Mental Health Ministry Retreat Resources

Promotional Flyer

Agenda

Agenda

A keynote presentation can be a good way to set the theme and the tone for the retreat day.  You may choose to:

• Create your own original keynote presentation around a retreat theme meaningful to your community
• As the keynote presentation, show the webinar video wherein Deacon Ed Shoener gives an overview about Mental Health Ministry  
• Use the PowerPoint File Resource to create your own version of Deacon Ed's Mental Health Ministry Overview as your retreat day keynote

In order to better tailor the Retreat to different experiences, consider offering options for facilitated breakout sessions such as:

• A breakout session for those serving in mental health ministry, or who may want to learn more about the ministry.  This session can simply be a Q&A facilitated by those with more experience in mental health ministry, where mental health ministers share knowledge with one another.
• A breakout session for those with lived experience with mental illness or mental health challenges.  This session can be facilitated by those on their recovery journey who have lived experience with mental illness or mental health challelnges.  People particpating in this session can share their experiences in a supportive, safe and understanding space.
• A breakout session for those who care about someone with mental illness or mental health challenges.  This session can be facilitated by those who care about someone with mental illness or mental health challenges.

Agenda for the breakout session for those who care about someone with mental health challenges

Caregiver Prayer Booklet

Caregivers and Receivers Tips

A Mass is an integral part of a Catholic Retreat experience. 

• The homily will ideally be preached by a priest or deacon familiar with mental health ministry.  Examples of homilies related to mental health and mental health ministry can be found here.
• The Prayers of the Faithful (intercessions/petitions) will ideally relate to mental health.  Examples can be found here.
• The readings for the day can be used or others can be chosen.  There is almost always a connection to mental health and mental health ministry in every reading proclaimed in our church.
• The music for the Mass can be chosen to emphasize the theme of the Retreat.  Good quality liturgical music can greatly enhance the prayer experience.
• Invite any clergy in your community who support mental health ministry to particpate in celebrating the Mass.  It is important that our clergy be visible in Catholic mental health ministry.

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  Worship Aid for the Mass - MS Word File

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  Worship Aid for the Mass - PDF

If possible, choose a retreat location that offers outdoor Stations of the Cross or other opportuites for outdoor prayer and reflection.  This is not required, but it can be helpful to offer attendees the opportunity to be in different spaces and environments throughout the retreat day. 
Dependent on the weather and surroundings in your community, praying and having time to reflect in an outdoor grotto or other worship area can add to the overall experience.  Many people find calm and solace in a peacful outdoor setting, and this reflective time outdoors can be a welcome break amidst the other structured activities of the retreat day.

A reflection exercise to end the day can be a good opportunity for attendees to process the retreat experience together.  Allowing time for attendess to optionally share within a small group, and also with the larger group, affirms everyone's voice and wisdom.

Planning and providing a retreat is a significant undertaking, and so this is an ideal event for collaboration among multiple parish ministries in an area or diocese, or for a local Chapter of the Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers. 

• It can be helpful to ask for different team leads to accept main responsibility for: hospitality (procuring and providing food and drink), set-up and clean-up, retreat packets, Mass details, etc.
• Ideally a number of different people will play leadership roles throughout the retreat day: facilitating sessions, serving at Mass, etc.  Mental Health Ministry is about accepting and celebrating the unique gifts of every person, and allowing many different people to play visible roles throughout the retreat helps to reflect that.
• Choosing a worship location with multiple different spaces/rooms helps to maintain the spiritual sense of a retreat while also allowing for multiple breakout session rooms, Mass, possible outdoor prayer and reflection space, a kitchen for food preparation, etc.
• Keep costs low by hosting the retreat in a worship space already involved with mental health ministry, by utilizing volunteer ministers, by keeping food and drink simple, and by charging a low registration fee (~$15) and/or accepting goodwill donations.