This year the theme chosen by the New Zealand Catholic Bishops for Support Life Sunday is mental illness, with the focus on accompanying and caring for people living with mental illness. The tagline is You are not alone: Accompanying and caring for people living with mental illness. The shortened tagline is You are not alone which has also been translated into te reo – ehara hoki i te mea ko koe anake.
St Pope John Paul II noted that “Whoever suffers from mental illness ‘always’ bears God’s image and likeness in Godself, as does every human being. In addition, each human ‘always’ has the inalienable right not only to be considered as an image of God and therefore as a person, but also to be treated as such.”(1996)
The resources below have been developed by the National Liturgy Office and the Support Life Sunday working group which was coordinated by the Nathaniel Centre and included representatives from each Diocese.
Resources
Support for Life Sunday poster
An Examination of Conscience exercise
An Examination of Conscience PowerPoint slide
NLO Parish Liturgical resources
Mass Holding PowerPoint slide
Questions for Parish Leadership teams and Pastoral carers
A range of Catholic Songs of Comfort can be located on Youtube HERE
Readings
2 Kings 5:14-17 Conversion of Naaman
Psalm 98:1, 2-3,3-4 The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power
2 Tm 2:8-13 If we have died with him, we shall also live with him…
Luke 17:11-19 The Ten Lepers
Social media
Help & Support
Please consider including nationwide or local (to you) helplines, websites and places to go to for support when promoting Support Life Sunday material.
HELPLINES
- Need to talk? Free call or text 1737 any time for support from a trained counsellor.
- Lifeline – 0800 543 354 (0800 LIFELINE) for counselling and support.
- Depression Helpline – 0800 111 757 to talk to a trained counsellor about how you are feeling or to ask any questions.
- Suicide Crisis Helpline – 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO) For people in distress, and people who are worried about someone else.
- Healthline – 0800 611 116 for advice from trained registered nurses.
- Samaritans – 0800 726 666
- Youthline – 0800 376 633, free text 234 or email talk@youthline.co.nz. For young people, and their parents, whānau and friends.
- What’s Up – 0800 942 8787 (for 5–18-year-olds; Mon to Fri midday–11pm and weekends 3pm–11pm).
- Kidsline – 0800 54 37 54 (0800 KIDSLINE) – for young people up to 18 years of age. Open 24/7.
- OUTLine NZ – 0800 688 5463 (0800 OUTLINE) – provides confidential support for sexuality or gender identity issues.
- SPARX – an online self-help tool that teaches young people the key skills needed to help combat depression and anxiety.
- The Journal – NZ based self-help programme designed to teach you skills that can help get through mild to moderate depression more effectively.
- Big White Wall – Free for Auckland residents. A UK-based professionally facilitated, peer support community of people who are experiencing common mental health problems.
There is further information and learning resources on the Mental Health Foundation’s website, from explanations of medical conditions and statistics through to lists of community support groups in your area. https://mentalhealth.org.nz/our-work/resource-and-information-service
Further Learning
https://www.cbcew.org.uk/mental-health/ The Catholic Bishops Conference of England & Wales has established a Mental Health Project to further encourage and inspire communities of understanding.
https://mediablog.catholic.org.au/bishops-release-mental-illness-outreach-guidelines/ the Australian Catholic Bishops have published guidelines to provide parishes with very useful information about mental illness in its various forms.
https://mentalhealth.org.nz/ New Zealand’s Mental Health Foundation has useful resources and information for the New Zealand context.
https://mentalhealth.inquiry.govt.nz/inquiry-report/he-ara-oranga/chapter-3-what-we-think/3-2-our-conclusions/ The conclusion section of He Ara Oranga : Report of the Government Inquiry into Mental Health and Addiction (2018)