By Halle Beranek
When Katie Shoener died by suicide, her father, Deacon Ed Shoener saw how vital it was that Catholic parishes become places of ministry for those struggling with and impacted by mental health issues. As a response to this, Deacon Ed created the International Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers to provide resources and training to Church communities as they provide spiritual mental health ministry. Nearly ten years after Katie’s death, Deacon Ed came to speak at the Diocese of Green Bay Mental Health Ministry Retreat to provide prayerful discernment time, connection, resources, and guidance to those interested in pursuing mental health ministries in their parishes.
This initiative has come through the work of the Mental Health Ministry Council, an outreach of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Green Bay, whose mission is to reduce stigma, provide resources, and ensure that no one feels alone in their struggles by cultivating networks of understanding and support through the parishes.
Over ninety Diocesan community members including lay people, religious sisters, and deacons participated in keynote talks, Mass, a panel discussion, and networking time. After hearing about the free resources available for leading mental health support groups, prayer guides, and video resources for parishes, one retreatant shared that she had “not been aware of these things in our Diocese.”
Thanks to the work of Deacon Ed Shoener, the International Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers, and the Mental Health Ministry Council from Catholic Charities, retreatants learned that they can “help their parishes in small ways without needing to know all the answers.”
