SALT LAKE CITY — The United States Catholic Conference of Bishops announced in October a year long campaign focused on mental health. The campaign is called Healing and Hope, an initiative that aims to amplify local conversations about mental health.
The USCCB has a page on its website dedicated to different resources, showing a three-pronged approach to engage with the community. The church will offer a new digital campaign that shows different reflections and videos on the USCCB’s social media pages.
They have a page to help communities organize state conferences on mental health and provide an opportunity for everyone — from bishops to the congregation — to gather and have a conversation about local mental health realities. They’re also inviting people to reflect and pray on Mental Health Sunday, which took place on October 12th.
In Salt Lake City, Father Gabriel Mosher, the pastor at St. Catherine’s, said they’ve been able to organize a conference on mental health for the students on campus.
“So when the church is trying to address this issue, at a fundamental level of our psychology, it’s trying to also help us with our moral life and spiritual life,” he said. “And aid the operation of grace to perfect all those things. And that’s why the church takes an interest in those things.”
He said people can always call their local parish and get ahold of a priest to ask for help or resources. And he said it’s important for people to support each other and work together to create a flourishing community.
“Sit down and be a friend,” he said. “One of the problems we have in our society today is the disconnectedness. You know, even though we have all these forms of connection, we are actually more disconnected at a fundamental human way.”
