St Ann’s Church for the Deaf

The idea of a church for the deaf came to the Rev. Thomas Gallaudet while he was ministering to a deaf teenager who was a student at the New York School for the Deaf, New York City. Gallaudet, with the support of the Bishop of New York, established St. Ann's Church for the Deaf. The first service performed in sign language was held on Oct. 3, 1852. Gallaudet was its vicar, and he was its rector from Oct. 1, 1858, until his retirement in 1892. St. Ann's Church was incorporated on Sept. 11, 1854, and received into union with the Diocese of New York on Oct. 28, 1854. It is the mother church for hearing impaired Episcopalians in the United States.