Denise was born in Newcastle Upon Tyne and studied Theatre of the Deaf at Reading University and Laban at Dance School in London. She became a freelance Sign Theatre Artist Consultant. Since 2009 she has worked with the Liverpool Deaf community in her role as part-time Community/Pastoral employed by ‘We Are Nugent’ charity organisation.

Frankie is from Co Mayo, West of Ireland and is currently living and working in Dublin as a Community Worker in the areas of Advocacy / Pastoral work and support Deaf people’s spiritual welfare as a Chaplain. She completed her MA degree in School Chaplaincy and Pastoral Care in Mater Dei, Clonliffe, Dublin. She is a native Irish Sign Language user and an Accredited Deaf Interpreter in 2006. Her ISL interpreting career has led her to provide Religious and Church Interpreting courses. In Line with her work, she travels near and far to meet the needs of Deaf People / students who needs access in ISL interpreting in relation to special and sacramental events, such as baptism, communions, confirmations, weddings and funerals.

CDA Trustee July 2023 –

Maria has been a member of CDA since 1991, and on the Council for over twenty years, nine of them as Chairperson. Maria represents Arundel and Brighton Diocese as Co-ordinator of A&B Diocese Deaf Service.

Patricia attended St John’s, Boston Spa, from the age of five till seventeen. She did three ‘O Levels’ and lived in Leeds for three years before moving to Stoke Poges in 1969 working as a House Mother for Deaf children with behaviour problems. She then moved to Slough where she has lived for fifty-four years. She is married with four children. Currently, she works with adults who have various disabilities and has been teaching BSL Levels 1, 2 and 3 for over twenty-five years. She has CCRS qualification. Currently she volunteers doing Bible Study etc in Westminster diocese as well as supporting six Deaf autistic men.

Angela lives in Eglwysbach, North Wales with her husband John and Hearing Dog for the Deaf, Dasher who is 10 years old. She has been a member of the CDA for over 40 years and served on the Council for over 20 years. Currently, Angela is the Coordinator for the Deaf Service in North Wales along with Bishop Peter Brignall where they have regular Services for the Deaf throughout the year. Angela works full-time for COS (Centre for Sign, Sight and Sound) in Colwyn Bay, teaching British Sign Language (BSL) to local organisations as well as being responsible for offering assistance to people who are unemployed and looking to get back to work. For many years she has worked for National Deaf Children’s.

National Chaplain to the CDA. Born Deaf into a hearing family, Paul attended St John’s RC Deaf school, Boston Spa late 1960’s, before mainstream secondary and university education. He entered Society of Jesus British Province 1988 after a brief career as academic Librarian [ILEA] in London. He was ordained in Liverpool June 1997 and currently lives/works in St Wilfrid’s, Preston.

CDA Trustee July 2023 –

Theresa lives in Colchester, Essex. She has 4 children and 3 grandchildren. She was a local Councillor in Colchester for 22 years, as well as 16 years as County Councillor for Essex. She was Mayor of Colchester in 2015-2016. Theresa is also a trustee for two other charities. She has been involved with CDA since 2000, when Sister Margaret Duffy put a notice in her Church newsletter asking for people to learn the Mass prayers to help a Deaf person. That person was Pam Eaves. She went to Colchester Institute to learn BSL. This led her to be involved with the Deaf Pastoral Service of Brentwood Diocese. Theresa said ‘CDA has helped me enrich my own faith.’

CDA Trustee September 2024 –

Peter comes from a Deaf family in Salford, and after many years in living in Boston Spa, Sheffield, Valladolid, Dublin and Manchester, he is back in Salford. He works as part-time Community Officer working for Caritas in Salford diocese. He also also works part-time for BSL Bible Translation Project as presenter, adviser, film editor and website editor. He dreams that the CDA will be filled with young and vibrant Deaf people leading the way in showing others how barriers can be overcome simply by understanding and respecting each other.

Dr Minna Moffatt-Feldman has a doctorate in teaching and learning sign language underpinned by therapeutic relationships. Minna is passionate in establishing an understanding of others by recognising their positionality and culture, establishing empathy, and positive regard. Minna works with the understanding that clear use of language promotes a space for positive learning to occur.

Liz is is Hearing and lives in Glasgow. She is a retired Senior Social Worker. She spent short time in St John’s School, Boston Spa, then she worked three years with Sr Kevin Allen as a Social/Pastoral Worker with Deaf people in Our Lady of Lourdes Deaf Centre, Newcastle. In 1989-1991 she set up an Inter–agency Child Protection team in Glasgow, then she became a Senior Social Worker with Deaf people. Since retirement in 2012 she has tried to support the Catholic Deaf community in the Archdiocese of Glasgow.

Martin Schwarzacher was born in Belfast, he was the first Catholic pupil from Northern Ireland to attend St John’s School, Boston Spa, in England. He obtained HND qualification at the South London College. When he was a young man he met a Deafblind priest, Fr Cyril Axelrod, in Macau, before the hand–over to China in 1997. He now work as a Civil Servant in London and has a grown up son.

In October 2022 Joselyn was elected to be the chairperson for the Catholic Deaf Association. She worked in the Further Education sector for over 25 years in supporting Deaf learners including teaching. As a qualified teacher she has taught BSL from beginners up to level six. Since retiring in 2018, she began to focus on many different projects close to her heart. From 2019 to 2022, she studied the Catholic Certificate Religious Studies (CCRS) and this has inspired her to do an hourly presentation after Mass at St Anne’s Cathedral, Leeds. Joselyn wants the Deaf community to have a deep understanding of themselves and experience spiritually the presence of God. As Chair of the CDA, Joselyn is searching for new ideas for the future of the CDA and hopes people contact her.