to the U.S. in 2000. He was ordained for the Archdiocese of San Francisco on June 9, 2007, and assigned as chaplain to the Deaf Community at St. Benedict Parish for the Deaf/St. Francis Xavier Church, San Francisco. Father Zirimenya serves on the board of directors for the National Catholic Office of the Deaf.

Jesuit Father Joe Bruce, who oversees the Deaf Catholic Archives at the College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, Mass., will share his thoughts on “Finding God in All Things.” Father Bruce, born deaf, took his final vows as a Jesuit in 1993 and has ministered with the deaf in parishes in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, as well as having served as a campus minister at Gallaudet University in Washington and a missionary to the deaf in Guatemala. Presently he oversees the Deaf Catholic Archives at the College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, Mass.

Admission to the DeaFest is free and includes lunch. A closing Mass will be celebrated at 4 p.m. The building is fully accessible, and all presentations will be in ASL and open-captioning for the hearing. Register ASAP by emailing [email protected], or calling Kate at 856-283-3962. Visit their website at deafcatholicnj.net, or Facebook page at njcatholicdeafest.

The St. John of God Community Services building is located at 1145 Delsea Drive (Route 47), Westville Grove.