I recently saw the phrase “Mental Health Matters!” displayed on a water bottle. It immediately caught my attention; I thought to myself, “How true that statement is.” I thought back to all the years in the classroom with hundreds of students, and how I came to know the truth of that statement. Sometime early in my career, a mentor shared a valuable insight with me that I truly believe served me and my students well. The advice was to check in with your students daily: greet them at your door; look them in the eye; ask them how they are; and listen to the answer! I know that this may seem like very simple advice, and some may even consider it inconsequential; but it probably was one of the most important things I did all day. During that short encounter, I was able to get a glimpse of how they were doing. Being present to people is important. Letting people know they are valued, cared for and heard can make a big difference in someone’s life.
I think this practice of checking in is something that we all can do with our families, friends, work associates and church family. We do not only share common space with people, but we accompany one another through their days, weeks, and months—their lives! Henri Nouwen, in his 1996 presentation entitled “The Vulnerable Journey,” tells us that our lives are an “interruption of eternity; and while we are here, we need each other. We can’t do this on our own. We need to be a community of support and of hope.” In recent years, the Catholic Church has come to realize how we can be that support and hope for those with mental illness and their families. Pope Francis tells us that Jesus’ words are an effective tool to help with mental illness.
In 2019, the Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers became a reality through the passion of two men – Deacon Ed Shoener and Bishop John Dolan from the diocese of San Diego. John Lavenburg reports, “In three years’ time, mental-health ministry has been added in over 30 dioceses nationwide at the parish or diocesan level.” Shoener says, “It is important to be clear that that Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers is a ministry, not a mental-health treatment. ACMHM can help people find professional resources in their community and support them in their recovery, but the primary focus of ACMHM is to offer people with a mental-health disorder or illness a place of belonging that is free of stigma and discrimination filled with the love of Christ.”
If you would like to learn more about the 30 parishes that have mental-health ministry visit: https://catholicmhm.org/find-a-ministry. If you would like to learn how to begin a mental-health ministry at your parish, there is information and resources at: https://catholicmhm.org/.
All our journeys are different. We all have joys, successes, difficulties, pain and loss. It is in the sharing of our stories that we create and allow for a deeper, richer connection with each other and the opportunity for healing. Deacon Tom Lambert from the Archdiocese of Chicago describes this type of sharing in mental-health ministry as holy listening. We listen with the heart of Jesus.
Let us pray for all individuals experiencing mental-health issues and their families – that they may find acceptance, support, and the care needed to begin the journey to good mental health.