RADAR • MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS

CATHOLIC CHURCH RESPONDS TO MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS ACROSS THE U.S. AND GLOBALLY

The percentage of U.S. adults diagnosed with depression has risen by almost 10% since 2015, reaching 29% according to a 2023 Gallup poll. Data from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention shows that almost half of U.S. teens report experiencing persistent sadness and hopelessness. The Catholic Church is responding to it.

BY KATE QUIÑONES | CNA

FOLLOWING A 2023 U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops initiative, Catholics across the country have been working in their local communities to address the mental health crisis. During a Mass on 11 May in the Archdiocese of Washington, Auxiliary Bishop Evelio Menjivar stated: “Those living with a mental illness should never bear these burdens alone, nor should their families who struggle heroically to assist their loved ones,” as reported by the Catholic Standard. The Mass, held at Landover Hills, Maryland, was offered for people with mental health challenges. Mons. Menjivar continued: “We Christians must encounter them, accompany them, comfort them, include them, and help bear their burdens in solidarity with them, offering our understanding, prayers, and tangible, ongoing support.”

In Emmitsburg, Maryland, the National Shrine of St Elizabeth Ann Seton recently hosted a Mental Wellness Retreat under the patronage of St Dymphna. “We are hoping to reach people who live with their own mental health challenges and their loved ones,” Melissa Freymann, a clinical mental health therapist who organized the retreat in her role as a mental health ministry consultant for the archdiocese, told CNA.

St. Patrick Catholic Community Parish in Scottsdale, Arizona, also hosted a mental health fair on May 18–19 in honor of the feast of St Dymphna. At the fair, the St. Patrick community blessed a “Woman of the Well” painting and displayed it in their “House of Mercy” building. The diocese hopes to use the biblical image of the well where Jesus met the Samaritan woman as a designated place of encounter to gather and grow together. “The Well is a designated space or room at a parish or school that is a safe space, a place of encounter for those experiencing challenges to gather and share their experiences and grow their relationship with God: a place for support groups, educational workshops, and opportunity for accompaniment,” explained Brett Meister, director of communications for the diocese.

The Diocese of Phoenix also offered on 5 May its second annual “Green Mass” honoring and praying for professionals, caregivers, and clergy who serve people with mental health concerns. The Mass brought social workers, pastoral caregivers, and counselors together at Ss Simon and Jude Cathedral, where volunteers handed out green ribbons to represent growth and new beginnings, as well as St Dymphna prayer cards, according to The Catholic Sun news.

Ministering to people who suffer with mental illness and those who live and care for them spans not just the U.S. but also places like the Vatican, South Africa, and India. The India chapter of the Catholic Association of Mental Health Ministers (CMHM) organized its first-ever National Mental Health conference at Nirjhari Conference Center, Carmelaram in Bengaluru, Karnataka, from April 5–6. The CMHM India worked with the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India’s health care commission to host the retreat, which highlighted the state of mental health in India, the role of the Church in mental health ministry, and the difference between spiritual and mental health.

More than 250 attendees, including priests, religious sisters, and medical professionals gathered for the event, and speakers included Archbishop Peter Machado of Bangalore; Bishop Thomas Tharayil, the ecclesiastical adviser of CMHM India; and Deacon Ed Shoener, co-founder and president of CMHM. “The conference in India demonstrates the worldwide need for mental health ministry,” Dcn Shoener told CNA. In January, Shoener attended a Vatican mental health conference, the first of its kind. Mental health ministers from around the world, including Moldova, India, and South Africa, gathered with Vatican officials to discuss pastoral care and accompaniment. “Regardless of cultural differences, mental illness impacts every community, and Christ wants his Church to be there to accompany people without fear or stigma,” Shoener noted.