September 29, 2025 // Bishop

Catholic Charities Provides Mental Health Resources

Clare Hildebrandt

Reporter

Throughout the past decade, Americans have experienced a crisis like never before: a record number of people, particularly youth, are suffering from depression, anxiety, and isolation.

And with mental health often treated as taboo, these individuals suffer in silence, masking the intense pain and struggle within.

The Church, in all her wisdom, cannot stay silent when her children are in trouble, and she “opens her arms to all those who are suffering,” according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USSCB).

In response, the Church launched the National Catholic Mental Health Campaign in 2023 with the aim to promote greater awareness of mental illness. The initiative, introduced by Bishop Robert Barron of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, and Archbishop Borys Gudziak of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia, encouraged the faithful to grow in knowledge of mental health resources as well as regularly intercede for those who are struggling.

This year, officials with the USSCB have renewed the group’s call for awareness by promoting a nationwide novena that will begin on Friday, October 10, and run through Saturday, October 18. Throughout our churches in the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend and throughout the nation, bishops, priests, consecrated religious, and laypeople are encouraged to participate in the novena’s nine days of prayer.

Bishop Rhoades is urging the faithful in the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend to participate by praying for all of those who are suffering and alone as the diocese prepares to raise awareness of this ongoing crisis on Mental Health Sunday, which will be celebrated the weekend of October 11-12.

Dr. Melanie Williams, a licensed clinical psychologist who serves as the associate director of clinical liaison and diocesan mental health ministries at Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, sat down with Today’s Catholic to discuss Mental Health Sunday and its importance. 

“There are very few people whose lives are not impacted by mental health,” Williams told Today’s Catholic. “It can be in ourselves and the way we experience stress, anxiety, grief. In our lives, we all experience mental health challenges at one point or another, and if we don’t, someone we know is [suffering].”

“We are praying this novena so that people who are feeling alone, isolated, stigmatized, marginalized because of their mental or emotional suffering have the light of hope shined in their life,” she explained.

At the heart of the initiative is to show God’s mercy and love to the world.

“This is a work of mercy, and the goal of what the USSCB is doing is to pray, reach out, and accompany those you are concerned about. This is a beautiful opportunity for us
to reach young people. Bishop Barron talks about this generation … many growing up without any religion or spirituality, and they are experiencing record levels of depression.”

Williams revealed there are many ways, along with the novena, to assist those suffering and downtrodden from mental health issues.

Dispel the Shame, Eliminate the Stigma

Oftentimes, people dealing with mental health issues blame themselves for their suffering, leading to crippling amounts of shame and self-loathing.

“If you go back 20, 40, 50 years, people didn’t talk about mental health disorders because they were very much a source of shame for people,” Williams said. “People would pretend everything was OK when it wasn’t. They thought to struggle was to bring shame upon your family or yourself.”

Williams finds a remedy for this in Scripture.

“It reminds me of the Gospel passage when they ask Jesus about the man who was born blind. They asked, ‘Was it his own sins or his parents that brought this upon him?’ This is a misunderstanding of the problem. It was not his fault that he was suffering. To compare it to mental health, these problems are not the results of sin,” she said.

Through Mental Health Sunday and the bishops’ national campaign, the USSCB aims to eliminate the stigma within the Church surrounding mental health.

“If you are suffering emotionally, it is not a moral failure or an embarrassment. It is an opportunity for the Church to wrap its arms around you through your brothers and sisters in Christ,” Williams explained.

Resources and Education

“What we can do as a Church to reduce stigma is educate people,” Williams said. “As Catholics, we are a body-soul union. We need to be taking care of our minds, bodies, and most importantly, our souls,” Williams said. 

She said there are many resources that can alleviate and aid recovery from mental illness.

“There are so many different types of ways to get help. There is professional help and even coping strategies on your own. If you are suffering with mental health or emotional issues, it is OK to talk to a counselor, primary care doctor, or even a priest. You ought to talk to someone.”

Williams continued: “In the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, there are many faith-based counselors. All our counselors at Catholic Charities are faith-based,” she said. “Maybe someone doesn’t feel ready for counseling. I encourage that person to seek a spiritual counselor, turn to prayer, seek grace in the Sacrament of Confession, receive the Eucharist, pray the Rosary.”

Williams also encouraged the use of medication when needed. Along with these options is a new program within the diocese to establish support groups in parishes.

“One of the initiatives we have begun in this diocese is for parishes to train laypeople to form Catholic mental health ministries and support groups,” Williams said. To learn more about this program, visit the website of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend at ccfwsb.org/catholic-mental-health-ministries.

Accompany Those Who Are Suffering

It can be difficult to know how to assist someone, perhaps a loved one, struggling with mental or emotional health. Williams suggests above all “to be a listening ear.”

“The best thing a concerned loved one can do is find a
private time to express their concern without being judgmental and be a listening ear for the person suffering. The most important thing is being a listening ear, a nonjudgmental person of support for those who are suffering,” she said.

“It is so inherent to the call of the Christian to love our neighbors, and so we know that an important way to love our brothers and sisters in Christ in our parish communities is to accompany them when they are experiencing suffering,” Williams said.

Ultimately, the novena for mental health, beginning on Friday, October 10, is an opportunity to pray for those in need.

“In other words, those partaking are saying: ‘You are not alone. I, as your brother or sister in Christ, am here for you. I am praying for you. Know that hope, healing, and recovery are possible,’” Williams concluded.

For more information and resources, visit the Catholic Charities website at ccfwsb.org. For those experiencing a mental health crisis, call 911 or call or text 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, which also offers support in Spanish.

Clare Hildebrandt is a staff writer for Today’s Catholic.