New Britain herald., 1929-02-23

New York, Feb. 2s.-The Rev
John H. Kent has been stone-deaf
since early boyhood. but he 10 a
busy, successful and contented man.
Busy because he serves the largest
metropolitan territory Of any clergy
man in the United States. Success
full and contented because thousands
Of persons without speech or hear.
ing depend upon him for spiritual
and physical leadership.
1t il not despite his deafness. but
because of it. that Vicar Kent per-
forms this unusual service. An i'll
ness robbed him OF his hearing al
the age Of s: at the special schools
he attended, he resolved to devote
his life to aiding others similarly
afflicted. Now he ministers to the
deaf and dumb in the entire New
York area.
In addition to his own parish, st
AIMS Protestant Episcopal Church
for Deaf Mutes in New York, he
conducts services in the Trinit,
Cathedral, in Newark. N. j., at tht
Church Of the Messiah, Brooklyn
and at st. Paul's church In Pater'
son, N. J. Frequently he visits King
ston. N. Y, nearly 100 miles away
A Big Job for Anyono p
IAN this would be no easy task
for a clergyman with normal hear
Ing and speech" he wrote out
but being myself stone-deaf and
speaking with great difficulty.
minister exclusively to deaf mutes
During the course Of year. \
reach about 5000 through lectures
parish calls and services
9'"Besidas christeningA wedding
and funerals, sick calls and church
services, l call also on the poor o.
my parish, find jobs for them 'wher
tthey are jobless. and have ever
I.appeared in court to defend then
when they got into difficulties" -
His Sunday sermon IL given from
the pulpit with his hands and hi
fingers. to a deaf and dumb congrc
cation. His vested choir has beer
trained to sing. hymns with thei
hands and fingers in the sign Ian
! guage.
Oddly enough. Vicar Kent decric
lip reading and says sign lansuag'
u the only medium for the deaf.
Calls Lip Reading Inaccurate
although 1t 10 slower" he wrote
1T IL wholly accurate, and mistake.
seldom occur with its use. On tn
bther hand. lip reading may be In
accurate because few persons pro
nounce their words in the sam
manner-thus Lip. reading require
the most intensive training.
Sign language has been the chic
instrument of progress In educating
the deaf Of America"
The vicar sees . new problem 10
his people in the vogue for talltin
pictures. In his 20 years Of wori
he has found movies to be q god
send as entertainment for hos
without hearing.
Because" he took up his penc
again. besides enjoying a movie q
perfectly az person of norma
hearing may. the deaf lose thei
sense of handicap while watchin
the screen. They can walk into
theater like anyone else and los
themselves in the entertainment
THE Talkies' threaten to rui
this pleasure. for in most cases des
mutes lose the continuity supple
by the spoken words"
Although he has one blind ma
who Is deaf and dumb as we'll, an
q few hopeless cripples and som
who are very old and unable I
work in his congregation. Vics
Kent finds that most Of his congr,
cation are working men and wome,
earning fair wages and being sell
supporting.
Followers OF Stage Plays
lone Of the chief problems {
the deaf is to fit into social life
he continued with his pencil. "Thf
is why l try to keep the churc
activities varied. A score Of cluf
meet each week in the rooms abo,
my church. and each winter pla,
are written and presented by ca
mutes of the congregation.
Last year and the year Defor
the young people Of st. Ann
church presented a musical con
cry in which the numbers wei
sung with hands and fingers"
His plays and musical comedi'
vicar plans new and larger stag
for dramatic entertainments an
socks n huild on oxtro stove, IN RI