Father Charles-Michel de l’Épée founded the National Institute for Deaf Youth of Paris in 1760. / Credit: Public domain
CNA Staff, Jul 30, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).
Signlanguageiscurrentlyoneofthemostpopularfamiliesoflanguagesintheworld,withNationalGeographicestimatingmorethan300formsofsignlanguageusedbymorethan70millionpeopleworldwide.
Yetmostpeople,andevenmostusersofsignlanguage,maybeunawareofthenotablerolethatCatholicsplayedintheearliestyearsofmodernsignlanguage,includingthefoundingoftheworld’sfirstfreeschoolfordeafpeople.
Thatschool,theNationalInstituteforDeafYouthofParis,wasfoundedin1760byFatherCharles-Micheldel’Épée.Theinstitutesaysonitswebsitethatthepriestwasinspiredtodevelopasystemofsignlanguageaftermeetingtwodeaftwins.HewouldgoontolaunchasmallschoolontheruedesMoulinsinParisthatwouldintimebecomethenationalinstitution.
JordanEickman,aprofessorofDeafstudiesatCaliforniaStateUniversity,Northridge,toldCNAtheCatholiccontributiontoDeafhistoryandDeafeducationis“significant.”
“Catholicpriestsandnuns
