CV NEWS FEED // Washington Auxiliary Bishop Evelio Menjivar-Ayala recently urged families and friends of those suffering from mental disorders to walk with them, since no one with a mental illness should suffer alone.
His exhortation came during a homily at a May 11 Mass celebrated for people with mental health challenges at the Pope Francis Center in Landover, Maryland. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and May 15 is the feast of St. Dymphna, an Irish saint who is rising in popularity due to her patronage of those with mental health issues.
“We Christians must encounter them, accompany them, comfort them, include them, and help bear their burdens in solidarity with them, offering our understanding, prayers and tangible, ongoing support,” Bishop Menjivar-Ayala said, according to the Catholic Standard.
The Bishop pointed out that people with physical illnesses are supported by their family and friends, but that those with mental health disorders are sometimes shunned.
“Persons with mental health challenges often suffer in silence, hidden, unrecognized and very often stigmatized by others,” he said.“[A] person suffering from depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder or other mental illnesses frequently experiences isolation and inadequate support, often because of ignorance, shame and the unjust social stigma of mental illness.”
“Those living with a mental illness should never bear these burdens alone, nor should their families who struggle heroically to assist their loved ones,” he added.
The Archdiocese of Washington in the District of Columbia, Bishop Menjivar-Ayala’s archdiocese, compiled a list of facts on mental health to help raise awareness. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, one in five American adults will experience a mental health condition, while 17% of children ages 6-17 will also experience a mental health disorder.
The Church has begun to be more aware of issues surrounding mental health and responses are being made. In 2023, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops launched a National Catholic Mental Health Campaign and novena. In March, mental health among young people was the subject of a roundtable discussion by the USCCB’s Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life, and Youth.
Organizations such as the Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers, Catholic Charities Anchor Mental Health Program, and Catholic Mental Health Resources have begun to appear as well.
According to the Catholic Standard, Bishop Menjivar-Ayala thanked families who have already assisted their loved ones in battling mental health issues.
“Thank you for standing by your loved ones. You truly are making the difference in people’s lives, as well as contributing to the well-being of the whole community,” he said, continuing:
It is into Christ’s hands stretched out on the cross that we entrust our loved ones who are suffering, and all those who have died as a result of a mental illness. We pray that the departed may find God’s presence and peace.
