An affirmation is seen on a corkboard of an eighth-grade student in Schnecksville, Pennsylvania, during the coronavirus pandem-ic. (CNS file photo / 2021)
By Jennifer Rector
Hawaii Catholic Herald
The Diocese of Honolulu is addressing mental health among parishioners with its new Spiritual and Mental Health Ministry.
It’s no surprise that the COVID-19 pandemic, with its tremendous death toll and restrictions on gathering, triggered a rise in mental health afflictions such as anxiety, depression and substance abuse. According to studies, the crisis has continued despite the end of coronavirus-related social distancing and isolation mandates.
A study released by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration found that more than 13 million adults had serious thoughts about suicide in 2022.
And according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the suicide rate increased by 36% between 2000 and 2022.
In Hawaii, concerns about mental health within certain ethnic communities, such as the Chuukese from the Federated States of Micronesia, especially among youth, were among the catalysts for the new diocesan ministry.
“When a grant for that purpose based on psychological theory and cultural understanding of Chuuk state reached Bishop (Larry) Silva’s desk to approve, he suggested we not submit the grant, and take another approach that he would help us develop,” said Deacon Jim Dougherty of St. Theresa Church in Mountain View on Hawaii island.
The result was the launch of a healing ministry aimed not only at combating the causes of mental health problems, but also at helping those suffering from the stress and trauma of day-to-day life.
“The ministry is for those who experience mental illness as well as mental anguish,” said Deacon Dougherty.
This includes depression, anxiety, suicidal thinking and attempts, grief, anger/rage, addictions, domestic violence, significant personal suffering from physical illness or general life setbacks (including a suicide in the immediate family), and issues with being unable to forgive.
According to the National Institutes of Health, the cause of mental illness varies by individual but can be broken down into three general categories: biological (the individual’s genetics or family history), psychological (if the individual has faced a stress or trauma) and social (the individual’s relationships, work and environment).
The Spiritual and Mental Health Ministry is aimed at healing the whole person — mind, body and soul.
According to a document introducing the ministry, “Bishop Larry (Silva) knew of other approaches which were tailored to a Catholic audience within a parish setting. But this new ministry was based unabashedly on a total Catholic vision of the soul as the origin of all human spiritual (and psychological) attributes.”
It emphasizes that the ministry will address interior wounds; participation should include addressing “truth in Scripture, the sacraments, prayer, Eucharistic miracles and adoration, and immersion at some level in the paschal mystery of our Lord.”
The document also quotes Benedictine Father Boniface Hicks, a writer for the National Eucharistic Revival: “Healing is a lifelong process that leads to wholeness and holiness. Wholeness comes through bringing our whole lives into communion with God. That communion is experienced through many loving relationships. That communion finds its fullness in our communion with Jesus in the Eucharist, which we call holy Communion.”
Bishop Silva’s letter about the ministry makes clear that it “is not meant to take the place of mental health professionals,” especially if such treatment is essential for the person’s health.
Deacon Dougherty, like many others who are a part of the ministry, has had a personal encounter with mental illness: He lost his son in 2002 to suicide.
He shared his son’s story in his 2017 memoir, “A Place for Us to Meet.”
Amid other hardships, Deacon Dougherty also has had personal battles with anxiety, rage and depression.
“I was mean and angry with my wife and children, and with my extended family,” he said. “I was finally able to better manage these behaviors when I got on medication for depression 19 years ago, but I was not healed. I only found real healing in communion with the Trinity, the Blessed Mother and others in the Spiritual and Mental Health Ministry.”
People interested in participating in the ministry are not required to join a group setting; they are free to meet with ministers privately.
“Ideally, though, after some individual one-on-one ministry, individuals are encouraged to join the group meetings, as the Holy Spirit operates so much more dynamically as we move into the communion of the Trinity and the interpersonal group communion of Catholic spirituality,” Deacon Dougherty said.
The ministry has been implemented in three parishes so far, with plans to expand throughout the diocese.
“A small group has been meeting in St. Joseph Church in Hilo for over a year now,” said Deacon Dougherty. “We have been engaged in regular visits to Maui to local parishes there to support survivors of the Lahaina wildfire; and a third group on Oahu has been developing implementation strategies that includes youth ministry leaders as facilitators.”
Deacon Dougherty wished this ministry existed for his son, and now hopes it can make an impact on others.
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, call or text 988, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for more resources.
