News - Chicago Chapter

With the pandemic increasing rates of depression and anxiety among all populations and especially those struggling with mental illness, organizations like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization have issued warnings about an increase in deaths by suicides. With September as National Suicide Prevention Month, the biggest thing Catholic parishes and institutions can do to prevent suicide is to talk about mental health, according to people who minister both to people with mental illness and their families and to people who have lost loved ones to suicide.

Faith and Fellowship is called to follow the example of Jesus by bringing an awareness of God’s presence and care to people who experience mental illness, and to provide for them a welcoming sense of belonging through the formation of communities of faith. Faith and Fellowship groups consist of 10-15 adults including approximately equal numbers of persons with mental illness and volunteers from local churches. They meet semi-weekly as partners in prayer and socialization. For information, contact Connie Rakitan at [email protected]

For more than a month, everyone in Illinois has been ordered to stay at home to prevent further spread of COVID-19. While essential workers still engage with others during work hours, most people are at home, isolated, often watching news reports about troubling times and uncertain futures. This time of upheaval can create anxiety and depression for people who usually don’t struggle with any kind of mental illness. For that group, wisdom can be found among those who, for many years, have worked to help people struggling with their mental health.