Celebrate Deaf Awareness Month with the Orthodox Christian Deaf Association (OCDA)

During Deaf Awareness Month, the Orthodox Christian Deaf Association (OCDA) reaffirms its mission: to minister with and to the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community within the Orthodox Church.

Founded in 2020 with the blessing of His Eminence Archbishop Alexander of Dallas, the OCDA is the only Orthodox organization in the United States dedicated specifically to serving this community. Since its founding, it has grown to over 440 members nationwide.

In the past year, OCDA has:

• Hosted its first national conference in Dallas, Texas, at St. Seraphim Orthodox Cathedral, welcoming over 50 participants from across the country.

• Launched a Lexicon Team in partnership with the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops to begin translating the Divine Services into American Sign Language (ASL).

• Produced educational videos and organized online Bible studies and fellowship events for Deaf and hard-of-hearing Orthodox Christians.

This ministry is entirely volunteer-led, and 100% of donations go directly toward:

• Translating and captioning Divine Services into ASL

• Developing accessible Orthodox educational materials for all ages

• Providing a national online platform for prayer, learning, and fellowship

• Hosting an annual gathering for Deaf Orthodox Christians, clergy, interpreters, and parish leaders

Support the ministry: Donations can be made at www.OrthodoxDeaf.org