mental health literacy for clergy,<\/a> the program revealed a strong desire among parish staff and ministry leaders for additional formation.<\/p>\n\u201cMany leaders were asking, \u2018When\u2019s the next one? What more could I get?’\u201d Alvarez told the Texas Catholic Herald, the archdiocesan news outlet. \u201cThey\u2019re hungry for learning more and having that deeper knowledge.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Charleen Katra, NCPD\u2019s executive director, that interest reflects what parishes across the country are experiencing.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have an epidemic, at this point, of mental health concerns across the country, in the world, so the Church is no different,\u201d Katra said. \u201cMany adults these days are really struggling, and if they\u2019re struggling, oftentimes their children or their students are struggling.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pope Leo XIV\u2019s prayer intention for October was dedicated to praying specifically for mental health ministries.<\/p>\n
According to the Pope\u2019s Worldwide Prayer Network, which produces and distributes the papal prayer videos, more than 1 billion people worldwide live with a mental disorder, and less than 2% of national health budgets are dedicated to public spending on mental health.<\/p>\n
In the U.S., more than 1 in 5 adults experience mental health issues in a given year, 1 in 20 seriously, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.<\/p>\n
The sessions in Houston addressed mental health awareness, trauma-informed care, suicide prevention, disability ministry and parish support strategies. Organizers emphasized that parish leaders are not being trained as therapists but to recognize warning signs, accompany people pastorally and connect them with professional help when needed.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t want to ever do harm naturally,\u201d Katra said. \u201cBut you do want to know what\u2019s necessary and when to and how to refer, and have resources available for parishes and schools.<\/p>\n
One area of particular concern is the impact of immigration-related stress on families. Alvarez said parish leaders increasingly encounter families dealing with separation, legal uncertainty and fear, especially within Hispanic communities. To address those concerns, the training included a Spanish-language track alongside English-language sessions.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve heard from many of our parish directors about families being separated, or dealing with immigration and that fear,\u201d Alvarez said. \u201cThey\u2019re going through a current crisis. We\u2019ve heard over and over that mental health is definitely a priority. There\u2019s a great need for that.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Katra, addressing those needs begins with creating parish cultures where people feel welcomed, not merely accommodated.<\/p>\n
\u201cInclusion is good, but meaningful belonging is different,\u201d Katra said. \u201cWe want to move from inclusion to belonging. Both point to something greater. They point to communion.\u201d<\/p>\n
That sense of belonging can be especially important for people living with depression, anxiety, trauma, developmental disabilities or other challenges that may not be immediately visible.<\/p>\n
\u201cFirst and foremost, be hospitable,\u201d Katra said.<\/p>\n
She asked parishioners to respond with patience when encountering someone who appears distressed or behaves differently than expected. Small accommodations, such as quiet spaces during liturgies, retreats or faith formation programs, can make participation more accessible.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can\u2019t see the invisible,\u201d Katra said. \u201cThe more we can make adjustments or provide a quiet space for someone to take a break, the more access people have to fully participate.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gina Ferrera, who leads Amazing Grace, an adaptive-needs ministry, said the consequences of failing to create that sense of welcome can be significant.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo feel shunned in the church, when you\u2019re worshipping in God\u2019s house, they\u2019re scared,\u201d Ferrera said. \u201cThey stop coming to Mass. They go to another denomination.\u201d<\/p>\n
Archdiocesan leaders hope the conversation encourages parishes to view mental health ministry and disability inclusion as essential elements of parish life.<\/p>\n
Katra believes one of the most important steps Catholics can take is simply slowing down enough to truly see one another.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a saying you can listen someone into existence,\u201d she said. \u201cSee Christ in them. The way you perceive someone directly affects the way you receive someone.\u201d<\/p>\n
For parish and ministry leaders, that message remains at the heart of the effort: ensuring that every person who enters a church, regardless of diagnosis, disability or personal struggle, knows they belong.<\/p>\n
That message also echoes the focus of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops\u2019 year-round National Catholic Mental Health Campaign: \u201cEveryone who needs help should receive help.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
![](\"http:\/\/thedialog.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/SITS.Leaderboard.png\"\/)
<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\nkabarsula SLOT <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Melissa Alvarez, seen in an undated photo, is director of the Office of Ministry for…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3827,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3826","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-kabarsula"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kabarsula.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3826","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kabarsula.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kabarsula.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kabarsula.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kabarsula.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3826"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kabarsula.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3826\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kabarsula.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3827"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kabarsula.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3826"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kabarsula.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3826"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kabarsula.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3826"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/thedialog.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/28152033\/20261028T0828-PARISH-MENTAL-HEALTH-CARE-MINISTRY-1829007-640x427.jpg\" "\\"PARISH")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/thedialog.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/28152033\/20261028T0828-PARISH-MENTAL-HEALTH-CARE-MINISTRY-1829007-scaled.jpg\" "\\"PARISH")
<\/a>![](\"https:\/\/thedialog.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/31135457\/DIALOG-DIGITAL-AD-ILG-TOP-INSET-800x100-07-17-26-V1.png\"\/)
<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n