In the Diocese of Phoenix, mental health is a primary focus.
Since his installation as the fifth Bishop of Phoenix in August 2022, Bishop John Dolan has emphasized the importance of mental wellness and fostering a community where individuals can freely share their experiences and find support.
This historic effort, which has served as a model for other dioceses around the U.S. and the world, began with the establishment of the Office of Mental Health Ministry in December 2022, which is built on three pillars: accompaniment, education and advocacy.
Since its establishment, the ministry has made leaps and bounds when it comes to breaking stigma around mental illness, training diocesan faithful in Mental Health First Aid and providing a place for individuals to come as they are and get connected to much-needed resources.
The ministry took another major step this week, as a group of young adult facilitators hosted a mental health listening session for young adults at the Diocesan Pastoral Center in downtown Phoenix – the first of its kind in diocesan history.
“Listening is the lifeblood of the Mental Health Ministry,” shared Brianna Della Valle, one of the event’s facilitators who also serves as the Catholic Campaign for Human Development intern and Grants and Donor Engagement coordinator for the Diocese of Phoenix.
“Bishop [Dolan] always talks about the woman at the well from Scripture and the first thing Jesus does is listen to her, right?” she continued. “He doesn’t say, ‘here are tools and resources you can use,’ which is a great thing to do, and a really important step. But He always started with listening, and that’s where we begin, too.”
The listening session took place at The Well, a space of gathering and accompaniment in the Mental Health Ministry office at the Diocesan Pastoral Center in downtown Phoenix.
The purpose of the gathering was to foster a space for young people to come and share their experiences and for the Mental Health Ministry team to listen and learn how they can continue to support the community to the best of their ability.
“One thing that I really appreciated was that Mary Permoda, director of the Office of Mental Health Ministry for the Diocese of Phoenix was there.” said Della Valle.
“She said it best, ‘People who are struggling are the experts on the resources they need. We might be blind to some of those needs, so the goal is to listen to the people we are serving so we can continue to grow and best support them.’”
Della Valle shared that the ideal size for a listening session is 10 people at most, giving everyone the opportunity to share their experiences and be heard. There were seven participants at the event.
After sharing a meal and getting to know one another, the group reflected on the story of Emmaus from Scripture, where Jesus accompanies two of His disciples in their fear and frustrations, meeting them exactly where they are on their journey.
From there, the group reflected on the two questions that drove the main discussion:
What mental health challenges have you personally faced, or what challenges have you seen affecting your friends and loved ones?
What resources have helped you or your loved ones navigate these challenges, and what type of additional resources would you like to see?
These questions were the perfect springboard for a deep, honest and fruitful conversation in which each participant had the opportunity to share their unique experiences and bring valuable insights to the table.
“We talked about everything from losing loved ones to suicide and struggling through grief and pain, to the pressures of Catholic culture and the loneliness of feeling like you don’t belong,” continued Della Valle. “It’s hard to be vulnerable, it’s hard to be surrounded by a group of people and still feel alone”.
“There are a lot of young adults going through these same experiences, and it was so valuable to be able to be with one another and talk about it together.”
For more than an hour, the participants shared their hearts, grew in understanding and brainstormed helpful ways to go forward together.
And it deeply impacted hearts.
“One participant said, ‘This healed me,’ and I was like, ‘oh my gosh!’ I wasn’t expecting participants to react so well,” Della Valle shared. “But in the end, it makes sense. Having a place to come as you are, share your story and knowing that you will be heard – that makes all the difference.”
To learn more about the Mental Health Ministry of the Diocese of Phoenix and to stay in the loop on events, including future young adult mental health listening sessions, sign up for email updates here.
