By Rachael Tvrdy
Director of Family Life and Discipleship
In recent years, we’ve seen an increased focus on mental health awareness, wellness, and emotional regulation. Parents are rediscovering the power of nature as a replacement for screens to help their children stay calm and engaged. Deep breathing is no longer a fringe fad, but a practical, research-backed tool to downshift the body out of anxiety. The nervous system, once rarely discussed outside of medical settings, is now widely recognized for its central role in both emotional health and physical well-being.
It’s easy to see why. We are, in many ways, tired and wired – stuck in fight or flight, living in a constant cycle of stress and release.
In my line of work, I see how often family conflict is rooted in nervous system dysregulation. Between spouses, between parents and children, beneath many misunderstandings lies a body that does not feel fundamentally safe. The nervous system often overlooked in ministry and church circles, is vitally central to our behavior – God designed it that way. It is what allows humans to bond, to defend, and to seek safety; in many ways, it’s our built-in security system.
When the nervous system becomes overwhelmed, our relationships become chaotic, and eventually, self-destruct. Marriages sometimes fall apart not because of incompatibility, but because two people come together with very two different security systems (with different attachment patterns, coping mechanisms, and stress responses) into one shared unit. Without awareness or tools “to hold space for one another,” those systems often escalate or shutdown entirely, which leads to division.
Why does this matter for ministry or for devout Catholics? Because God designed our bodies to serve communion, not to be an obstacle to it. Even in parish life, we may find ourselves unexpectedly triggered by a volunteer, staff, or even our pastor, sometimes for no clear reason. And the Enemy, who has studied human weakness from the beginning, knows what will make us lose our peace. And when peace is lost, division seems to always come next.
The Church is not divorced from conversations around emotional health. We are integrated beings – body and soul. Growth in holiness does not bypass the nervous system; it works with it.
Recently, I was in conversation with other diocesan directors, and I learned of an initiative through the International Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers (CMHM). This association does not offer diagnosis, counseling, or treatment, but has a simpler, accompaniment model. Essentially, it starts with a parish or diocese forming a small team (3-4 persons) to assess and discern the mental health needs of a community. Some parishes begin with assessment or listening sessions. Others offer public presentations or gather local resources to distribute to those who need them. What this will look like will vary, but the heart of it is paying attention to those who feel unseen and walking with them.
This idea touches my heart deeply because I know people who suffer from mental illness, who often feel stigmatized and isolated in their parish community. Similar to 12-step groups or Catholics in Recovery (a similar concept that serves those suffering from addictions and family members affected), spiritual support groups can become sanctuaries for those who feel spiritually homeless. And in fact, that is the name of a small group program through CMHM that have already launched around the country: Sanctuary for Catholics. Developed by a group of theologians, clinicians, and individuals who suffer themselves, it offers an 8-week study to explore themes tied to recovery, well-being, and accompaniment through a Catholic lens.
And truly – what individual, family, or clergy isn’t affected by stress, anxiety, and troubles? CMHM’s mission isn’t to directly treat those problems, but to provide tools, resources, and education for those suffering mentally who need that presence of compassion and care.
Mental health ministry often requires fewer resources than we imagine. It often begins with a few generous souls who come together, pray, discern, and have a meaningful discussion. From there, its impact can extend beyond support groups and into the forefront and life of the parish– shaping intercessory prayers, homilies, pastoral care, and even holy hours dedicated to healing and integration.
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and those who are bowed down. He desires a path forward for those who feel lonely or unsupported. Mother Teresa often said the greatest disease in the West is being unwanted, unloved, and uncared for. “The poverty in the West is a different kind of poverty. It is not only a poverty of loneliness, but also of spirituality. There’s a hunger for love, as there is a hunger for God.”
For more information on how to start a conversation about mental health ministry in your parish, go to: https://catholicmhm.org/start-a-parish-ministry.
