Resources for Support Life Sunday 2022 – You are not alone: Accompanying and caring for people living with mental illness

Resources:

Support Life Sunday 2022 - Tautokona te Rātapu Whakaora 2022

Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary time: 9 October 2022

This year the Bishops the theme chosen by the New Zealand Catholic Bishops for Support Life Sunday is Mental Illness, with the focus on accompanying and caring for people living with mental illness.

The focus of the material is amplifying the voices of people living with mental illness and their insights into ways they feel supported.

The Nathaniel Centre -- the bishops' bioethics agency -- has prepared material for use on social media and in liturgical celebrations. It is published in full below with links to the relevant resources. Click:

• here for a written guide to using the parish resources, and

• click here for a written guide to using the school resources.

The National Liturgy Office has prepared liturgical materials for the day. These are linked here, and are also at the bottom of this page.

Resource Material Prepared by the Nathaniel Centre:

Support Life Sunday 2022 Tautokona te Rātapu Whakaora 2022

The full tagline is: You are not alone: Accompanying and caring for people living with mental illness

The shortened tagline is: You are not alone, which has also been translated into te reo Māori: Ehara hoki i te mea ko koe anake

Mental Health Awareness Week

Please keep in mind that New Zealand’s Mental Health Awareness Week is 26 Sept-2 Oct. While this is coincidental, we think it provides a wonderful point of entry for Catholic parishes to reflect on and discuss what is such an important and urgent topic. Therefore, we encourage you to use the social media tiles provided (see below) and suggest that you begin posting them on your parish social media platforms starting on Monday 3 October (leading up to the weekend of Support Life Sunday) as well as the five days following.

The Mental Health Foundation has useful resources here on its website.

Social Media Tiles

The campaign seeks, as one of its aims, to give a voice to people with first-hand experience of mental illness. We are providing a total of 12 social media tiles comprising quotes that have been provided by various individuals, along with some other tiles based around factual information about mental illness.

The tiles are here: 1 2 2a 3 4 5 6 6a 7 8 9 10 11 12 12a

Tiles 2a, 6a and 12a are in te reo Māori.

As noted above, our suggestion is that you begin posting the tiles on your social media accounts on Monday 3 October.

The File Names for the tiles are listed in this linked Word document with the plain text for captions.

Captions for accessibility: Please use the text of the information that is pictured in the social media tiles in your caption of social media posts so that ‘read aloud’ or assistive technology that reads digital text aloud can be make the quotes and information accessible.

Poster

The poster, which features three anonymous quotes, has been designed for classrooms, church buildings, offices and gathering spaces and can be easily printed up to A3 size. It can be downloaded here as a PDF file for printing.

Examination of Conscience - parishes

We have provided a series of questions around the theme of Mental Illness designed to prompt self-reflection as well as community discussion. The questions will, hopefully, assist us to become more aware, more inclusive and more supportive of those living with mental illness and their families.

The examen can be printed off from this link as a poster and/or use this slide for newsletters.

There is also a PowerPoint version of the examen for you to use on screen in your churches should you wish.

Examination of Conscience - Primary Schools and Colleges

Specially adapted forms of the examen are provided for use in primary schools and colleges. These are also available to be printed off as a poster for classrooms. Go here for the primary schools poster, and here for the colleges poster.

Questions for Parish Leadership Teams and Pastoral Carers

We are also providing a further list of points for parish leadership teams and parish ministers to reflect on to ensure that parish communities can become more inclusive and supportive of those with mental illness and their whānau. This material has been provided by Michael Hempseed - Professional Speaker and Author of “Being a True Hero: Understanding & Preventing Suicide in Your Community”.

Click here for the file Questions for Parish Leadership Teams and Pastoral Carers

Mass PowerPoint Holding Slide

A PowerPoint ‘holding slide’ has been prepared for you to use as you wish – for example, before Mass begins or after or at gatherings or meetings around this time.

Liturgical Celebration Material

The National Liturgy Office has prepared the following material for Support Life Sunday 2022. It is also available from the NLO website here.

Readings:
2 Kings 5:14-17 Conversion of Naaman
Psalm 98:1, 2-3,3-4 The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power
2 Tm 2:8-13 If we have died with him, we shall also live with him…
Luke 17:11-19 The Ten Lepers

Homily Notes:

• The scriptures for this Sunday provide an ideal foundation to our national focus on accompanying and caring for people living with mental illness since leprosy was not considered simply to be a physical ailment but a symptom or sign of deeper psychological struggles. In many ways, the outcast lepers 2000 years ago are the sisters and brothers of those living with mental illness in 2022. If this is mentioned in a homily, it needs to be in the context of Jesus response to the leper – embracing as a sister, a brother, and even learning from the one who is struggling and marginalised.

• There are times when each of us struggle psychologically; when things are tough, when dealing with the death of one we love, when facing our own death, when the dreams we have for our relationships and our work, for our children and our security seem to unravel. It is appropriate and even necessary to acknowledge the struggle with mental health at these times since the struggle turns us to Jesus who is THE healer, the guide, and the one ready to accompany us through present difficulties to greater human maturity and therefore to greater maturity of faith.

• Seeking the counsel of a professional (as the lepers sought Jesus) is not a sign of weakness but a step in courage, confident that Jesus works through wise and skilled people and aware that we are wise when we ask for the help we need. Healthy psychology does not contradict healthy spirituality and healthy spirituality does not contradict health psychology.

• It may be helpful in a homily to quote from Pope Francis when he reflected on seeking psychoanalysis at a challenging time in his own life: "The treatment with the psychiatrist also helped me to locate myself and learn to manage my anxiety and avoid being rushed when making decisions. The decision making process is always complex. And the advice and observations that she gave me was very helpful. ... Her teachings are still very useful to me today."

• Pope Francis’ homily on these scriptures in 2013 suggests that there are three steps in the journey of faith of the leper who returned to give thanks: 1. They cry out. 2. They walk, and 3. They give thanks. While the nine lepers took the first two steps, they were not as fully healed as the one who understood that this desire was not simply for the appearance of recovery (her skin was restored) but for relationship with Jesus the healer. The nine did not respond to Jesus’ invitation to relationship. The one returned seeking relationship with Jesus and no doubt every time Jesus returned to the border region between Samaria and Galilee he and the cured man would have reunited as friends.

• You might like to listen to a half-hour podcast reflection on these scriptures at www.foodforfaith.org.nz – look for the Homily Studio link. The podcast for support Life Sunday will be available to listen to from Monday 3 October.
Parish Newsletter gap-fillers for this Sunday.

• Pope Francis reflecting on seeking psychoanalysis for himself at a challenging time in his life: "The treatment with the psychiatrist also helped me to locate myself and learn to manage my anxiety and avoid being rushed when making decisions. The decision making process is always complex. And the advice and observations that she gave me was very helpful. ... Her teachings are still very useful to me today."

• “The difference between "active" and "busy" is that the former includes reflection and is directed, whereas the busy life feels out of control and does not seem purposeful or meaningful.” Robert J. Wicks (who has visited NZ several times)

• "Let nothing perturb you, nothing frighten you. All things pass. God does not change. Patience achieves everything." Teresa of Avila

• “We are all born as originals, but many of us will die as photocopies.” Carlo Acutis RIP 2006 aged 16

• “Whoever suffers from mental illness 'always' bears God's image and likeness in themselves, as does every human being In addition, they 'always' have the inalienable right not only to be considered as an image of God and therefore as a person, but also to be treated as such". John Paul II 1996

Parish Newsletter gap-fillers for Support Life Sunday.

• "Let nothing perturb you, nothing frighten you. All things pass. God does not change. Patience achieves everything." Teresa of Avila

• “We are all born as originals, but many of us will die as photocopies.” Carlo Acutis RIP 2006 aged 16

Prayer of Intercession (feel free to adapt these prayer-suggestions to the local parish / school need)

• Lord Jesus, You are our healer, and each one of us is in need of healing. Heal us from being caught up in ourselves. Free us from the fear that keeps us from reaching out to others who may need our gestures of friendship. Give us the courage and generosity to be gentle with our own struggles with mental health, and to then be gentle and generous with the struggles of others.

• In today’s second reading we heard the saying that we can rely on: “If we have died with Christ, then we shall live with Him”. Today especially we pray for those who may be physically healthy but who feel deeply burdened by their psychological struggles. Use each one of us, Lord Jesus, as your instruments to bring healing and new life to others.

Hymn Suggestions

• You Raise Me Up
• On Eagles Wings
• Be Still My Soul
• Be Not Afraid
• Like a Shepherd He Feeds His Flock
• Grace Alone
• Abide With Me

Another Liturgy Suggestion for Support Life Sunday:

While it is easy to fill every moment of a parish or school liturgy with words, music or activity, the Rites of the Liturgy invite us to embrace silence at several points during the liturgy. Some people may not know how best to use this silence before Mass, after the homily or after communion. You might like to use this invitation perhaps especially with two minutes silence before Mass begins today:

Today, as we hear of Jesus’ healing of the lepers let us take time to be still and silent, allowing Jesus to renew our desire for abundance in life for ourselves and for those we love. (10 second silence). As we mark this Sunday as Support Life Sunday, let us call to mind our own struggles and anxieties, perhaps our awareness of our own vulnerable mental health. (10 second silence). We remember too those in our own families, friends, those we work with who struggle with issues of mental health (10 second silence). Throughout this Mass we pray for all who face these difficulties, that Jesus will use us to bring them healing and abundance of life.

Help & Support

Please consider including nationwide or local (to you) helplines, websites and places to go to for support when promoting Support Life Sunday material.

HELPLINES

Need to talk? Free call or text 1737 any time for support from a trained counsellor.
Lifeline – 0800 543 354 (0800 LIFELINE) for counselling and support.
Depression Helpline – 0800 111 757 to talk to a trained counsellor about how you are feeling or to ask any questions.
Suicide Crisis Helpline – 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO) For people in distress, and people who are worried about someone else.
Healthline – 0800 611 116 for advice from trained registered nurses.
Samaritans – 0800 726 666
Youthline – 0800 376 633, free text 234 or email talk@youthline.co.nz. For young people, and their parents, whānau and friends.
What's Up – 0800 942 8787 (for 5–18-year-olds; Mon to Fri midday–11pm and weekends 3pm–11pm).
Kidsline – 0800 54 37 54 (0800 KIDSLINE) – for young people up to 18 years of age. Open 24/7.
OUTLine NZ – 0800 688 5463 (0800 OUTLINE) – provides confidential support for sexuality or gender identity issues.
SPARX – an online self-help tool that teaches young people the key skills needed to help combat depression and anxiety.
The Journal – NZ based self-help programme designed to teach you skills that can help get through mild to moderate depression more effectively.
Big White Wall – Free for Auckland residents. A UK-based professionally facilitated, peer support community of people who are experiencing common mental health problems.

There is further information and learning resources on the Mental Health Foundation’s website, from explanations of medical conditions and statistics through to lists of community support groups in your area. https://mentalhealth.org.nz/our-work/resource-and-information-service

Further Learning

https://www.cbcew.org.uk/mental-health/ The Catholic Bishops Conference of England & Wales has established a Mental Health Project to further encourage and inspire communities of understanding.

https://mediablog.catholic.org.au/bishops-release-mental-illness-outreach-guidelines/ the Australian Catholic Bishops have published guidelines to provide parishes with very useful information about mental illness in its various forms.

https://mentalhealth.org.nz/ New Zealand’s Mental Health Foundation has useful resources and information for the New Zealand context.

https://mentalhealth.inquiry.govt.nz/inquiry-report/he-ara-oranga/chapter-3-what-we-think/3-2-our-conclusions/ The conclusion section of He Ara Oranga : Report of the Government Inquiry into Mental Health and Addiction (2018)