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lts from Springtide Research Institute show how faith leaders can make a difference.

Elena Zuniga didn’t go searching for the patron saint of anxiety, depression and mental illness, but St. Dymphna found her anyway. First, a small St. Dymphna charm showed up in her jewelry box without explanation. Then a St. Dymphna prayer card fell out of a book she happened to pick up. And after showing up one morning in 2019 for a meeting about a new mental health ministry at St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church in Yorba Linda, Zuniga soon found herself serving as one of two co-leaders of St. Dymphna’s Disciples — a group that works to reduce stigma around mental illness in the church and supports those in mental distress.

CATHCA launches project aimed to address mental health issues. Mental health problems are at a crisis point in South Africa, with those affected facing stigma and even social exclusion — which leads 73% to not seek help. Dr Melese Shula of the Catholic Health Care Association explains the problem, Public knowledge of one’s mental illness can result in social exclusion, which can create a tumbling block for seeking support. In many cases, that exclusion as well as lack of support and treatment can lead to suicide. The mental health crisis gets worse because many people don’t even know where to go to get help, or are too scared to seek it.

In Italian: https://www.vaticannews.va/it/mondo/news/2022-04/ucraina-moldavia-sostegno-psicologico-guerra.html In Romanian: https://www.vaticannews.va/ro/biserica/news/2022-04/republica-moldova-preot-pertru-ciobanu-caritas-refugiati.html

May 5, 2022 - Deacon Ed Shoener was ordained a permanent deacon in 2004 and serves at St. Peter’s Cathedral in the Diocese of Scranton. Shoener is a founding member of the Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers and the Catholic Institute of Mental Health Ministry at the University of San Diego.

Since 1949, the month of May has been observed as Mental Health Awareness Month in the U.S. The tradition was started by the National Association for Mental Health (since renamed the Mental Health Association) and is marked by outreach efforts, media campaigns, and greater attention to mental-health resources.

We are about to begin the month of May, a good month to reflect on mental health and our faith. May is mental health awareness month in the United States. The first week of May is mental health week in Canada. And May 15 is the feast day for Saint Dymphna, a patron for people living with mental health disorders or illnesses.

Tom Hoffarth - Angelus News

By Elise Ureneck

Dr. Melese said the mental health crisis has been exacerbated by the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, “especially among the poor and vulnerable in our society. Socio-economic factors also have a negative impact on mental health.”

All Saints (2nd April) and Our Lady of Mercy (26 March) Parishes held a discussion with community collaborators on the importance of mental health and working against stigma and discrimination associated to mental health illness.

A one-year pilot project funded by the Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers (ACMHM) for the period January-December 2022 to support the Catholic parishes of All Saints and Our Lady of Mercy in the Archdiocese of Johannesburg to develop a Mental Health Ministry (MHM) as an integral part of their parish activities. The project is designed to reach out to the communities of Emdeni, Ennerdale and nearby areas.

CATHCA support for Catholic parishes of All Saints and Our Lady of Mercy in the Archdiocese of Johannesburg to develop a Mental Health Ministry (MHM) as an integral part of their parish activities.

Emergency departments within the Bon Secours Mercy Health system have seen a surge of children and adolescents who have attempted or talked about suicide; who have injured themselves; or who are grappling with anxiety, depression or other mental illnesses during the pandemic.

The mental health ministry support group gatherings in Scranton transitioned to online ZOOM meetings, but have returned to in-person sessions requiring facial masks and social distancing. Support ministry for those suffering from mental illness continues to meet on the second and fourth Saturday of the month from 10:00-11:30am at the Saint Peter Cathedral Rectory. For family and friends who support those living with mental illness, meetings are held on the first Tuesday of the month at 6:00pm in the rectory.

Starting on Tuesday, April 19 the Scranton Mental Health Ministry at the Cathedral of Saint Peter will present a five-part series for families on mental health and mental illness to reduce stigma and discrimination through education and factual information about mental health conditions. The series reinforces the core Christian belief that everyone has dignity and value and should be fully welcomed into the Church and the community. The series will be every Tuesday evening at the Diocesan Pastoral Center on Wyoming Avenue from 6:30-8:00pm from April 19 to May 17.

We provide therapy services, psychological assessments and psychiatric care for children, adolescents and adults with a variety of mental health issues. We also provide specialty services for children with severe mental illness as well as those who have experienced abuse or violence.

Scranton Counseling Center is a community based, private nonprofit behavioral health provider serving children, adolescents and adults with mental health and substance abuse issues in Lackawanna, Susquehanna, and surrounding counties without regard to ability to pay.

The war in Ukraine caused an acute humanitarian crisis. According to the UN, more than 1 million Ukrainians have already left the country, leaving their homes and losing contact with loved ones. The Catholic Mental Health Ministry in Moldova has started a project to organize volunteer groups to provide psychological assistance for the refugees and their children. In this Lent we meet the suffering Christ in our neighbors as we never have done before.