CENTER SECTION: CATHOLICS WITH DISABILITIES
Embracing Parishioners Affected by Mental Illness:
Steps on the Journey to Becoming Parishes of Caring and Hope

by Dorothy Coughlin and Thomas Welch  |  Summer 2009

One out of five families has at least one family member with a mental illness. Every Catholic parish community undoubtedly has parishioners who are affected in some way by mental illness. These parishioners might be readily identified or painfully invisible: young people facing the challenges of living with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder; elderly people confronting severe depression; veterans battling post traumatic stress disorder; and the families and friends of people who live with these and other mental illnesses.

People who live with a mental illness can experience significant improvement or even remission from their illness if they receive comprehensive support. While medications and psychotherapy can address the biological and psychological needs of an individual, the social and spiritual needs of a person with mental illness must also be addressed. The caring relationships of a parish community and the Catholic faith are indispensable sources of comfort and hope in the lives of Catholics living with mental illness.

The Call

Not only can each parish and each parishioner have a very practical role to play in supporting people with mental illness, but they are also called to do so. Pope John Paul II affirmed the dignity of every person who has mental illness when he said that each “always bears God’s image and likeness in themselves as does every human being.” St. Paul teaches in his First Letter to the Corinthians: “in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body (12: 13a),” the Body of Christ, and “if one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part is honored, all the parts share its joy (12: 26).” This means that Catholics affected by mental illness are not a group set apart; by virtue of their baptism, they are integral and invaluable members of the Body of Christ. They are entitled to be full participants in the life of the parish community by sharing their gifts and treasuring the gifts of others, by sharing their burdens and helping bear the burdens of others.

The Response

Pastoral ministers as well as individual parishioners are often reluctant or feel unprepared to form the necessary supportive relationships with people affected by mental illness. The following considerations are offered as possible steps to take to transform a parish into a community of hope and caring that can embrace people affected in any way by mental illnesses.

Welcoming
The formation of relationships within parish communities can be accomplished by consciously reaching out in a spirit of welcome and hospitality. Welcoming people affected by mental illness can be as simple as introducing oneself and learning another’s name. Being greeted by name at Mass or at parish activities conveys a sense of belonging and facilitates invitations to and inclusion in various parish activities and ministries.

Growing in Understanding
Learning more about the nature of mental illness can help enlighten parishioners and parish staff and increase their comfort addressing issues of concern to people affected by mental illness. Sources of information include members of the parish who have a mental illness and their family members, parishioners who are mental health professionals, and other mental health resources.

Equipped with a better understanding of the challenges and concerns of people affected by mental illness, parishes can develop supportive ways of responding. With training, ushers and welcome ministers can serve an important role in welcoming as well as in responding sensitively to unusual behaviors that can occasionally be exhibited by a parishioner with a mental illness.

Knowing the particular needs of an individual with mental illness allows accommodations to be made to enable the person to participate more fully in liturgies or other events. For example, some medications used to treat mental illnesses cause people to feel restless, making it hard for them to stand or sit still in a pew during Mass. One possible accommodation would be to ensure there was a space (e.g. side aisle) in the church where the person would feel comfortable walking or moving without distracting others in the assembly.

Giving Mental Illness a Voice
Publicly acknowledging that people with mental illness are present in the community and in the parish helps remove the cloud of secrecy and stigma that can lead to a sense of isolation for people affected by mental illness. It sends the message that the parish cares about issues of mental illness. Some ways to give a voice to those affected by mental illness include adding petitions concerning mental illness in the Prayers of the Faithful and hosting support groups or faith-sharing groups for people affected by mental illness and their families.

Supporting Individuals and Families
Pastoral staff and parishioners alike must remain attentive to the needs of people affected by mental illness. This can take the form of noticing who has not been at Mass recently (e.g., a parent who has been caring for an adult child in the midst of an episode of schizophrenia) or who has become more visible at Mass (e.g., a person with depression, struggling with despair). A good starting point in formulating a plan of support is asking people affected by mental illness what would be helpful to them. Some examples of support that members of the parish community might provide include praying for and with a person with mental illness; bringing the Eucharist to someone unable to leave home and facilitating reception of other sacraments such as reconciliation and anointing of the sick; inviting parishioners living with mental illness to participate in parish events; and visiting a parishioner hospitalized because of a mental illness or asking their family members about their well-being, conveying the message that the person has not been forgotten.

Addressing Social Justice Issues
People who live with mental illness unfortunately are disproportionately impacted by the social injustices of prejudice, poverty, inadequate housing, unemployment and underemployment, and lack of access to health care, especially mental health care. Guided by the Catholic Church’s rich teaching on social justice—affirming the innate dignity of each person, calling everyone to community and solidarity, and stressing the preferential option for the poor—parishes can be leaders in the community, advocating just social policies that protect the rights of all people, especially those who are most vulnerable in society.

The Next Steps

The suggestions presented above are initial steps in an ongoing journey of growth. Parishes must continually assess their progress in transforming the parish into a place where people affected by mental illness truly feel welcomed and are woven inextricably into the precious fabric of the parish community.

As a result of the visibility of the group, the parish as a whole can start to become more aware of the presence of people with mental illness. Seeing the notices in the bulletin, people with mental illness began attending Mass at the parish more regularly, and commenting on feeling the parish is a welcoming place to worship.

Dorothy Coughlin is the director of the Office for People with Disabilities of the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon. Thomas Welch, M.D., is a psychiatrist in Portland, Oreg. Ms. Coughlin and Dr. Welch both serve on the Council on Mental Illness of the National Catholic Partnership on Disability.