Accessibility at liturgies

As St. Tim’s parish, we truly desire for all to be able to participate in our liturgies in a full, active, and conscious way. We understand people have a variety of ways they see, hear, move, and feel comfortable in church. As much as is possible, we want to meet accessibility needs and remove barriers to participation. If you or someone in your household has accessibility needs, or if you have questions or comments about our efforts to make our parish liturgies accessible, please contact staff accessibility liaison Rhonda Miska at rmiska@churchofsttimothy.com or 763.784.1329.

• In order to accommodate those who do not feel comfortable attending in-person worship, we are committed to continuing to livestream our 5 p.m. Saturday Mass. The archived video is available for viewing and the worship aid is availalbe on our website and app so you can sing along from home. Eucharist for those who worship via livestream is made available Sunday mornings at 11:30 a.m. in the circle driveway.

• In order to accommodate those with mobility impairments, Eucharistic ministers can bring the Eucharist to people in their seats during the Mass. Please seek out hospitality minister before Mass begins if you would like Eucharist brought to you, if you need assistance receiving communion or need an assistive hearing device.

• In order to accommodate those with hearing impairments, American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation is provided at our 5:00 p.m. Saturday evening Mass and in our livestreamed liturgies. Beginning and intermediate classes are offered at the parish free of charge.

• In order to accommodate those with hearing impairments, assistive hearing devices are available at our liturgies, thanks to a generous parishioner donation. If you have questions about how to use the assistive hearing devices, contact Rhonda Miska in the parish office. 

• In order to accommodate those with mobility impairments and ensure they can serve as Eucharistic ministers and lectors, there are no steps to get to the ambo or the altar in the church.

• In order to accommodate those with mobility impairments who cannot participate in the Eucharistic procession at Mass, painted sticks are available at each of the entrances. When Eucharist is distributed, those in assembly are invited to raise their colored sticks and a Eucharistic minister will bring the Eucharist to them so that they can remain seated. 

• In order to accommodate those with hearing impairments, vision impairments, or attention/processing challenges, printed copies of weekend Mass readings with larger (14 point) font in both English and Spanish are available on the credenza beside the Holy Family statue in the back of the church.

• In order to accommodate those with hearing or vision impairments, screens are used to project the hymn lyrics, announcements, Mass responses, and other content during our liturgies.
• In order to accommodate those with mobility impairments, there are push buttons by church entrances to assist those with walkers, canes, wheelchairs, or other assitive devices that make opening a door difficult or impossible. 
• In order to accommodate those with mobility impairments, there are multiple accessible/handicapped parking spots in the church parking lot.
• In order to accommodate those with visual impairments, the weekly bulletins are printed with larger (14 point) font.​​​​​​​

We want to continually adapt and improve our efforts to make liturgies at St. Tim’s as accessible as possible. For this reason, twice a year we have meetings to invite suggestions, questions, thoughts from parishioners on their experience of accessibility at our parish. Thank you for sharing your ideas on how we can more fully live out our parish mission of welcoming worship.