Rita Owens is a Massy University Social Work student who spent 3 months on placement at the Diocesan Centre, working with Deaf chaplain David Loving-Molloy.
I’m not someone who speaks just for the sake of it, and I believe it’s equally important to share information with the altruistic aim of “leaving the world better than I found it,” as poet Bessie Stanley wrote.
As a layperson to the Catholic faith, my experiences have shaped my view of faith-based perspectives. As a student on placement with the Catholic Diocese, I am pleased to reconsider my original stance. I am still a layperson with my own faith and spirituality, but by utilising the values, principles, and lens of social work, I have come to see that negative experiences do not have to dictate the choices we make for ourselves.
The social work profession teaches principles that align with those of the Catholic Diocese: social justice, change, transformation, and human and disability rights, all of which form a tuakana-teina relationship. In my humble inquiry, I have observed the Catholic Diocese applying social work principles of respectful and inclusive relationships, as discussed by Māori academic Teina Pohatu and others. This is demonstrated through the carvings that adorn the walls of the Diocese and Cathedral and in the many examples of collaboration and care shown by the staff.
As a visual learner, I’ve found it easier to understand and learn New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL). People often say learning another language is difficult, and it is, but consider the languages we already know. Driving, for instance, is a visual language that we tend to overlook because we view it as a necessity, though that’s not always the case.
Deaf Education:
David Loving-Molloy has been my mentor during this placement. His work to raise awareness in schools by teaching NZSL in te reo through waiata exemplifies his dedication to the Deaf community, disability education, inclusivity, and his passion for social justice, change, and transformation. In his “corner of the world with God,” I’ve had the privilege of witnessing interpreted Mass, watching the next generation sign songs of faith and praise, and practicing citizen activism by inviting David to guest lecture at my university—something he humbly accepted.
Unlike the biblical story where a rich man gave a few coins and a poor woman gave six eggs, you won’t find anyone here asking, “Whose contribution was worth more?”
It is with humility that I express my heartfelt thanks to each member of the Diocese for the immeasurable impact they’ve had on my practice as a social work student and as a human being.
Ngā mihi nui,
Rita Owens