Awareness of one’s need for better mental health has grown dramatically in recent decades. That call to personal growth extends universally across faith traditions and demographic lines.
St. Athanasius Parish in Northwest Philadelphia’s West Oak Lane neighborhood is using a series of Saturday gatherings to address that need through the lens of the Catholic faith.
“We use Biblical teaching as foundational texts to show that God wants us to have good mental health,” said Redemptorist Father Anayo Nna, a Nigerian-born mental health counselor in residence at St. Athanasius.
“That was very helpful for people to begin to see, not just from a scientific point of view, but from a scriptural point of view, that God wants us to have wholeness. If people can see what God actually wants for them, and how sin affects us, not just physically, but spiritually, emotionally, psychologically, that will help. Of course, we brought in the scientific part of it (and) promoted wholeness.”
The series aimed to serve the area’s Black population which, according to Father Nna, faces both unique challenges to mental health and a greater stigma surrounding the field.
“We need to take care of our mental health the same way we take care of our physical health,” he said. “You don’t wait until somebody has measles before you give the person a vaccine. The vaccine is to stop the person from getting sick or getting ill.”
The parish hosted two sessions this summer — the first on suicide and suicidal behavior, the second on disparities in mental health and advocacy in the Black community.
Father Anayo and the parish’s pastor, Father Joseph Okonski, both shared how the series illuminated key points that are often forgotten.
“Because of the color of a person’s skin, it’s very easy to stereotype and say all people with this particular skin color operate this particular way,” said Father Okonski. “The first and most important thing is that the Black community is not a monolithic community. It represents so many different and varied mindsets, viewpoints, backgrounds, and histories.”
Fathers Okonski and Nna also believe, however, that the effects of racism should never be ignored in the challenge of mental health.
“For the Black community, it is ongoing,” Father Okonski said. “It’s something experienced over a period of 300, 400 years, but it is ongoing. It is still their reality.”
“One of the areas of research today in mental health in the Black community is experiencing racism as trauma, and the problem of intergenerational trauma due to racism,” Father Nna said. “We cannot discount that reality, that impact.”
He added that the stigma of mental health in the Black community specifically manifests itself in distrust of professionals who can help.
“Part of it is that the history of the encounter between the Black community and the medical establishment has not always been on the up and up. It has not always been that great,” said Father Nna.
“We know stories of the different forms of research that were done on Blacks, which has created a mistrust for mental health and for the medical field generally.”
Those who attended the latest session experienced talks, took part in conversations and received knowledge and faith-centered perspective to help them overcome these hurdles to mental health.
The first part involved what Father Nna called a key distinction.
“Mental illness is just another form of illness that human beings are exposed to, just like physical illness,” he said.
“People were surprised when we made that basic distinction, that we are not here to talk about mental illness, but we are here to talk about mental health and wellness. That was a big eye-opener, and a shift in people’s mentality.”
Father Nna took examples from the book of Genesis and the Gospels to help open eyes, minds and hearts to prioritizing mental health.
In the Gospel of John (Jn. 10:10) Jesus prays for his disciples: “I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.”
“That fullness of life is both physical, spiritual, psychological, and emotional. God wants us to take care of all of them,” said Father Nna.
“When Jesus met the man who was suffering from leprosy, he touched him and told him that he was healed and then sent him back to be reunited with the community — an example of Jesus not just healing somebody physically. By touching somebody who was ostracized, who was discriminated against, Jesus healed him emotionally, psychologically.”
The final piece that both priests focus on involves helping the sessions’ attendees not only focus on their own mental health, but to become evangelizers who help others take positive steps, especially in their faith.
“We are created for community,” Father Nna said. “Isolation (and) loneliness can become a big problem, especially when people age, so being part of a worshipping community and taking it seriously — a life of community, worship, prayer — that’s number one.”
He added that staying physically active, spending time with one’s family and friends, taking part in enjoyable activities including volunteering and maintaining a structure to life are simple steps everyone can take to help maintain the mental health God intends.
As Father Nna said, “God wants us to be in harmony with him.”
St. Athanasius Parish will continue its mental health series later this fall with talks about addiction and severe mental health illnesses. Check the parish website for more information when it is released.
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