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| Fr. Christopher Klusman |
MADISON — Fr. Christopher Klusman, associate director of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee Apostolate for the Deaf who is deaf himself, will preside on the weekly TV Mass airing on Sunday, Dec. 17, in Madison.
Father Klusman verbally will recite the Mass and interpret it in American Sign Language at the same time.
The Mass is broadcast at 6 a.m. on WISC-TV and at 7 a.m. on TVW and Direct TV 14.
Father Klusman was born profoundly deaf. He is one of the eight Deaf priests in the country.
He explained use of the capital “D” in the word deaf. “The word ‘deaf’ would mostly signify a medical view of a person with a severe to profound hearing loss. The word ‘Deaf’ (with a big D) would signify a person connected to the Deaf community, with its culture, language (American Sign Language), customs, and rich history.”
Father Klusman was ordained for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee on May 21, 2011. He currently serves part-time as associate director of Deaf Ministry, while serving as chaplain part-time for St. Thomas More High School.
He is an alumnus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in education.
“I consider Madison to be my second home,” he said. “During my stay at UW-Madison and afterwards, I attended St. Dennis Catholic Church with its interpreted services on Sundays.
“I love the Catholic Deaf community in Madison. I’ve enjoyed attending their Theology on Tap sessions, which enriched my relationship with God and the Catholic Church. Madison played one of the important roles in my journey to the priesthood.”
Father Klusman said, “I always consider being Deaf as a gift from God, not as a deprivation. I know the Catholic Deaf community is extremely grateful to have a priest they can call their own, as well as a priest that they can communicate with directly, especially for the sacraments.
“These past six and a half years, I truly feel blessed to be God’s priest.”