Chi siamo - Who we are

 Fr Gabriele Giordano Scardocci OP

Fr. Gabriele Scardocci è nato a Roma nel 1984.

Dopo aver conseguito la laurea in Filosofia con specializzazione in Filosofia e Studi critici presso l’Università “La Sapienza” ha abbracciato la vita religiosa nell’Ordine dei Predicatori. Figlio dalla Provincia Romana di S. Caterina da Siena, ha completato il Dottorato in Teologia Dogmatica presso la Pontificia Università S. Tommaso d’Aquino – Angelicum, presentando una dissertazione sulla conoscenza per connaturalità tommasiana legata al tema della disabilità, che studia dal 2014.

Accanto all’attività accademica, fr. Gabriele si dedica con passione alla pastorale familiare, alla promozione della pastorale giovanile e alla predicazione digitale. 

Alcune sue pubblicazioni sulla disabilità:

Fra lo stigma e la grazia: Ricerca introduttiva per una teologia della disabilità, con prefazione di B. Blankenhorn, Phronesis, Palermo, 2022

Gesù e i disabili nel vangelo Marciano, disponibile qui

English version

Fr. Gabriele Scardocci was born in Rome in 1984. After earning his degree in Philosophy with a specialization in Philosophy and Critical Studies from "La Sapienza" University, he embraced the religious life in the Order of Preachers. A son of the Roman Province of St. Catherine of Siena, he completed his Doctorate in Dogmatic Theology at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas – Angelicum, presenting a dissertation on Thomistic knowledge by connaturality related to the theme of disability, which he has been studying since 2014. Alongside his academic activities, Fr. Gabriele dedicates himself passionately to family ministry, the promotion of youth ministry, and digital preaching. 

Some of his publications on disability

Fra lo stigma e la grazia: Ricerca introduttiva per una teologia della disabilità with a preface by B. Blankenhorn, Phronesis, Palermo, 2022

Gesù e i disabili nel vangelo Marciano, available here

Laura Zaccaro

Laura Zaccaro, ha 30 anni, ed è originaria della provincia di Matera. Psicologa, ha studiato “Neuroscienze Cognitive e Riabilitazione Psicologica” presso l’Università “La Sapienza” di Roma.
Oggi lavora e ricerca nel campo dei disturbi del neurosviluppo e del supporto psicologico in bambini, adolescenti e adulti, tuttavia la passione per le tematiche esistenziali e per l’impatto della spiritualità e della fede sugli esseri umani e sulla loro psiche, è un altro campo di ricerca. Intreccia dunque lo studio di  questo tema e si occupa anche di divulgazione sui social media.

Pubblicazioni

Le strategie di coping nelle famiglie con figli autistici

A Systematic Review on Autism and Hyperserotonemia: State-of-the-Art, Limitations, and Future Directions disponibile qui

English version

Laura Zaccaro, 30 years old, is originally from the province of Matera. A psychologist, she studied "Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychological Rehabilitation" at "La Sapienza" University of Rome. Today, she works and conducts research in the field of neurodevelopmental disorders and psychological support for children, adolescents, and adults. However, her passion for existential themes and the impact of spirituality and faith on human beings and their psyche is another field of research. She thus intertwines the study of this topic and is also involved in sharing on social media.

Le strategie di coping nelle famiglie con figli autistici, tesi triennale in psicologia

A Systematic Review on Autism and Hyperserotonemia: State-of-the-Art, Limitations, and Future Directions disponibile qui

Don Stefano Biancotto SdC

Don Stefano Biancotto (Seregno, 1980) è sacerdote guanelliano e pedagogista. E’entrato a contatto con il mondo della disabilità fin dall’adolescenza attraverso il volontariato da allora non ne è più uscito. Laureato in Scienze dell’Educazione e specializzato come Disability Manager all’Università Cattolica di Milano, è stato educatore e poi responsabile e direttore pedagogico in diverse Case per persone con disabilità dell’Opera Don Guanella. Ordinato sacerdote nel dicembre 2018 nella Congregazione dei Servi della Carità, ha svolto il suo ministero in diverse Comunità e attualmente presso la Casa di Barza di Ispra (Varese, Italia) a servizio di persone in difficoltà. Ha collaborato con l’Ufficio Catechesi della Diocesi di Como (settore catechesi e persone con disabilità) come consulente su temi di Pedagogia e Catechesi speciale. Fin dal 2010 continua i suoi studi e approfondimenti sui temi dell’educazione e della disabilità presso l’Università Cattolica, collaborando con il prof. Vittore Mariani a insegnamenti nell’ambito della Pedagogia Speciale come assistente e docente. E’ stato per un triennio docente a contratto di Pedagogia e Didattica Speciale all’Università Pegaso. 

Ha pubblicato nel 2018 il testo Disabilità e catechesi. Riflessioni ed esperienze per lee dizioni Ancora (Milano).

Altre sue pubblicazioni sui temi della disabilità includono contributi in testi collettivi: Disabilità intellettiva adulta & farm community (con V. Mariani e G. Manzo), Disabilità intellettiva. I paradigmi della inclusione e della deistituzionalizzazione (con V. Mariani et alii), Educatori cristiani del XX secolo (con V. Mariani, P. Pirioni, G. Trevisi e A. Valentini), tutti per le edizioni Anicia, e vari altri contributi in testi di tematiche educative.

English Version

Don Stefano Biancotto (Seregno, 1980) is a Guanellian priest and educationalist. He came into contact with the world of disability as a teenager through voluntary work and has been involved ever since. He graduated in Education Sciences and specialised as a Disability Manager at the Catholic University of Milan. He has been an educator and then manager and educational director in various homes for people with disabilities run by the Don Guanella Foundation. Ordained a priest in December 2018 in the Congregation of the Servants of Charity, he has carried out his ministry in various communities and currently at the Casa di Barza in Ispra (Varese, Italy) serving people indifficulty. He has collaborated with the Catechesis Office of the Diocese of Como (catechesis and people with disabilities sector) as a consultant on issues of pedagogy and special catechesis. Since 2010, he has continued his studies and research on the topics of education and disability at the Catholic University, collaborating with Prof. Vittore Mariani in teaching in the field of Special Pedagogy as an assistant and lecturer. He was a contract lecturer in Pedagogy and Special Education at Pegaso University for three years. In 2018, he published the text Disability and Catechesis. Reflections and Experiences for Ancora Editions (Milan).

His other publications on disability issues include contributions to collective texts:

Adult Intellectual Disability & Farm Community (with V. Mariani and G. Manzo), Intellectual Disability. The Paradigms of Inclusion and Deinstitutionalisation (with V. Mariani et al.), Christian Educators of the 20th Century (with V. Mariani, P. Pirioni, G. Trevisi and A. Valentini), all published by Anicia, and various other contributions to texts on educational issues.

Dr. p. Mihàly Laurinyecz

He was born in 1963. At present he is the head of the moral theology department at the Faculty of Theology in Pázmány Péter Catholic University, Budapest, Hungary.  

He is also the priest of a diocese Szeged-Csanád. He obtained his doctoral title in general theology in Budapest at the same University.  

He conducted his studies in the field of moral theology at Accademia Alfonsiana in Rome, where he also passed his exam of licentiate.  

He has been dealing with disabled people for approximately forty years. 

For many years he worked as a volunteer, and he taught religious education for children with multiple disabilities in Saint Anne Home for Blind Children founded by Sister Anna Fehér. He learnt how to use Braille writing. 

 Since 2018 he has been the organiser and an active member of the Circle of Hope, making disabled people visible in the Church. 

He is organizing the Scout group “Almond blossom” which is dedicated to accompanying people with disabilities to national and international liturgical events.  

Several studies of his in the field of disabilities have been published giving moral-theological background to the mission of the Circle of Hope."

Avalaible here https://remenykor.hcbc.hu/

https://m2.mtmt.hu/gui2/?mode=browse&params=publication;35121119

Akadálymentesített Biblia. Fordítás vagy parafrázis?: A hallássérült személyek jelnyelvétől az értelmileg akadályozottak (egyszerűsített nyelvű) bibliafordításáig. Rövid kitekintéssel a látásukban akadályozottak szentírásolvasására

Accessible Bible. Translation or Paraphrase?: From Sign Language for the Hearing Impaired to Bible Translation for the Intellectually Impaired (Simplified Language). Wit

h a Brief Look at Reading the Scriptures for the Visually Impaired - Bibbia accessibile. Traduzione o parafrasi?: dal linguaggio dei segni per non udenti alla traduzione della Bibbia per non udenti (linguaggio semplificato). Con una breve panoramica sulla lettura delle Scritture per non vedenti.

- https://m2.mtmt.hu/gui2/?mode=browse&params=publication;31888482

Eucharisztia és Karitász: A szentmise a szegények szolgálatában, különös tekintettel az akadályozottsággal élőkre Eucharist and Charity: The Mass in the service of the poor, with special regard to those living with disabilities

Eucaristia e Carità: La Messa al servizio dei poveri, con particolare attenzione a coloro che vivono con disabilità

dr. Emese Berzsenyi

Emese Berzsenyi was born in Budapest in 1966 and currently teaches at the Department of Technical Pedagogy at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics. She completed her studies in Catholic religious education, cultural and social history, and comparative religious studies. In 2017, she received her doctorate in educational sciences. Her main area of research is the interdisciplinary study of disability and the history of disabled people in cultures defined by different religions. In addition to religious studies and educational science, this also includes philosophy, theology, anthropology, and cultural and social history.  She has published two monographs on the subject: 
Over the past two decades, he has published several studies in English and German.

 2020, "Chosen or Stigmatized? 

Teachings on Disability: According to the Holy Books of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam" in 2020 

"Guilty or Innocent – The History of Disability in the European Middle Ages" in 2024. 

p. Sandor Nagy 

Fr. Sándor Nagy was born in Budapest, Hungary in 1984. He currently serves as a diocesan priest in central Budapest (Hungary). In addition, he is the pastoral referent for hearing-impaired (deaf and hard-of-hearing) believers in the Archdiocese of Esztergom-Budapest, coordinator of coaliton called „Reménykör” (The Circle of Hope - Catholic mission for people with disabilities) and member of the Theological and Sign Language Commission of Deaf Catholics of Europe (an international Catholic organization).

He is CODA, children of deaf adults. He knows sign language. He studied neurobiology, theology, and mental health and pastoral care. In his parish, he is working to form an inclusive parish community. His vision is that there is a place for everyone at the Lord's table. On Sundays, in a way that is unique in Budapest, deaf, hearing, and hard-of-hearing brothers and sisters can participate in the celebration of the Eucharist together, without barriers (accompanied by sign language interpretation and continuous subtitling).

Main areas of interest: accessible communication, sign language, church sign language interpreting, mental health and pastoral care in sign language, connection between systems theory and catholic theology.