Deafblind priest Father Cyril Axelrod tells his remarkable and inspiring story on Hands On, Sunday 23rd January, 12pm, RTÉ1
Father Cyril Axelrod is a Deafblind priest – the first in the world – and has dedicated his life to caring for others and doing God’s work. All this he does, not in spite of his disabilities, but because of them. His charity work has spanned five continents, he communicates in 15 different languages, and lives and travels independently. This week Hands On presents a feature programme on this inspiring man with an in-depth personal interview in which he discusses his life, his faith, and his mission.
Born in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1942 to Orthodox Jewish parents, Cyril’s deafness wasn’t identified until he was three years old – his blindness would come much later due to Usher syndrome, a condition he was not aware he had until his late 30s.
In his youth, due to limited facilities for Jewish Deaf children, his parents reluctantly sent him to St Vincent’s, a Catholic School, but in family life they remained strict Orthodox Jews. At age fifteen he began training to become a Rabbi, only to have his dream shattered when he was told by the Chief Rabbi that his being “disabled” would prevent this from becoming reality.
In 1965, at twenty-three, he flew 800 miles to meet Bishop Green, a man known for his ministry to Deaf people in South Africa, who was surprised by Cyril’s request to be ordained a Catholic priest considering his Jewish background. Father Cyril’s determination led to his baptism three months later and in 2010 he celebrated the 40th anniversary of his ordination as a Catholic priest.
Cyril went on to challenge the South African Government and defy Apartheid by setting up the first multiracial school for Deaf children in South Africa. He excelled academically, achieving a degree in philosophy and psychology, becoming a qualified massage therapist, and receiving an Honorary Doctorate from Gallaudet University in Washington DC in recognition of his thirty-eight years of service to Deaf people in South Africa and South East Asia.
His story is truly remarkable and will be told in his own words in Hands On, Sunday 23rd January at 12.00 on RTÉ1. (Please check weekly listings for any changes)
Fr Cyril’s book “And the Journey Begins” is available to order from all good Irish bookshops as well as from the publisher www.forestbookshop.com and www.Irishdeaf.com