Seeking to Serve 

I first heard Henri Nouwen's term, "Wounded Healer" in a homily. Nouwen spoke of not hiding our wounds, which don’t have to be a source of shame, but instead of healing when put in the service of helping others. I pondered whether I could be a wounded someone who also heals.

In 2022, after graduating from the Institute for Leadership in Ministry (ILM), I had been in a mental rut. Sitting in the chapel before Mass one Sunday morning, I saw the flyer for our parish’s mental health ministry on the screen and felt the Holy Spirit tugging at me. I went home, prayed on it, and then emailed Barbara and Anita, mental health leaders of my parish. I shared my story as well as my desire to help serve.

Ministry

As a new mental health minister, I have various involvements. I recently made a three-minute announcement at the end of Mass, sharing my experience and inviting everyone to learn about our mental health ministry. I create scripts for other presenters who do the same.  At a recent event over 200 people came to hear our invited speaker Father Matthias Lambrecht give a presentation titled, “Bad Days No More.” I also lead our monthly meetings on the 4th Saturday of each month. At our last meeting I facilitated a session of Living Grace, a Christ-centered spiritual tool from the Mental Health Grace Alliance for those with mental health struggles, and I do much more. I am always looking to see where God would like to continue to use me to serve Him in this ministry. 

A Journey a Faith

This Easter Vigil will mark my 11th year in the Catholic Church. I was raised Presbyterian and in college lost my faith altogether. After 12 years away from God, I came back to the Catholic Church. However, as I look back, I can see signs and nuggets from God where He was reaching out to me and even as I was looking for an ABC (Anything but Catholic) Church. 

One of those signs occurred when I was attending my 10-year high school reunion. I was speaking with a former classmate who shared that she had converted to Catholicism. I remember being transfixed by that and wanting to learn more about her journey into the Catholic Church. For the rest of the evening, I had this feeling of wanting to learn more about her journey into the Catholic Church.

Wounds Healing Wounds

Working in this ministry has deepened my relationship with Christ. Even though I have read the Bible, when I read the Holy Scriptures now, I continue to come across things with a fresh lens, especially when it comes to the mental health sufferings of Biblical figures. Reading of God's loving tenderness towards them and how He strengthened their perseverance has helped me through my own recent battles, and they continue to be a source of strength for me.

I am grateful that God has given me the opportunity to use my woundedness to be of service to others, by being able to remove the mask of shame and stigma through sharing my experiences. I hope I can continue to work to create safe spaces for all to know that they are not alone, whether they are experiencing a mental illness, or if they are caring for a loved one with a mental illness.