The Novena for Mental Health, which starts on Oct. 10, is offered “in solidarity with those suffering from mental health challenges as well as health care professionals, family, and friends who are caring for people in need.”
The novena has a “Pray, Learn, Act” structure that, the bishops hope, will inspire more prayer, reflection, and action that can be taken to address the challenges associated with mental health.
Additionally, each day of the novena includes a reflection on a different theme related to mental health, such as removing stigmas, poverty, and suicide awareness; or a specific population affected by mental health challenges, such as families, children, and young adults.
The complete novena can be found here.
The virtual roundtables hosted by the USCCB will first start with bishops and then with other key Catholic leaders. The conversations will focus on how mental illness touches everyone’s lives, how to stand against the stigma, and how to discern actions that can be taken to help those in need.
Finally, the bishops urge all Catholics to advocate for bipartisan legislation that “address the severe lack of health care resources for prevention and treatment of mental health conditions.”