Rachel M. Chung
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted, saves those whose spirit is crushed.” Psalm 34:19
Pope Francis declared 2025 as a Jubilee Year with the motto “Pilgrims of Hope.” In his letter promoting this Jubilee year of hope, he stated, “The forthcoming Jubilee can contribute greatly to restoring a climate of hope and trust as a prelude to the renewal and rebirth that we so urgently desire.”
People living with mental health challenges and illness seek this hope and healing.
When asked what one thing someone can take away from attending the upcoming pilgrimage on Aug.9, Judy Barr, a self-advocate living with mental illness, said, “I believe that each prayer, especially each Mass, makes a difference in my well-being, peace, and understanding. So, I hope that people who come will find themselves close to the loving heart of Jesus and his saints who had challenges that inspired them to pray.”
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), one in five adults in the US will experience a mental health challenge. Recent global events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, have only exasperated the prevalence of mental health challenges-feelings of loneliness, isolation, and depression are widespread especially among the youth. Therefore, there is no doubt people in our parishes and ministries are encountering these challenges along with family members and friends.
How does the Catholic Church respond? In his address to the Pontifical Council for Pastoral Assistance to Health Care Workers Conference in November 1996, St. John Paul II remarked, “Christ took all human suffering on himself, even mental illness.”
He further stated, “The Church looks on these persons [people living with mental illness] with special concern, as she looks on any other human being affected by illness.”
Organizations have emerged in response to this growing need such as the Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers (CMHM). CMHM was formed to support forming parish-based ministries and outreach to those living with mental health challenges or illness. The lives of the saints, such as St. Jane de Chantal and St. Benedict Joseph Labre, can be examined as examples of holy men and women who lived with tremendous challenges.
In the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, several parishes are forming ministries with outreach specifically for those living with mental health challenges.
All are welcome to a pilgrimage to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on Aug. 9. The Basilica has been designated a pilgrimage site for the Jubilee Year in the Archdiocese of Washington. Pilgrims are welcomed at 10 a.m. in the Crypt Church to pray the rosary followed by Mass celebrated by Father Patrick Mullan, chaplain for the Office of Deaf and Disabilities Ministry.
Following the Mass, Carmelite Father Quinn Conners will speak about saints who lived with depression, anxiety, and addiction. Father Conners is the interim president and CEO of St. Luke’s Institute, an international Catholic and mental health treatment center.
Family members, friends, and supporters are encouraged to come as well.
Pope Benedict XVI connected hope to God’s love, emphasizing that, “God is the foundation of hope, the God who has a human face and who loves humanity to the end.”
Please contact the Office of Deaf and Disabilities Ministry specialneedsministry@adw.org or 301-853-4560 for any additional details or if your parish is interested in learning more about mental health ministry.
(Rachel M. Chung is the coordinator of disabilities ministry for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington’s Office of Deaf and Disabilities Ministry.)
