Starting Tuesday April 3 there will be 5 workshops at Holy Name Cathedral on mental illness. The workshops will be on the five consecutive Tuesdays from 6:30 to 8:15. The workshops will discuss how we as a faith community can be supportive to those who are dealing with a mental illness and to their families. Presenters will include medical professionals, and people currently involved in this ministry. If you are interested or would like more information, please contact Deacon Tom Lambert at olmcinfo2@aol.com

Easter is a time of hope, promise and fulfillment. We will hear in the coming weeks, at Sundays’ scripture readings, us how the disciples go forth against all odds and bring the joy of the resurrected Jesus to people near and far. I am always inspired by story of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. They were devastated by the death of Jesus, and were inconsolable on their way to Emmaus. So demoralized that they didn’t even recognize Jesus as He began to walk alongside them. ( perhaps you have felt the same way when dealing with a mental illness of your own or a loved one or a different tragedy in your life.) The story gives us some pretty good advice about how to deal with devastating feelings. First Jesus goes through the Hebrew Scriptures basically explaining salvation history. How God has been and is always there for them and of course is fulfilled in Jesus. The full awareness of God’s glory and joy comes to the disciples in the Eucharistic meal. The Gospel of Luke tells us “ when he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them.  Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

When we face a difficult challenge, the scriptures and the Eucharist are wonderful blessings that lead us to hope, promise and fulfillment. May Easter Joy always be with you!

Deacon Tom

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INSPIRATION

BY PEOPLE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS OR FAMILY MEMBERS

A Eulogy Given by Mary Kate Arend for Her Brother.

As Mary Kate says in her eulogy: ". As I have struggled to make sense out of all the suffering Mark endured in his lifetime, I have been stunned by the realization of what goodness and holiness grew out of that suffering. " and " Mark’s unshakable faith allowed him to understand and accept that his 41 years of suffering were not meaningless, but in fact held great value. His suffering had brought him face to face with our Suffering Savior. May we, like Mark, allow God to work through our struggles and suffering to draw us to Himself."

Here is the complete Euology

A Reflection on the Gospel of Luke 9:57-62 by Dash, a person living in recovery with a mental illness. Written of the Feast of St Francis

Dash writes the following in his reflection that Jesus is on the side of the poor. If we look further to the oppressed and persecuted and those who are routinely stigmatized and misunderstood-Jesus is on our side......As a general rule of thumb,follow me, means do the next right thing. This could mean taking your next dosage of medication. And that seriously counts and is righteous. When we begin the day or the moment with quiet and prayer and ask the God the Father to send us the Holly Spirit, the Holy Spirit will prompt our actions toward following Christ. If ethics are at issue, pray to God or the Blessed Mother or your favorite saint for the grace to understand the ethical point of view.....All we can do my brothers and sisters living in recovery with a mental illness, is cooperate with the grace we are given. If we do this, we will have eternal life and live as Saint among the Saints in Heaven.

Here is the complete Reflection

A Reflection on 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 by Dash, a person living in recovery with a mental illness.

Dash writes about always being connected to God even when our illness gets us down "Apart from God we are but a branch broken apart from a Vine. The Vine is God and God is the creator. The Vine can live apart from the branch. But, the branch cannot live apart from the Vine (John 15:1)."

Here is the complete Reflection

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A Reflection on The Way Of The Cross by Dash, a person living in recovery with a mental illness.

Dash writes about "life being life and a mental illness being a mental illness, you may often be tempted, to “go it alone.” Just cut yourself off and walk away from humanity. And, further, a mental illness being a mental illness, you may be tempted to turn your back on the Lord. Now, I used to fall for that but I found the hard way: if I worship a false God, let us say my anger infused ego, I will break the first of The Ten Commandments found in the Hebrew Scripture and I will suffer an amount depending upon how much I worship the false idol." .... for the full reflection -

Here is the complete Reflection

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New Website for Catholic Parish Resources

There is a new website for Parish support for Mental Health Ministry at www.parishmhsupport.org

This website has resources for support groups, prayers and more.

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National Catholic Reporter Interview on Recovery Model and the Catholic Church

The National Catholic Reporter did an interview with Deacon Tom Lambert, from the Archdiocese of Chicago's Commission on Mental Illness, Jan Benton from the National Catholic Partnership on Disability, Archbishop Wenski from Miami and several mental health professionals about how the Church can be a key component in the recovery model for helping people with mental illnesses. To view the article click on: National Catholic Reporter article "Catholic church can aid treatment of mental illness"

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OUTREACH TO FAMILIES OF THOSE WHO DIED BY SUICIDE

Death by suicide is a critical issue for our communities. The following is an excellent pastoral resource for those grieving the loss of a person who died by suicide. LOSS of Catholic Charities Chicago, Loving Outreach to Survivors of Suicide,is a non-denominational program supporting those who have lost a loved one by suicide. Click here to go to their website: LOSS PROGRAM ____________________________________________________________________________

Catholic Social Teaching and Mental Illness

The following is written by Mair Moran who recently completed her training in pastoral ministry for the Diocese of Oakland, California. She tells a compelling story on why we as church are called to reach out to people with mental illness and their families from both a real life situation and our Catholic social teaching. Thank you Mair for sharing this with us.

Catholic Social Teaching and Mental Illness by Mair Moran

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THEOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK ON MENTAL ILLNESS

The National Catholic Partnership on Disability sets forth the following framework as a guide to the Church's ministry for and with people with mental illness:

HUMAN LIFE IS SACRED. EVERY PERSON IS CREATED IN GOD'S IMAGE.

"One of the fundamental truths of Christian belief is that each human being is created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26-27). The Catholic Church unconditionally embraces and faithfully proclaims this truth. It is the foundation for human dignity. Our commitment to this truth is measured through actions on behalf of the vulnerable and alienated in society, especially the poor and suffering."� Affirming the Dignity of the Mentally Ill, Nebraska Bishop' s Conference, January 2005

SINCE ALL PEOPLE ARE CREATED IN THE IMAGE OF GOD, THEIR DIGNITY AND WORTH CANNOT BE DIMINISHED BY ANY CONDITION INCLUDING MENTAL ILLNESS.

"Whoever suffers from mental illness 'always' bears God's image and likeness in themselves, as does every human being. In addition, they 'always' have the inalienable right not only to be considered as an image of God and therefore as a person, but also to be treated as such." Pope John Paul II, International Conference for Health Care Workers, on Illnesses of the Human Mind, November 30, 1996

SUFFERING IS REDEMPTIVE WHEN UNITED TO CHRIST.

"Those who share in the sufferings of Christ are also called, through their own sufferings, to share in (eschatological) glory." � Salvifices Doloris, p22, Apostolic Letter from JohnPaul II, July 15, 1999

WE ARE THE BODY OF CHRIST.

"The great strength of community is the uniqueness and giftedness of each member. The more each person uses their gifts, the stronger the community and the richer the relationships in that community. People are liberated if and when they use their gifts. People are imprisoned when they are prohibited or not enabled to use their gifts. Parishes are communities with great potential to receive and nurture the giftedness of people with disability. The Christian community is one in which all people can claim an equal place and contribute through presence and action."� A pastoral document for parishes, Bishop's Committee For The Family And For Life, Australian Catholic Bishops Conference 2004

"It is everyone's duty to make an active response; our actions must show that mental illness does not create insurmountable distances, nor prevent relations of true Christian charity with those who are its victims. Indeed it should inspire a particularly attentive attitude..." Pope John Paul II, International Conference for Health Care Workers, on Illnesses of the Human Mind, February 11, 1984

THE WORD OF GOD AFFIRMS THE DIGNITY OF ALL PEOPLE. INTERPRETATION OF SCRIPTURE SHOULD BE CONSISTENT WITH THE CURRENT UNDERSTANDING OF MENTAL ILLNESS.

"..To interpret sacred scripture correctly, the reader must be attentive to what the human authors truly wanted to affirm and what God wanted to reveal to us by their words. In order to discover the sacred author's intention, the reader must take into account the conditions of their time and culture, the literary genres in use at that time, and the modes of feeling, speaking, and narrating then current"� Catechism of the Catholic Church #109, 110

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