Catechists must care for their mental well-being

Jul 12, 2024

KUALA LUMPUR: The annual RCIA Study Day, organised by the KL Archdiocesan Catechetical Ministry (KLACM), was held on June 29 at the Church of the Sacred Heart. This year’s Study Day took a different slant, compared to previous years for two reasons. Firstly, while earlier topics were related directly to the RCIA, the topic for 2024 was Remaining Faithful and Fruitful in Ministry: A Mental Health Awareness Programme. Secondly, besides those involved in the RCIA, the formation programme was also opened to coordinators and catechists from other sub-ministries under KLACM, as well as those participating in the Catechist’s Basic Theology Course (Journey through the CCC) and Catechist’s Lay Formators Team.

Our mental well-being affects the effectiveness of our ministry
The Study Day was graced by the presence of Archbishop Julian Leow. In his opening remarks, Archbishop Julian pointed out that those serving in ministry should place importance on their own mental health. Unfortunately, many people in ministry often fail to do this. One main reason is that they tend to focus on the “doing” aspect of the ministry and neglect the “being” aspect- their emotional, physical, mental and spiritual well-being.

In addition, besides one’s commitment to his or her ministry, a person is also constantly affected by marital or family issues, the need to balance between full-time work and ministry, secularisation, time management, parish and ministry conflicts and others. All these can lead to a sense of tiredness, discouragement and loss of zeal for ministry. As a result, people in ministry can experience mental, emotional and physical fatigue or tiredness, and suffer “ministry burnout”. Put simply, “ministry burnout” refers to the exhaustion and diminishing passion that a church leader or a person in ministry can experience after prolonged and excessive stress from the work they've been called to do.

However, because many people tend to associate “mental health” with “mental problems”, they think they do not suffer from “mental issues”. This causes them to not pay attention to the effects of “ministry burnout” that they experience. It can result in some catechists becoming easily frustrated with people or circumstances, or wanting to leave the ministry. In this regard, greater awareness has to be created about the importance of the mental well-being of those in ministry.

Archbishop Julian emphasised that the Study Day being held was very timely, and will serve as an important reminder for catechists to care for their mental well-being to continue to be faithful and fruitful in their ministry. It is all the more important since many people suffered mental health issues during the COVID-19 pandemic and most are still feeling the effects today. While prayer and the regular celebration of the sacraments are the ideal ways for catechists to safeguard and grow in their vocation, as human beings they also have to take care of the intellectual, emotional, physical and mental aspects of their lives.

Greater awareness of mental health is needed
Fr Philip Chua, ecclesiastical assistant for the Archdiocesan Mental Health Ministry (AMHM) delivered a brief address to the participants. He mentioned that the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur began AMHM in 2015. It was the “brainchild” and initiative of Archbishop Julian, who felt it essential for such a ministry to be at the service of those who needed personal counselling and other forms of support. However, Fr Philip expressed that many Catholics are still not aware of the existence of the ministry and the type of services and support it provides, although it has carried out numerous awareness programmes and conducted sessions on mental health. He encouraged catechists who experience ‘ministry burnout’ to participate in such programmes and events organised by the AMHM.

Topics covered at the Study Day
The day’s programme was divided into three parts. The first session entitled Understanding Mental Health was presented by Brenda Shalini, a registered and licenced counsellor and lecturer. She highlighted the common mental issues and helped the participants of the Study Day identify symptoms and signs related to these issues. In sharing the definition of mental health, Brenda stated that our mental health is connected closely to our emotional and physical well-being. In other words, “mental health” is not only about what affects our mind, but also our entire “being”.

In the second session, Joshua Matthew, clinical psychologist, spoke on Emotional Regulation and Stress Management. He shared that the common mental health issues that have become of increasing concern include mood disorders like depression, anxiety and bipolar disorders, and stressrelated disorders and adjustment disorders. He proposed practical skills to regulate our emotions through a number of techniques which include “checking the facts”, problem solving, and “opposite action”. These have to be practised consistently in order to be developed into a habit. An important point highlighted by Joshua is that, often, we tend to react emotionally to situations based on “assumptions”. It is crucial, therefore, to find out and confirm the actual facts before we react or respond.

The third and final session entitled, Selfcare and purposeful living was also presented by Joshua. He helped the participants practise a few self-care techniques. It was amusing yet touching, to see all the participants take part seriously in the activities during the session, which include deep-breathing, grounding techniques like the “5-4-3-2-1 technique”, and mindfulness approaches towards thinking and behaviours. To many who took part in the activities, it was an “eye-opener” and a reminder as to how they can care for their mental well-being through simple but effective self-care techniques.

A word of thanks to AMHM
In his closing remarks, Dr Steven Selvaraju, Director of the KL Archdiocesan Catechetical Centre, expressed his gratitude to Fr Philip Chua and his team consisting of Joshua and Brenda, who presented the sessions, as well as Warren Lee, Vivian Lock and Juanne Ong, for their efforts in creating awareness about mental health through the Study Day programme. “We are also grateful to AMHM for the service and other forms of support they provide to Catholics in the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur and beyond”, said Dr Steven, before concluding the programme with a prayer of thanksgiving to God. — KLACM