May is Mental Health Month and in May we have the feast of St Dymphna patron Saint for those who have mental health concerns. I offer two things for consideration. 

First is the mediation Each Day written by Rita Lambert. It gives ten things to meditate on for your morning prayer. 

The Each Day prayer helps us to live in the present. Living in the present moment means letting go of the past and not waiting for the future. It means living your life consciously aware that each moment you breathe is a gift from God. One way to keep balance in our lives is to actively concentrate on living in the present, i.e., work on appreciating what we have now and what God has given us. Spiritually it means seeing the hand of God in what we do each day. The Each Day prayer is an invitation to see the events of the day as holy because God is an integral part of our day. When we open our eyes to see God in all that we do, it changes the way we look at things and the way we do things and how we appreciate daily ups and downs. Our burdens become lighter and our joys become greater because we see things in a new way. The prayer can be found on the prayer page of our website.

Secondly, St Dymphna’s feast Day is May 15th. Also on the prayer page of our website is an intercessory prayer for St Dymphna.

Easter Joy

STARTING IN SEPTEMBER - JOIN US ON THE 4th TUESDAY OF EACH MONTH FROM 7:00-8:00 P.M.

The Chicago Archdiocesan Commission on Mental Illness is pleased to offer Moving Forward in Hope, a monthly series of evening prayer, connection, and hope. Our goal is to create a safe place for those living with or those caring for someone with mental health concerns to come together to pray and share their faith experience with one another. We know connection is paramount to mental health and well-being. These virtual meetings wilL be held on the fourth Tuesday of each month. For the registration link send an email to Deacon Tom Lambert at olmcinfo2@aol.com

Contact Deacon Tom Lambert at olmcinfo2@aol.com
to schedule a presentation on accompanying people with a mental illness and their families. The program AWARENESS, ACCEPTANCE, ACCOMPANIMENT covers what mental illnesses are, how they affect the person and their familiy, spirituality and recovery, and how we accompanying people and their famlies.

Deacon Ed Shoener, whose daughter died by suicide, co authored 2 books for ministry,Responding To Suicide and When A Loved One Dies By Suicide, presented a webinar on responding to suicide. Here is the youtube link to the recording of this very important message. Click on the you tube link to see the webinar

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Mary Seat of Wisdom Parish in Park Ridge hosted an evening on supporting people with mental illness and their families. Speakers presented on Faith and mental illness, family members, person with a mental illness, spiritual support, and support programs. Click on the link to see the presentation

Chicago Catholic did an interview with Deacon Tom Lambert on ways of coping during this period of "sheltering in place." To view the article click on: Chicago Catholic Magazine Interview

US Catholic Magazine did an interview with Deacon Tom Lambert regarding acccompaning people with mental illness and their families. To view the article click on: US Catholic Magazine Interview on Accompanying People with a Mental Illness

The California Bishops Conference letter "Hope and Healing" is an excellent statement calling us as church to reach out to people with mental Illness and theur families. The Bishops state "As pastors and bishops, we understand that mental health is a critical component of wellbeing. Therefore, ministering to those who suffer from mental illness is an essential part of the pastoral care of the Church. This letter represents a statement by Catholic pastors, in consultation with those who suffer from mental illness, their families and loved ones, health care practitioners, and other caregivers. We acknowledge and thank our collaborators�patients, families, mental health professionals, and pastoral care workers�who assisted with this statement."

This is an excellent teaching tool for parish ministry. It is available on their website at www.cacatholic.org

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"