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Camden Native Hopes For Chance To Be Sign Language Interpreter For Pope's Visit

By Alexandria Hoff

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A Camden-native is preparing for the likelihood that he will be one of a small group that will interpret the words of the Holy Father to the deaf and hearing impaired.

"I didn't even have to think. I said 'Definitely.' I will fly from Tuscon, Arizona and do whatever you ask of me," said the American Sign Language fluent, Victor Collazo over Skype.

Collazo now lives out west but has deep roots in the Philadelphia area, and his faith runs even deeper.

It was at a graduation ceremony for a family member while in Camden where Collazo saw his first sign language interpreter on stage.

"I fell in love with the language," he said.

He also fell in love with his late wife. They met while he was studying ASL. She was hearing impaired, he is not. Her death when he was just 29, inspired a commitment to learning the craft, but Collazo adds that when he lost his wife, he lost his faith too.

That was in 1999. In 2013 something changed. Collazo was watching TV and saw a newly-titled Pope Francis speak for the first time.

"When you sign you learn body language. He asked the crowd to pray for…him. He was just so humble," said Collazo. "From that moment on my faith came back to me."

So for him, this chance is nothing short of a blessing, but for those of us who are not ASL-fluent, remember: Pope Francis speaks Spanish. Collazo must convert Spanish to English then to American Sign Language all in his head before starting to interpret, and that's only when the Pope addresses others. If a worshipper wishes to direct a comment to Pope Francis, Collazo must do the sequence in reverse, and fast.

This valuable skill was learned during Collazo's days in South Jersey. He first studied Biology at Rutgers before learning ASL at Camden County Community College.

Through an interpreter, Sally Ann Emilius, a Professor of American Sign Language at Camden County Community College, said "When I heard that victor was going to be the interpreter for the Pope I was thrilled because he was a student of ours."

"He became a very successful interpreter and that's wonderful," she added.

Collazo may also be tasked with interpreting Italian singer Andrea Bocelli's performance on the Parkway. "There are a lot of metaphors in music, so that makes it a bit more challenging," he said noting that he has four weeks to practice.

As he goes over Italian lyrics, Collazo is also thinking about the streets where he came from and offered this to kids who may spot him on stage on the parkway or beside the Pope in September.

"If you study and have hope and have faith you can do anything, anything that you want.

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