St. Michael Mental Health Awareness Ministry
Prayer Gathering for February
Wednesday, February 26 at 7 PM in the Parish Chapel
About the St. Michael Mental Health Awareness Ministry (MHAM) – The St. Michael Mental Health Awareness Ministry is a new spiritual support group intended for family and / or friends of persons living with mental and addiction disease / afflictions. We are community of faith offering help and hope. We share our lived experiences and mental health resources we have utilized. We practice Holy Listening and do not try to “fix” anyone’s problems.
We meet on the 4th Wednesday of the month at St. Michael Parish – If you or someone you love is struggling and/or living with mental health afflictions, members of our Mental Health Awareness Ministry are here to accompany you with compassion, prayer and holy listening. We gather in our parish chapel the 4th Wednesday of each month at 7 PM. We each light a candle and offer prayer intentions, praying through the intercession of St. Dymphna. We then listen to and reflect on scripture, followed by praying together the rosary, a Chaplet or Stations of the Cross with meditations for those with mental illness and their families.
All who come for our monthly St. Michael Mental Health Awareness ministry gathering pray for you and your loved ones in any struggles of which God knows. As ministry leader Bernadette Pappas reminds us at each gathering, through prayer we are connected – heart to heart and soul to soul – never alone on this journey. The light from the candles that are lit by those who attend our gatherings reminds us that Christ and the hope He gives is always with us, a never-ending light in the darkness.
For more information on our ministry, contact us at StMichaelMHAM@gmail.com.
INFORMATION FROM OUR GATHERING IN JANUARY 2025
Dearest Members of St. Michael Mental Health Awareness Ministry,
Peace of Mind be with you and “BE NOT AFRAID.” Kelly, Ellie, Noreen, Mary Ann, Kathy and I would like to sincerely thank each and everyone of you for your bravery, courage, love, understanding, trust and unwavering support through prayer for All and their Families that carry this heavy cross of mental and addiction disease. THANK YOU ALL who were present on Wednesday or in the past, our souls are eternally connected through the power of Prayer. Just a few weeks ago, Emmanuel, which means “God is with us”, was born. From the light of a Star so many came to adore Him. Well, all who came on Wednesday saw the results of that Star grow into so many candles being lit and glowing adding to the light of that great Star over 2000 years ago. Each and every one of you and the beautiful souls we pray for are part of the 2025 JUBILEE OF HOPE. TRUST that when we pray with our Blessed Mother, WE ARE PILGRIMS OF HOPE. If we cannot find the words, our actions speak louder than any words can express by simply praying The Holy Rosary for our neighbors, loved ones and ourselves in need. To borrow a phase from a dear prayer warrior friend/sister… “Love, Love, Love” is a phase that says it all. God loved us first before anyone else AND for all eternity. All we have to do is imitate God’s love the best we can and God will do the rest. Moving forward, we will be preparing ourselves for Lent and we all know what amazing events take place. The light even gets brighter! Remember, The Last Supper was in the darkness of night and lite by the glowing, twinkling flicker of candles. That evening, those candles lead to what we get to experience every time we go to Mass, The Last Supper…Christ’s Passion, Christ’s Crucifixion, Christ’s Death and Christ’s Ressurection from the dead, defeating death for all of us culminating into The Holy Eucharist. “Through Him, With Him, In Him” … Jesus himself, Body and Blood. LIGHT BEYOND IMAGINATION! PRAISE GOD, AMEN!
We started Wednesday, like last month, listening this time to Bishop Barron’s reciting The Rosary with his meditations before each of the Sorrowful Mysteries on YouTube. I highly recommend viewing this on YouTube because of the amazing Masterpieces of Art, Bishop Barron chose to give you many visuals of each Mystery. Dimming the lights in The Chapel only made our intension candles glow bigger and brighter. Honestly, I personally wanted at the end to sing loudly, “This lil light of mine, I’m going to let it shine!”. Singing is a Prayer especially during Mass or anywhere when it’s praising God. The louder we sing, again speaks volumes for all to see, hear and watch our actions in praising God. This is how much this Ministry is a Miracle, Sign, Grace (a Holy Trinity Blessing) from The Holy Trinity. Thankful and Grateful for the blessing Fr. Frank gave Kelly and I to help grow it with all of you. Providing a safe, warm, comfortable place to gather like all the AA, NA, MA and Al-Anon meetings I have attended with my husband, Mike and afflicted Son, Nicholas. St. Michael’s Chapel is an answered prayer where myself and you are free to pray most importantly The Rosary that I feel reflects the 12 Step Program of these wonderful support groups. Most importantly this Ministry and these support groups help both the afflicted and their families. Saving Families is one of the first goals of this Ministry. A Family that prays together, stays together.” quote from Fr. Patrick Peyton literally saved my childhood parents vocation to marriage and family and is still saving mine and Mike’s vocation to marriage and our family. Kathy reminded me to mention Matthew 18:20 “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there in the midst of them.” which fits perfectly with our Gospel reflection on Wednesday from John about The Wedding at Calvary from last Sunday… there are very few quotes from our Blessed Lady in the Gospel but I personally sit still and obey Her sacred words she spoke to the wedding servants, “DO WHATEVER HE TELLS YOU.”
We also spoke about what a blessing is to have our wonderful ADORATION CHAPEL to sit still, enjoy the silence and be present with our Brother, our Lord Jesus Christ. Personally I had know knowledge of what to do but I found myself sitting alone in Church one very very stressful day and felt Jesus sitting right beside me. Then I was led to this wonderful Adoration Chapel. Again and again I found myself sitting silent with Jesus and forming a closer and closer relationship with Him far more deeper than I had with my 7 siblings. I could tell Him everything …the good, the bad and the ugly knowing that I could Trust Him more than any other human being I knew with no judgment. What I did receive was His unconditional, agape love and precious Divine Mercy which led me to learning all about His Divine Mercy Chaplet story with St. Faustina and all He had her write down for all of us. This is the time of Mercy before Judgement. Love, Love, Love, Pray, Pray The Holy Rosary, Pray The Divine Chaplet, go to Confession, go to Mass, receive The Eucharist – Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ and “Be Still”, “Peace be with you.” Jesus said. Jesus will adore you when you visit the Adoration Chapel and sitting with Him consoles His Sacred Heart (M-F 7 AM – 8 PM, SAT. 7 AM – 5 PM, and SUN. 7 AM – 3 PM) “I thirst” to console your Sacred Heart, Jesus. An essential teaching of St. Teresa of Calcutta.
OUR NEXT PRAYER GATHERING IS FEBRUARY 26, 2025 AT 7 PM IN THE CHAPEL. “GOD IS WITH US”
Eternal Love, Prayer and Peace of Mind in Christ.
St. Dymphna, pray for us!
Bernadette M. Pappas
St. Michael Mental Health Awareness Ministry
If You or Someone You Know is In Crisis, call the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 for immediate help.
Let us pray – “St. Dymphna, we ask you to intercede for us with God, that we may be given peace and strength of mind, body and spirit. Pray that we may experience the love and support of the faith community we are part of. Pray that governments around the world will recognize the need for better mental health services in their local communities. Amen.” – Deacon Tom Lambert, Chicago Archdiocese Commission on Mental Illness, www.catholicmhm.org/chicago.
The Association of Catholic Health Ministers and St. Michael Parish Mental Health Awareness Ministry invite everyone to pray a novena for people with mental illnesses and their families, using the novena developed by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). According to the USCCB, the Novena reflects on a theme related to mental health or a particular population significantly affected by mental health challenges. It offers nine initial entry points for people to prayerfully approach the topic of mental health, using a “Pray, Learn, Act” structure.
This Novena can be found on the Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers website at www.catholicmhm.org/chicago under Resources / Prayer Resources. Copies can also be found on the kiosk in the St. Michael Narthex.
Lord, we pray for those who have mental illness
Christ took all human suffering on himself, even mental illness. Whoever suffers from mental illness “always bears God’s image and likeness in themselves.” – Pope Saint John Paul II
Comfort those who live with mental illness and support those who, like the Good Samaritan, soothe their spiritual wounds – Pope Benedict XVI
Let us pray for them and their families, so that they are never left alone, or discriminated against, but instead are welcomed and supported. Along with indispensable psychological counseling, Jesus’ words also help. We bring to mind and heart: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” May people who suffer from mental illness find support and a light that opens them up to life. Amen – Pope Francis
St. Damian Mental Health Support Group
Do you love someone with a mental health concern?
Are you looking for support?
Join the Mental Health Support Group at St. DamiAn
The Third Thursday of each month from 7 to 8:30 pm
At the St. Damian Pastoral Center
708-687-1370
CLICK HERE for More Information
You are not alone!
“God loves me. I’m not here just to fill a place, just to be a number. He has chosen me for a PURPOSE. I know it.”
The Essential Teachings of St. Mother Teresa. Pray for us and the whole world.
St. Dymphna, pray for us.
♥️♥️♥️ J. M. J.
