Catholic Mental Health Ministers Releases Powerful New Film Series
For Those Impacted By Suicide
Free film series offers mental health and grief support from a spiritual perspective
At a time when the Catholic Church remembers the souls of the departed, the Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers (CMHM), in partnership with Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries (Sanctuary), has released a new film series titled When a Loved One Dies by Suicide, designed to be a free resource for Catholics coping with the trauma of a loved one’s suicide. The series is a companion to the award-winning book from Ave Maria Press called When A Loved One Dies By Suicide: Comfort, Hope, and Healing for Grieving Catholics, compiled by Deacon Ed Shoener and the Most Rev. John Dolan, Bishop of the Diocese of Phoenix.
“There is a true urgency for this type of resource for individuals grieving in the aftermath of this kind of trauma,” said Bishop Dolan, who has personally lost three of his own siblings to suicide as well as a brother-in-law. Dolan is featured in the eight-part film series, among six other individuals who offer reflections and encouragement from their own experience of suffering after the death of a loved one. Other key presenters are Msgr. Charles Pope of the Archdiocese of Washington D.C.; Dr. Melinda Moore, Suicide Prevention Clinic Coordinator and Associate Professor of Psychology and Trauma at Eastern Kentucky University; Catholic writer and speaker Leticia Adams; and Dr. David Jobes, Professor of Psychology and Director of the Suicide Prevention Lab at The Catholic University of America. The films cover topics ranging from the experience of suicide loss for surviving siblings, parents, and spouses, to what the Church teaches about suicide and posttraumatic growth in the aftermath of suicide loss.
Shoener, the founder of CMHM, knows there is a real need for mental health ministry in the Church. His daughter Katie died by suicide in 2016 after a long battle with bipolar disorder, and in her obituary, he took an honest and open look at the stigma surrounding mental illness. The obituary went viral, displaying a sore need for mental health support within the Catholic Church. In response, Shoener founded CMHM and now works tirelessly to minister to others dealing with mental health crises in their own families.
“It is an essential ministry in today’s climate of mounting mental health issues,” Shoener said. “Parishes are needing more and more resources to answer the growing need for support on these subjects. Spiritual support during times of crises is invaluable and cannot be overlooked. Our hope is that these films will allow parishes to form and facilitate small grief support groups of their own.”
Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries produces free resources that equip the Church to support mental health and wellbeing. After releasing their flagship Catholic resource, The Sanctuary Course for Catholics, Sanctuary partnered with Shoener and CMHM to produce When a Loved One Dies by Suicide.
“At Sanctuary, we all feel a profound sense of privilege that we have this opportunity to share such a powerful, moving, and hope-filled resource with the world. Suicide is not a subject that we often hear spoken about, and we count it an honor to be partnering with our dear friends at CMHM to provide this invaluable free resource to bring comfort and hope to those that are grieving the loss of a loved one to suicide,” said Sanctuary CEO Daniel Whitehead.
One in four people will be affected by a mental health challenge at some point in their lives, and yet stigma and lack of confidence can prevent those in ministry from responding to the need for spiritual support. CMHM aims to encourage and assist parishes to create mental health ministries to provide spiritual support for those living with mental health issues. It provides the tools, methods, and insights that allow Catholic leaders to confidently and skillfully minister to people living with mental health challenges and their families.
Videos are available on demand at Ave Maria Press, Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries, and also at CatholicMHM.org. The films are accompanied by a short viewing guide with an introduction to the resource, safe viewing practices, discussion questions, container exercises, and additional resources for suicide prevention and suicide loss.
For more information and a complete press kit, visit here.
To request an interview with Deacon Ed Shoener, contact Carrie Kline.
