The theological underpinnings and social teachings of our Catholic faith offer robust frameworks for addressing mental health needs within our communities. These principles, deeply rooted in our understanding of the dignity of the human person and Catholic spiritual wisdom, provide a solid foundation for novel approaches that combine Catholic values with the evolving movement towards embracing peer support in mental healthcare.
At the core of this synergy is a recognition that Catholic social teaching and traditional, spiritual insights provide valuable guidance for responding to mental health challenges. Subsidiarity, a principle deeply embedded in Catholic social teaching, underscores the importance of addressing these challenges at the most immediate and local level possible. In the context of mental health accompaniment within parishes and small Catholic communities, subsidiarity encourages small peer group models that offer mutual support flowing out of shared, lived experiences, fostering a vital sense of agency and empathy and mutual growth in resiliency.
“Our parish communities are uniquely positioned to walk with others, offering prayer-filled support that can rebuild self-esteem and confidence often undermined by experiences of mental illness through a focus on mutuality, self-determination, respect, dignity, equity, and belonging.”
Moreover, solidarity, another fundamental principle, aligns profoundly with the ethos of peer support. It emphasizes the interconnectedness of individuals and the shared responsibility to ensure the well-being of all community members. This can be especially helpful and meaningful for those those facing mental health challenges where the affects of stigma and a natural inclination towards self-isolation can break down essential social supports. This basic principle of solidarity should be an encouragement for our parish communities to work towards fostering inclusive, compassionate environments, where individuals feel supported, understood, and embraced in their mental health journeys.
These basic principles of subsidiarity and solidarity, emphasize the importance of nurturing warmth and community alongside persons who experience mental health challenges and their families within the parish context. Recognizing the pivotal role of a supportive environment in mental health care can help to empower smaller communities to play an active role in providing holistic support. This is especially true of our parishes, called be be Christ’s warm, compassionate, and welcoming presence at the heart of the neighbourhoods of which they are a part. Using a spiritually informed model of peer support and being intentional about opening their doors to welcome people experiencing mental health challenges can allow parishes to take an active role in dismantling societal barriers, and foster cultures of inclusion and acceptance.
Our parish communities are uniquely positioned to walk with others, offering prayer-filled support that can rebuild self-esteem and confidence often undermined by experiences of mental illness through a focus on mutuality, self-determination, respect, dignity, equity, and belonging. All done in ways that create natural, community-based, mutual relationships. In this context peers with similar lived experiences walk alongside, rather than lead. Community members give and receive together, offering support, and learning and growing at the same time.
Pope Francis’ emphasis during the 2021 National Conference for Mental Health on strengthening health systems to support those facing mental illness resonates strongly with these ideas. Our mental healthcare systems often struggle to consistently and affordably provide access to those in need. While parish communities may not meet the clinical needs of individuals dealing with mental health challenges and their families, a spiritual peer support model can complement these services. This model highlights the use of scripture, prayer, and contemplative tools from our Catholic spiritual tradition alongside intentional, strengths-based accompaniment that can offer forms of support that purely clinical approaches might lack.
By integrating the principles of subsidiarity and solidarity into the framework of mental health accompaniment in parishes and small Catholic communities, we pave the way for an inclusive, compassionate, and community-driven approach. This synergy allows for the integration of Catholic values into contemporary mental health practices, ensuring that individuals are supported not only medically but also spiritually and emotionally within the context of their own communities.
Emmaus Support Mental Health Ministries 