Hello, Everyone! My name is Hugh Macsherry. I am a Franciscan Friar living at Arch Street in Boston this year. I am hearing and I am working for a year with Fr. Jeremy St Martin and the Office for Deaf Catholic Ministries in Archdiocese of Boston.
I am originally from Baltimore, MD. I have studied theology in Washington, DC for three years. Now I am on a pastoral internship year.
I started learning sign language at the University of Maryland. I worked with Will Chin, a Deaf student from Taiwan. He began to teach me some signs. Then he shared a house with some other friends and me. Since I joined the Franciscans, I have taken classes in ASL in Wilmington, DE and at the Gallaudet Extended Learning Program. For the past two years, I have worked with a Franciscan spirituality group for the Deaf in Washington, DC. Dorothy Steffanic is the minister of that group. I have also worked with Fr. Jerry Trancone at the Center for Deaf Ministry in Washington, where I also got to meet Arvilla Rank and Connie Wild. Last year in a Scripture discussion group, I worked with some wonderful students at Gallaudet. What fantastic experiences these have been!!!
In one year I will make my solemn profession to the Franciscan Order, God willing! Then I will return to Washington for a final year of study before I am ordained in 2009.
I am looking forward to getting to know you all and to working with and learning from you.
Peace and all Good!
Hugh, OFM
