Fr Michael Depcik visits Sydney’s Deaf Catholic community

Fr. Michael Depcik spent August and September ministering to the Deaf Catholic community at the Ephpheta Centre in Punchbowl. The Chicago-born priest, who serves the Archdiocese of Detroit, visited the center at its invitation to celebrate Mass in Auslan, lead a retreat, and baptize a child.

During his month-long visit, Depcik ministered to various individuals, including a hospital patient and an elderly couple. Christiane Quartararo, the manager of community relations at the Ephpheta Centre, noted that staff observed more young Deaf Catholics attending services during his stay. The center serves deaf and hearing-impaired people across the dioceses of Sydney, Parramatta, and Broken Bay.

Depcik was ordained in 2000 as an Oblate of St. Francis de Sales. His visit to Australia returned him to the country where he lived as an exchange student at age 17. He lived with a Deaf host family in Brisbane, an experience he said helped him develop a personal relationship with God.