A signed faith
The Deaf Catholic Community's prominent home in Pittsburgh
By Jennifer Szweda Jordan
If you go to Pittsburgh’s most scenic spot, Grandview Avenue in Mt. Washington, you can’t miss St. Mary of the Mount Catholic Church. It’s a soaring 1890s Gothic brick building .
And if you step inside the church (or view it online) at 11 am Sunday you’ll see something striking too. All the words and songs are interpreted in American Sign Language by a group of volunteers, in addition to being conveyed in English. And they’re not just any interpreters—they’re like a who’s who of Deaf history in the region and beyond.
(Sign language choir members, from left, Irene Hearn and Cindy Vogtsberger at St. Mary of the Mount/Mary Queen of Peace on April 6, 2025.)
One of the interpreters, Rich McGann, describes himself as DeafBlind. He commits to memory the scriptures and signs them from the lectern. McGann is known nationally as an advocate for the DeafBlind Community. Another well-known interpreter is an actor who appeared regularly on Mr. Rogers Neighborhood — Maggie Smith, the Mayor of the fictional Westwood. One more interpreter, Diana Saunders, is a hearing person who has long served the Catholic and education communities. She’s got the stories to prove it. She once signed for Mother Teresa. Diana shares this and other experiences in the audio interview below.
St. Mary is my church home and it inspired me to report about how Deaf people of various faiths are served in the Pittsburgh area. My news story about this is out today at PublicSource. Please read and see fantastic photos from other churches serving the Deaf.
Among the tales Diana Saunders shares in the audio below—she learned sign language to understand her Deaf grandparents.
“They sometimes got into heated discussions and they're angry, and we don't know what they're talking about,” she says. “Or they'll start laughing, and we don't know what they're laughing about.”
This story was supported in part by the Center for Media Innovation at Point Park University’s Pittsburgh Pitch competition.
Video image description: Two women are singing the song “Will You Let Me Be Your Servant” in sign language. The one on the left has short blond hair and is wearing a purple sweatshirt, the other is wearing a dark colored dress and has curly brown hair. Behind them is a white altar with a large cross. Several people are walking around doing different ritual tasks—a priest in a purple robe steps down a set of stairs with two men in white robes, and a cantor at a podium lifts her arms leading the congregation in song.