As you explore the moving story of 59-year-old deacon Peter Hepp, you enter the world of the deaf and blind, a complex disability that few people know about.
Born on June 30, 1961 in Rottweil, Germany, in addition to not speaking, Peter developed from a young age like other children. Peter's parents think their son has a psychological problem that prevents Peter from expressing himself normally. It was not until Peter was 3 years old that the doctor diagnosed Peter with complete deafness. This news shocked the family.
Throughout his childhood, Peter had difficulty communicating. But thanks to his intelligence, Peter knows how to observe people, guess the moods of the people he comes in contact with, and decipher the simple gestures they make. At the age of 6, Peter was sent to a Catholic boarding school for deaf children run by nuns. The beginning of school was difficult, but with time, Peter settled down and made friends with other deaf children.
After finishing primary school, Peter decided to continue his studies near home. With the help of a friend, Peter signed up for an editor training course. In this class, Peter is the only deaf student. After that, Peter begins a period of great loneliness and exclusion, with no one talking to Peter, as if Peter were invisible. But this was also when Peter felt the call to help other deaf people and understood that living a diaconate vocation was the best way for him.
Some time later, Peter noticed his eyesight began to seriously decline. The doctor diagnosed Peter with Usher syndrome, a very rare genetic disorder that causes deafness and vision loss. The diagnosis left Peter in a state of despair and suicidal thoughts. After that, Peter gave up his plan to become a deacon because for Peter the only priority now is learning literacy for the deaf, but he is blind. This adds to the difficulty, because the way deaf people communicate is with their hands and eyes through sign language: the words are in the hands of the deaf, who use their hands to "say" what they want. described.
However, step by step, the Lord took the sadness out of Peter's heart and showed the young man that as a deaf and blind man, he too could bring the Gospel to others. Seeking inner peace, in the end, Peter decided to entrust himself completely to God's grace and be reconciled to life.
While at the hospital for hearing aid implant surgery, Peter met the love of his life. It was Maita, an intern at the department where Peter was being treated. Peter was immediately attracted to this young woman's frankness and lack of prejudice. To communicate with Peter, Maita learns the alphabet for the blind and deaf. Falling in love from the first meeting, of course, their relationship is not without its difficulties. Maita's parents do not trust and doubt their daughter's choice of love. But the young couple did not give up their determination and they were married on August 29, 1998.
After the wedding ceremony, Peter participated in social activities for the deaf and blind. Father Huber, Peter's spiritual director, was not immediately convinced that Peter could become a deacon. However, later I understood that this was really a call from God. So dad decided to support Peter and help Peter achieve his dream. In September 2000, Peter became chaplain for the blind and deaf. With determination and perseverance, Peter received help from the parish. The parish helped Peter pay for specialized interpreters. After passing the training courses, Peter was finally ordained a deacon on June 7, 2003.
Thanks to Maita, the help of friends, but above all faith in God and great determination, Peter found the meaning of life and fulfilled his vocation as a deacon for the blind and visually impaired. hearing. “God has resolved all the obstacles that stand in my way,” wrote Deacon Peter in his autobiography.