U.S. bishops call Catholics to prayer and action ahead of Mental Health Sunday

Every year, Catholics are invited to pray for those struggling with mental health and reflect on how to better engage the issue, which affects many people around the world, on Mental Health Sunday, which falls on Oct. 11 this year.

Mental Health Sunday is part of the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops’ (USCCB) National Catholic Mental Health Campaign , a year-round initiative of the U.S. bishops that encourages the faithful to respond and bring awareness to the growing mental health crisis in the country.

While the campaign is a year-round initiative, a special emphasis is placed on the issue Oct. 10–18. During that week, the Novena for Mental Health is prayed. The novena begins on World Mental Health Day (Oct. 10), includes Mental Health Sunday — which takes place on the Sunday that falls within the time frame of the Novena for Mental Health — and ends on the feast of St. Luke (Oct. 18), the patron saint of healthcare.

The novena includes themes related to mental health to reflect on and uses a pray, learn, act structure, which means that each day includes a prayer, a section where participants can learn about mental health issues and about those suffering, and a…