The Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers is a lay association of the Christian faithful whose members are called to be a healing presence in the lives of people with mental illness. It offers spiritual support to those living with a mental illness and assists them in living in holiness and educating and informing the Catholic community about the issues, struggles, and joys that can be found in people living with a mental illness. The Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers provides the tools, methods and insights that allow Catholic leaders to confidently minister to people with a mental illness without fear or prejudice.
Our President, Deacon Ed Shoener, and our Chaplain, Bishop John Dolan are available to discuss our work and to comment on related mental health ministry issues. They have been interviewed in a wide range of catholic and secular media outlets and are happy to participate in podcasts, webinars, or other platforms.
See below for short bios for Deacon Shoener and Bishop Dolan, sample interview questions, recent press releases, and contact information to arrange an interview.
President
Diocese of Scranton, PA
Ed Shoener was ordained a permanent deacon in 2004 and serves at St. Peter’s Cathedral in the Diocese of Scranton. Shoener is a founding member of the Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers and the Catholic Institute of Mental Health Ministry at the University of San Diego. He serves on the Council on Mental Illness of the National Catholic Partnership on Disability and on the Board of Pathways to Promise, an interfaith cooperative that facilitates the faith community’s work in reaching out to those with mental illnesses and their families. Deacon Shoener, along with Bishop John Dolan, is coauthor of the books Responding to Suicide: A Pastoral Handbook for Catholic Leaders and When a Loved One Dies by Suicide (Ave Maria Press, Notre Dame, IN).
He, along with family and friends, founded “The Katie Foundation” after his daughter, Kathleen, died by suicide in 2016. Katie’s obituary went viral because it spoke to the needs and concerns of people who live with mental illness. He lives with his family in Scranton, Pennsylvania
The Most Reverend John P. Dolan was ordained a priest for the Diocese of San Diego, Calif., July 1, 1989. He was installed as the fifth bishop of the Diocese of Phoenix August 2, 2022. Bishop Dolan attended local Catholic schools in San Diego at St. Mary Magdalene parish and University High School, before attending St. Francis Seminary and the University of San Diego, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy. He earned a Master’s degree in Divinity and Theology at St. Patrick’s Seminary in Menlo Park, Calif.
Bishop Dolan, along with Deacon Ed Shoener, is coauthor of the books Responding to Suicide: A Pastoral Handbook for Catholic Leaders and When a Loved One Dies by Suicide (Ave Maria Press, Notre Dame, IN).
To request an interview with Deacon Ed Shoener or Bishop John Dolan, contact Jen Housel at [email protected].
The Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers is a lay association of the Christian faithful whose members are called to be a healing presence in the lives of people with mental illness. It offers spiritual support to those living with a mental illness and assists them in living in holiness and educating and informing the Catholic community about the issues, struggles, and joys that can be found in people living with a mental illness. The Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers provides the tools, methods and insights that allow Catholic leaders to confidently minister to people with a mental illness without fear or prejudice.
NOTRE DAME, Ind. — Ave Maria Press and the Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers have teamed up to release two books aimed at helping families affected by suicide and those who minister to them.
RESPONDING TO SUICIDE: Winner of the Resource of the Year award and a first-place in resources for ministry from the Association of Catholic Publishers.
WHEN A LOVED ON DIES BY SUICIDE: COMFORT, HOPE AND HEALING FOR GRIEVING CATHOLICS: Winner of a second-place award in the general interest category from the Association of Catholic Publishers and honorable mention in grief and bereavement from the Catholic Media Association.