Health Care

The church is called to address taboos associated with mental illness both within society and within its own ranks, advocates at the Catholic Social Ministry Gathering said on Jan. 28.

For Bishop John P. Dolan, his mental health ministry expertise has come at a terrible personal price — which is why he has also become one of the most outspoken American prelates on the necessity of spiritual accompaniment for those suffering from mental illness.

As suicide continues to be a leading cause of American deaths, Catholics may also turn to their church for spiritual support in the midst of a mental health episode — but dioceses are discovering they need to sprint to catch up and keep pace with this deadly epidemic.